By Marco Hugo Barsotti MHB 
It is a tradition that repeats every year, since Radio Nizza was launched. On the weekend of the world’s most famous F1 Grand Prix, that of Monaco‑Monte Carlo, we re‑show the incredible images (now decidedly vintage) filmed live for the movie “Grand Prix in Cinerama” released in cinemas in 1966.
The scenes, actually shot on 65 mm film and not on three 35 mm strips that would be the true Cinerama, are decidedly panoramic, as shown by the still frames and the video that we reproduce in the correct “aspect ratio” (base‑height ratio) of 2.4:1.
The incredible 70 mm production also featured breathtaking footage from the Italian circuit of Monza, back when the parabolic curve was still in use.
Vintage
The video, in particular, also has a historical interest, as it shows a Monte Carlo that has now disappeared, without the Fairmont and with a harbor where – instead of yachts worth hundreds of millions of euros – fishing boats are moored.
*C*I*N*E*R*A*M*A”
In the classic Cinerama layout we can see that a curved screen with nine speakers was planned for total immersion of the viewer in the action.
Dolby Atmos before the term
What was invented by Dolby with Dolby Stereo in 1976 (with the film A Star is Born) and later refined with Dolby Atmos in 2012 with the Pixar film Ribelle was therefore already achieved with purely analog optical soundtracks back in 1966.
Cinerama in Italy
The film was shown in the magnificent “dome” theaters in the United States and in Italy at the ‘Alcione of Milan’ (and perhaps in a hall in Rome, but we have not found confirming material). But let’s return to the images.
Grand Prix in C*I*N*E*R*A*M*A
Year 1966
The spectacular footage was not captured with webcams, not even imagined at the time, but with huge 65 mm cameras mounted on the actual Formula One cars. Let’s watch them together, but don’t forget to set the video to full‑screen mode and your device to “landscape” orientation.
Closing.
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