To the best of my memory, Spielberg successfully threw his weight around enough that "The Color Purple" and "InnerSpace" (which he was producer of) were letterboxed on VHS. (E.T.'s first ever video release was also offered in a separate widescreen version, but I've never seen a VHS copy.) The only director I know of that prevented any pan and scan presentation of their film would be Woody Allen with "Manhattan". It has been letterboxed on video from the beginning, (with gray bars on early copies) and even the rare tv showings as well. It is often mistaken as the first movie ever to be letterboxed on home video as a result.
