Venom Poster Japanese One-Sheet

RIP Burt Reynolds

Perseids!

Managed two decent shots last night.

Monster

Frankenstein Monster Exhibit

The Summer Monster Bash 2018 featured an impressive display of the Frankenstein monster and friends.

RIP Clint Walker

Giant soft spoken and likable western star battled bad guys, Nazis, rogue bulldozers and grizzly bears of filmdom.

Glenn Ford’s Projector Lens?

While visiting Palm Springs, California, I stopped off at a vintage record store, and noticed this CinemaScope projector lens. I asked the shop proprietor about it and he claimed it was brought in by a guy named Charles Massa —projectionist for the stars, who set up film rooms and showed films for Sinatra, Streisand, Albert “Cubby” Broccoli and other luminaries.

I asked if he knew more about the lens and he noted it came from actor Glenn Ford’s private screening room. These are not rare lenses and can be found for less than $50 on eBay. They can be adapted for use on modern digital cinema and film cameras. I overpaid for this one, but I like the story and the lens is in superb condition.

Glenn Ford did make some CinemaScope films, including:

• Fate is the Hunter (1964)
• The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (1962)
• Cimarron (1960)
• The Gazebo (1959)
• It Started with a Kiss (1959)
• Torpedo Run (1958)
• The Teahouse of the August Moon (1956)
• Jubal (1956)

There’s probably a few more and I likely missed some others (if you are game to cross-reference, see the CinemaScope film list link below).

There were several superb CinemaScope films. Before the days of video, laserdisc, capacitance electronic discs (CEDs —remember those?), DVD and Blu-ray, a fat cat like Glenn Ford could sit back and watch a full screen anamorphic projection of his favorite available films.

I’ve ordered some parts to adapt this to a DSLR. The notion of filming something through a lens that once projected images for Glenn Ford’s viewing is really cool to me.

Then, again—I could have been taken! Massa checks out though, so I am believing the anecdotes.

List of CinemaScope Motion Pictures