“Compressed Film” Takes Wide Picture (Jan, 1932)
“Compressed Film” Takes Wide Picture
The view above, of the Tower of London, was taken in its natural proportions with a wide-angle lens. At the left, the same scene is shown, compressed into an ordinary motion-picture “frame” by a new process.
The picture above was photographed through a lens of special curvature, compressing the image 40 per cent, in width. When projected, with another special lens, it fills a wide motion-picture screen. Right, Trafalgar Square, London.The “compressed pictures” above are the result of an English invention, to permit projection on a wide screen from ordinary 35-mm. standard motion-picture film. The only new element in the “Fulvue” system is in the cut of the camera’s and projector’s lenses. A screen 15 feet high and 40 feet wide is thus filled with an image of normal appearance. Similarly, a high object may be compressed on an ordinary film, and expanded in projection.





“Image compression” in 1932!
Actually, more like CinemaScope in 1932. And, indeed, one of the earliest widescreen movies, “The Bat Whispers”, was released in 1930, as is noted at the Widescreen Museum:
http://www.widescreenmu…
Anamorphic. Still in use today. And a video version is used for widescreen enhanced DVDs.