8mm Forum: The MUMMY 400ft version Universal 8

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Topic: The MUMMY 400ft version Universal 8

Osi Osgood
Film God

Posts: 10204
From: Mountian Home, ID.
Registered: Jul 2005

posted January 23, 2012 01:39 PM

I was wondering of someone could describe the differences in the edit for this 400ft version of the classic Universal 8/Casle Films title?

The original 200ft digest of this title was (in my opinion) one of Castle Films best (alongside "Bride of Frankenstein", from what I hear) ...

However, the Castle Films digest was of course, 200ft. This is 400ft, whioch allows for much more of the story so, how is the edit on this and how does it flow?

It must be rather rare as well. One is on ebay and it is fetching 66.00 dollars at the moment! Not too bad for a B/W digest!

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"All these moments will be lost in time, just like ... tears, in the rain. "

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Carter Bradley
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 156
From: Greensboro, NC, USA
Registered: Dec 2007

posted January 23, 2012 05:29 PM

There are a number of differences between the Castle 200' and Universal 8 400' versions. The Castle edit is a masterpiece with nice flow and disolves. Therefore if you edit the two together there is a bit of a continuity problem, but I find this is well worth the added footage since (like many other Universal 8 edits) the 400' version seems to start in the middle of the storyline.
By editing the two together one may achieve: (400') Universal's main titles, (200') "The scroll of Thoth" titles, current dig finding 3700 year old tomb, (400) extended reading of the scroll of Thoth and Mummy coming to life, the Mummy meeting his love's reincarnation and the (unedited I believe) flashback of the Mummy's origin, Helen's fiance confronting her about meeting the Mummy, the Mummy placing a spell upon Frank allowing Helen to meet him, (200) newspaper clipping announcing the unearthed tomb and artifacts placed in the Cairo museum, the Mummy calling his love, her leaving a ball in a trance, arriving at the museum (with some additional dialogue), (400) continuation of this scene in which Helen realizes she is the reincarnation of the Mummy's love, her plea to Isis to save her from death and the Mummy destroyed. This last scene is considerably longer in the 400' version. No orignial Universal end titles, just a fade out and "Universal 8" end card.
My 200' and 400' have similar quality (the 400' doesn't seem to be a multi-generation dupe as is the case with some other Universal 8 titles) so the edits almost do not seem noticeable.

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Brad Kimball
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1171
From: Highland Mills, NY USA
Registered: Jun 2003

posted January 23, 2012 06:44 PM

I, for one, would love to see a solitary compendium of "Thumbs Up - Thumbs Down" for all the classic U-8 Monster 400' versions so I know which ones to not even bother with. I can tell you that "A&C Meet Frankenstein" is only necessary to complete the canon, but suffers from a very poor edit job and terrible looking print. I've also read (possibly here) that "Dr. Cyclops" is a real dud. I have "Frankenstein", "Bride", "Son", "Meets Wolfman" and "Dracula" and they're actually not bad.

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Osi Osgood
Film God

Posts: 10204
From: Mountian Home, ID.
Registered: Jul 2005

posted January 28, 2012 01:16 PM

Thanks Carter for that rundown of the edit of the two together. What is the run-time with them edited together?

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"All these moments will be lost in time, just like ... tears, in the rain. "

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Carter Bradley
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 156
From: Greensboro, NC, USA
Registered: Dec 2007

posted January 28, 2012 03:27 PM

Approx. 410' or 20 minutes. BTW, Universal 8's "Frankenstein meets the Wolfman" runs approx. 23 minutes with scenes added from Castle's 200' version. This is an easy edit with all additiional scenes added to the beginning of the U8 version, and well worth the time.

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John Hourigan
Master Film Handler

Posts: 301
From: Colorado U.S.A.
Registered: Sep 2003

posted January 28, 2012 03:29 PM

I actually purchased a print with the 200' edited into the 400' digest. Pretty smooth edits (considering), but I haven't actually timed it. Mine fits on a very full 400' reel. While THE MUMMY is not among my favorites (as I find it a bit of a slow go), I wanted it to add to my Universal 400' monster collection. As we all know, the best 200' edit into a 400' digest is FRANKENSTEIN MEETS THE WOLF MAN given the first half of the 200' fits nicely onto the start of the 400' digest. I'm not a big fan of chopping up 200' digests to make a longer (but choppier) 400'/600' digest, but I have been tinkering with the idea of editing the first part of the SON OF FRANKENSTEIN 200' onto the first of that 400' digest.

In terms of digests, I find the 400' DRACULA actually better than the feature!

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Carter Bradley
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 156
From: Greensboro, NC, USA
Registered: Dec 2007

posted January 28, 2012 04:05 PM

I agree John that "Meets the Wolfman" is an outstanding Castle edit. I did edit the Castle and U8 "Son of Frankenstein" digests together because I feel (as in other cases) the Castle version offers a nice overview of the film, and besides, the U8 edit doesn't even include any lab scenes reviving the monster! Does anyone know if the two (slightly) different Castle 200' edits were available in Super 8, or just in Regular 8? All of the Super 8 200' versions I have seen are the same, but when I recently purchased a DVD of 16mm Castle monster digests, "Son of Frankenstein" had a different edit! This DVD also included a 16mm 400' (8 minute) "The Invisible Woman(!!)" digest, which I do not believe was ever released in Super 8.

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Marshall Crist
Master Film Handler

Posts: 300
From: San Pedro, CA USA
Registered: Oct 2008

posted January 28, 2012 04:59 PM

Osi, I thought the BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN 200' stunk. There are so many great scenes in the film that condensing it to that length is a no-win situation, but I thought there was way too much emphasis on dialogue. Frankenstein and Pretorius talk. Pretorius unearths a female body and talks. Bride is created. Explosive conclusion. The end.

Haven't seen the 400' but it seems like the added footage was not put to great use. Monster in the woods, Pretorius displays his little people.

How about the monster emerging from the burnt windmill? The monster being captured in the woods and escaping from the dungeon? THE HERMIT SCENE?

[ January 28, 2012, 07:21 PM: Message edited by: Marshall Crist ]

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John Hourigan
Master Film Handler

Posts: 301
From: Colorado U.S.A.
Registered: Sep 2003

posted January 28, 2012 06:44 PM

Marshall, I don't think the 400' BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN edit is one of the best, particularly in the beginning of the digest -- way TOO much footage is wasted on the "little people" which comes across as just plain dumb (and is one of the weaknesses of the feature itself). This is one of the reasons I prefer the original FRANKENSTEIN -- I found the "humor" in BRIDE to be a tad off-putting -- but that's just my humble opinion.

[ January 29, 2012, 01:42 AM: Message edited by: John Hourigan ]

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