msycamore said:

Harmy said:

Not true, when you look at these 70mm cell scans, there's actually more picture information on the sides than there is in the 2004 SE, which is the least cropped transfer to date.

It seems to me that those could be 35mm, the reason behind my thinking is that this shot wasn't in the 70mm version:

Baronlando said:

It could have been in the 1981 or 82 releases though, right?

Yeah, I have always wondered if the early cut of Empire was on all 70mm prints, even when screened as late as 1985, but to make new 70mm prints for the re-releases just to have the film updated with the late changes seen in the 35mm- version were probably to costly and it would also have been necessary to create a new six-track mix, so I very much doubt it.

I also find this interesting, "The Empire Strikes Back" opened with a modest number of initial wave engagements, reportedly 127, it appears that with the exception of a few drive-in bookings, all of the first-wave engagements were in the deluxe 70mm format. Additional 70mm engagements were added during the "expansion wave" releases throughout the summer of 1980.

from: http://www.in70mm.com/news/2003/empire/index.htm

Does that mean that a few 35mm prints were produced of the early cut, or was it perhaps 16mm prints on those drive-ins?