8mm Forum: Gulliver's Travels 1939

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Topic: Gulliver's Travels 1939

Lee Mannering
Film God

Posts: 3216
From: The Projection Box
Registered: Nov 2006

posted September 19, 2012 06:46 AM

Derann Films Release
4X400ft Super 8mm Colour Sound

GULLIVER’S TRAVELS
Dave Fleisher 1939
Take me back to the 70’s please when Derann released this wonderful animated classic on Super 8 to the delight of film collectors and family film showmen! This must surely be one of the animated film releases that Derann will be most remembered for back in the day as they say which entertained families far and wide mine included. At that time the colour super 8 prints were produced using Eastman film which as we now know does not stand the test of time with regard to maintaining its colour. For me way back then I had not the slightest inkling the colour would go but we sure do now.

Gulliver’s Travels is a delightful animated film from director Dave Fleisher full of music, fun and laughter which will charm just about all audiences. The animation itself is from a time when there was no computers to do the job for you, it was all done by hand and very much crafted at that. It’s a symphony of animation if that be possible for 1939 taking an estimated 700 visionaries to bring this to the screen and what a joy it is. The film follows Gulliver’s adventure as he gets ship wrecked on Lilliput which is inhabited by some very tiny lovable people which also enjoy singing some catchy songs some of which as a viewer you may just be compelled to join in with. A date for the wedding of a princess and prince is all but fixed then the two kings have an argument and its war! The good news is that by the end of the film all is put right and it all ends on a high note.

There are some very good comedy sequences in this film, good songs some of which were by Ralph Rainger and the whole thing is held together with some at times striking animation sequences. It’s one of those films which no matter how many times I watch it you always see a little something new each time going on with the animation.

As mentioned the old prints were on Eastman but latterly some LPP appeared apparently although the old negative had by then seen better days I guess. Even so it’s a delightful film with very crisp sound and a good one to have in the archive.

Another Derann classic from the golden era of 8mm film collecting.
Sound A (for 1939)
Picture A/B

Entertainment & repeatability 10/10

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Kevin Hassall
Master Film Handler

Posts: 438
From: Walsall, England
Registered: Dec 2010

posted September 19, 2012 01:13 PM

i have this i know the colour isnt brilliant but hey i love this film

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Flavio Stabile
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 707
From: Roma, Italia
Registered: Feb 2005

posted September 19, 2012 02:31 PM

Hi

it's not clear to me if the the LPP version of this film has good colour or not...

Can you please tell me?

Thanks
Flavio

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Lee Mannering
Film God

Posts: 3216
From: The Projection Box
Registered: Nov 2006

posted September 20, 2012 03:44 AM

Good to know we have another fan Kevin.
Hello Flavio. The LPP prints colour is quite nice bearing in mind the age of the old negative and the print it was originally struck from. The big attraction of getting a LPP print is its inherent ability to retain good colour over the passing years and is possibly the best. LPP was introduced about 1981 I think and is not prone to the colour fading of the older Eastmancolor mentioned where the cyan layer of the film fades first and you will eventually wind up with a red film.
Happy hunting!

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Flavio Stabile
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 707
From: Roma, Italia
Registered: Feb 2005

posted September 20, 2012 08:43 AM

Thank you Lee!

You are right, I really enjoy this cartoon which I own in DVD only, and was always interested in find in Super8, but with good colors (at least not completely faded to red).

It seems Paul Foster has an LPP copy and I have already contacted him to see if it is still available! [Wink]

Flavio

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