35mm film in 1.37:1 aspect ratio — silent and early sound cinema standard. Replaced by 1.85:1 and 2.39:1 widescreen formats.
35mm film with an aspect ratio of 1.37:1 dominated cinema from the early 20th century well into the 1950s. Back then, this was the norm — cameras were aligned to this format, cinema projectors too, and filmmakers constructed their compositions for precisely these proportions. Those who watch silent films or early sound films today are not necessarily seeing the original framing. Many were later reformatted or cropped to fit the more modern 1.85:1 cinema standard.
In practical work on set or in post-production, the term is now a historical reference. For example, anyone undertaking a classic restoration or consciously wanting to shoot in the style of a particular era needs to know that 1.37:1 was not an exotic format — it was the standard. This means ample space at the top and bottom of the frame, less horizontal width than modern formats. A shot framing a person will appear different than in today's 1.85:1 or even Cinemascope. The viewer's eye follows different lines; vertical compositions naturally dominate more.
The replacement of this format was not a technical crash, but driven by economics and aesthetics — cinema owners wanted wider screens, filmmakers wanted to show more horizontal action. In the early 1950s, the 1.85:1 format emerged, followed later by anamorphic variants like 2.39:1 or 2.55:1. The old standard film appears almost square by comparison today.
Those working with digital material and restoring or re-coloring historical silent films should respect the original proportions — not crop for modern formats, but work with letterboxing. This preserves the compositional intent of the original. The format was not a limitation for the cinematographers of the time, but their deliberate visual language.