Trivial Pursuit 34

Created by 20th Century Fox, 'X' was a lens series used to photograph widescreen movies and marked the beginning of the modern Anamorphic format in both principal photography and movie projection.

20th Century Fox had come to India to shoot a film and after the shooting, they left the lenses at their Indian office. Their Manager in India, Mr. Prabhu, asked 'A' if he would like to try the equipment.

'A' was intrigued by the idea and he asked his technician 'B' to try some shots. The first tests were taken in A's own garden, as his wife 'C' modelled for him, sitting on a swing.

They soon saw the rushes, found the result satisfactory, and decided to go ahead with this format.

Once 'A' had obtained the necessary copyright licence from 20th Century Fox, he began a film called 'D' to be made in Bengali and starring himself alongside 'C'.

After recording two songs and shooting a few scenes around Calcutta, 'D' was shelved.

'A' after abandoning 'D', started work on a new project called 'E'.

After viewing the rushes of 'E', Art Director Mr. M R Achareker brought to A’s notice, the fact that it's framings were suitable for the standard academy ratio but not for the new format. Mr. Achareker then sat him down and taught 'A' to conceive and compose the shots keeping 'X' in mind. 'A' had to scrap all that was shot till then and re-shoot everything.

Released on 2nd October, 1959, 'E' was a box office disaster.

'B' won a lot of accolades for his work in the film.

'E' is acclaimed for it's technical brilliance and is renowned for it's Music, Lyrics and superb Song picturisation.


Identify 'A', 'B', 'C', 'D', 'E' and 'X'.


[ Pic : Jean Negulesco's 'How To Marry A Millionaire' (1953) is Twentieth Century Fox's first 'X' feature; however it wasn't released until after 'The Robe' (1953).
'How To Marry A Millionaire was released on 4th November, 1953.

Henry Koster's 'The Robe' (1953) is the second movie made in 'X', but the first to be released. It was released on 16th September, 1953. ]



Additional Trivia :


Bausch & Lomb won a 1954 Oscar for its development of the 'X' lens.


Editor and Publisher of India's first film trade magazine 'Film India', Mr. Baburao Patel, wrote in his review of 'E' : "It is a dismal incoherent funeral-paced picture which has hardly anything more remarkable about it than 'X', a process designed to provide an image that has more than twice as much width as height, and to which squint-eyed spectators can perhaps do more justice than those with normal eyes."