Best Cinemascope Movies & TV Shows

Martin Scorsese celebrates American movies from the silent classics to the Hollywood of the seventies.

A nostalgic and compelling look into the legendary three camera, three projector process that revolutionized motion pictures and led the industry into the widescreen era.

Von Ryan's Express stars Frank Sinatra as a POW colonel who leads a daring escape from WWII Italy by taking over a freight train, but he has to win over the British soldiers he finds himself commanding.

During the Italian Renaissance, Pope Julius II contracts the influential artist Michelangelo to sculpt 40 statues for his tomb. When the pope changes his mind and asks the sculptor to paint a mural in the Sistine Chapel, Michelangelo doubts his painting skills and abandons the project. Divine inspiration returns Michelangelo to the mural, but his artistic vision clashes with the pope's demanding personality and threatens the success of the historic painting.

Ruth and her beautiful sister Eileen come to New York's Greenwich Village looking for "fame, fortune and a 'For Rent' sign on Barrow Street". They find an apartment, but fame and fortune are a lot more elusive. Ruth gets the attention of playboy publisher Bob Baker when she submits a story about her gorgeous sister Eileen. She tries to keep his attention by convincing him that she and the gorgeous, man-getting Eileen are one and the same person.

Gigolo and drifter Chance Wayne returns to his home town as the companion of a faded movie star, Alexandra Del Lago, whom he hopes to use to help him break into the movies. Chance runs into trouble when he finds his ex-girlfriend, the daughter of the local politician Tom "Boss" Finley, who more or less forced him to leave his daughter and the town many years ago.

In effect, modern cow town Spurline is run by Virgil Renchler, owner of the Golden Empire Ranch. One night, two of Virgil's henchmen go a little too far and beat a "bracero" ranch hand to death. Faced with an obvious cover-up and opposition on every hand, sheriff Ben Sadler is goaded into investigating. His unlikely ally: Renchler's lovely, self-willed and overprotected daughter. Will Ben survive Renchler's wrath?

In Colombia, mining engineer Rian Mitchell discovers Carrero, the lost emerald mine of the Conquistadors, but has to contend with notorious local bandit El Moro's gang and with coffee planter Catherine Knowland's love.

Smallpox plagues Chief Winterhawk's tribe. He seeks cure from the white men, who in turn, in fear of getting the smallpox, kill two of his companions. Winterhawk comes back to kidnap a girl and her brother from the white men's settlement, and thus begins the chase...

After a lengthy voyage, Capt. Bart docks his ship in a London harbor and is given a new mission by British Admiralty: capture the notorious Henry Morgan, a pirate who has been wreaking havoc throughout the Caribbean. After recruiting some former shipmates for his crew, Capt. Bart sets sail in search of the infamous buccaneer, and is joined by a beautiful female stowaway in the process.

In this short subject (which mostly represents a departure from Disney's traditional approach to animation), a stuffy owl teacher lectures his feathered flock on the origins of Western musical instruments. Starting with cavepeople, whose crude implements could only "toot, whistle, plunk and boom," the owl explains how these beginnings led to the development of the four basic types of Western musical instruments: brass, woodwinds, strings, and percussion.

Brigadier General Frank D. Merrill leads the 3,000 American volunteers of his 5307th Composite Unit (Provisional), aka "Merrill's Marauders", behind Japanese lines across Burma to Myitkyina, pushing beyond their limits and fighting pitched battles at every strong-point.

A scout leading a wagon train through hostile Indian country gets involved with a Sioux chief's daughter.

Director Sidney Franklin's 1957 remake of his own 1934 film, about the romance of poets Elizabeth Barrett and Robert Browning.

After aging criminal Roy Earle is released from prison he decides to pull one last heist before retiring — by robbing a resort hotel.

In the days of King Henry IV, stalwart young Myles and his sister Meg have been raised as peasants, without any knowledge of who their father really was. But one day, they journey to Macworth Castle. There, Myles falls in love with Lady Anne Macworth, makes friends and enemies, and learns to be a knight.

This documentary explores the incredible life of Merian C. Cooper, from his time as a soldier and pilot in three different wars, to his exploits in Hollywood, as a director, producer and cinematic innovator.

A submarine commander is on a relentless pursuit of a Japanese aircraft carrier in the South Seas during World War II.

Molly and Terry Donahue, plus their three children, are The Five Donahues. Youngest son Tim meets hat-check girl Vicky and the family act begins to fall apart.

An engrossing spectacle set in the 4th-century BC, in which Alexander of Greece leads his troops forth, conquering all of the known world, in the belief that the Greek way of thinking will bring enlightenment to people. The son of the barbaric and ruthless King Philip of Macedonia, Alexander achieved glory in his short but remarkable life.

A young Mexican boy tirelessly tries to save his pet bull from death at the hands of a celebrated matador.

A young Viking prince strives to become a knight in King Arthur's Court and restore his exiled father to his rightful throne.

Clifton Webb as a strict, conservative father heads the cast of this 1959 comedy, about an American family vacationing in South America. Directed by Henry Levin, the film also features Jane Wyman, Jill St. John, Carol Lynley, Paul Henreid, Gary Crosby, Henny Backus, Wally Brown, Gardner McKay and Jose Greco.

Colonel Custer (Philip Carey), an outspoken believer in fair treatment for the Indians, is ousted from his post and forced into retirement. Fueled by ambition when a Senator Blaine (Don Haggerty) convinces him to run for President, Custer decides to upstage General Terry (Frank Ferguson) at Little Big Horn.

A light-hearted superhero comedy that spoofs the superhero genre. It is a feature film that runs 85 minutes, shot on 35mm wide screen cinemascope, and features 20 celebrities from the sci-fi, fantasy and comic genres, such as Nichelle Nichols (Uhura from Star Trek), Lou Ferrigno (The Incredible Hulk), Noel Neill (Lois Lane, Adventures of Superman) and many more. The movie played in film festivals and comic conventions 2004-2005, was distributed by Ariztical Entertainment, enjoyed a limited theatrical release March 2006, was released on DVD in May 2006 (available in outlets such as Blockbuster, Best Buy, Tower, etc. from 2006-2009), played on cable TV in 2008, streamed on NetFlix 2009-2013.

Jet Carrier is a 1954 American short documentary film produced by Otto Lang as a CinemaScope Special. It was nominated for two Academy Awards - one for Best Documentary Short, and the other for Best Two-Reel Short. It was filmed aboard the aircraft carrier USS Yorktown.

This 20th Century-Fox CinemaScope special traces the journey of Queen Elizabeth (II) and Prince Philip to the United States and Canada in conjunction with the opening of the St. Lawrence Seaway dual-country project. There are scenes of the Royal Yacht 'Britannia'; visits with President Dwight D. Eisenhower and vice-president Richard Nixon, and New York Governor Nelson Rockefeller. This special short is comprised of previously-used newsreel footage, and edited material from several "Royal Visit (1959)" films made by Canada's National Film Board.