HE nemesis Bob Furmanek, the film scholar and restorationist who is responsible for persuading many Bluray distributors to remaster and release 1950s-era films within the dreaded 1.85 aspect ratio: aspect ratio, has been working on a Kino Lorber Bluray of Those Redheads From Seattle, which was the first feature composed for 1.66:1. The Redheads Bluray will be released in 3D early next year.

Although the musical was composed for 1.66:1, Paramount bailed on insisting that this film should be shown in 3D, allowing that exhibitors could project it “flat” (i.e., non-3D) if they so chose. Redheads in 3D hasn’t been seen at 1.66 in over 60 years. Or something like that.

Qualifier: Redheads wasn’t the first Paramount film to be released at 1.66, as it opened on 10.14.53 and was therefore preceded by Shane, which was shot at 1.37:1 but aspect-ratio raped at 1.66:1 in its initial April 1953 release, and The War of the Worlds, which was released in 1.66 in August ’53 despite being composed at 1.37:1.

Boilerplate: “This Technicolor Pine-Thomas production from 1953 features excellent stereoscopic photography by Oscar-winning cinematographer Lionel Lindon. Written and directed by Lewis R. Foster and featuring a stellar cast which includes Rhonda Fleming, Gene Barry and Agnes Moorehead, ‘the first 3D musical also contains five terrific tunes by popular recording artists Teresa Brewer, Guy Mitchell and the Bell Sisters.”