I’D like to congratulate the organisers of Darlington Film Club on their efforts to bring classic movies back to the big screen (Echo, Aug 31).

Classics like Star Wars, Jaws and Gone With The Wind were shot with the big screen in mind yet so many young filmgoers will only have seen them on television.

Until the switch to widescreen televisions, the majority of films were transmitted in a format which cropped a large part of the pictured. This completely ruined the composition of films shot in widescreen formats such as Panavision.

At its worst, this process left baffled viewers watching two disembodied actors talking to each other because the director positioned them at either side of the widescreen picture.

It really is heartening to read about the efforts of volunteers dedicated to bringing older films to the big screen once more. I trust the people of Darlington will support them.

H Foster, Darlington