The nonisothermal crystallization half-time (t(0.5)), defined as the time taken for a polymer film to reach half of its equilibrium crystallinity, was estimated from Raman spectroscopic measurements of crystallinity during blown film extrusion of a linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) and an isotactic polypropylene (i-PP). The crystalline a- and c-axis orientation of LLDPE and i-PP films, respectively, increased with decreasing crystallization halftime. The transverse direction tensile modulus and tear strengths for LLDPE films also increased with decreasing half-time. However, for i-PP films, only the transverse direction tear strength increased with decreasing t(0.5), while the machine direction properties did not show a significant dependence on half-time. Our real-time Raman spectroscopy studies provide experimental evidence to theories proposed in the literature' with regards to the influence of the nonisothermal crystallization process (along the film axis) on the imparted final film structure. (c) 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.