A better and bigger idea: People with a little time on their hands
should choose directors of the 50s, 60s, and 70s that they love, and
contact the director and cinematographer of key films to find out what
the intended aspect ratios were. JPC, are Bresson's cinematographers
still around? Was he framing for the European 1.66:1; was he framing for
1.33:1; was he trying to make films that would work at anything between
1.33 to 1.85, or what?

These are the questions I wish had been asked of Sirk, Welles, and
Russell Metty. The 35mm prints of "All That Heaven Allows" and "Written
on the Wind" are 1.33:1, as are prints of many Hollywood films of the
1950s; how were they really intended to be shown by their makers,
regardless of what theaters were doing? And are some cinematographers
from that period still living? Our group could take on a collective
project that might be really really useful.

- Fred