When did cinemascope begin?

Answer 1

Although the anamorphic lens on which the wide screen motion picture process CinemaScope is based was developed in the 1920s by Frenchman Henri Chretien, the lens was publically demonstrated for the first time in the United States under the trademark "CinemaScope" on September 16, 1953, at New York City's Roxy Theater with the world premiere of Twentieth Century-Fox's The Robe. Twentieth Century Fox secured the rights to Cretien's lenses, but the lens concept, itself, was in the public domain. Consequently, other studios and optical firms quickly developed anamorphic lenses compatible with the CinemaScope process and marketed the lenses under various trademarks such as Panavision and Naturama.