Posts: 1375
From: Washington, DC
Registered: Jul 2003
posted May 27, 2015 07:56 AM
My first film (8 years old) was Castle's "Dracula", 50 foot, silent. I wore that film out until my dad said "That's Enough!" .
That was actually the perfect place to start, since you can only go up from there.
My first over-the-counter purchase with my own saved money was... "The Posiedon Adventure", 400 foot, color, sound (I think I was around 14 or so). I thought I was BIG-time then .
Posts: 7477
From: Manchester Uk
Registered: Aug 2012
posted May 27, 2015 01:18 PM
And you were back then james, just like I was with my Agfa Sonnector LS with its 100w lamp back in 1980. My mates loved it!
Hong Kong Phooey 400ft Techno double Bill was my first sound film ever projected along with Disney's Greatest Chases!
"A chase is a chase is a chase...but a Disney chase mixed with humour and excitement, is something special!"
Ha ha and I haven't even owned it for over 25 years!!
-------------------- "C'mon Baggy..Get with the beat"
Posts: 193
From: San Antonio, TX
Registered: Aug 2005
posted May 27, 2015 02:54 PM
Christmas gift from Dad: an 8mm projector (can't recall the make), Castle Films "Bride of Frankenstein" silent 200 ft. and "Return of Dracula" silent 50 ft. "Dracula" got stuck in the gate and began to blister and I thought it was part of the movie. Wow! Color!
And since the "Bride" credits said it utilized Western Electric Noiseless Recording, I figured that's why it was silent.
Posts: 108
From: Lincoln, DE, USA
Registered: Feb 2014
posted May 27, 2015 10:45 PM
Before my conversion to Super 8, I had a 8mm projector and my first film that I bought was The Great Chase and The Bride of Frankenstein from Castle Films. That was the Christmas of 1967 if memory serves me.
posted May 28, 2015 03:29 AM
I started with standard 8 as well. The very first reel was a 50ft b&w silent extract from a Flintstones episde. Can't remember the title (I no longer have it) but Fred and Barney were argueing about ownership of a ladder. This was quickly followed by Disney's "Mysterious Dr Syn", 200ft color silent.
Posts: 3216
From: The Projection Box
Registered: Nov 2006
posted May 29, 2015 06:18 AM
A nice thread to start Alan.
I had the pleasure of visiting the building that used to be Mr Swans cine shop recently and although now long gone he was a kindly man who encouraged me as a young boy along the cine road. My first purchases from him in the early 70's would have been a 50ft Laurel & Hardy and Chaplin film, but he also used to lend me free of charge films to show over the weekend then return on Monday. I always called him Mr Swan and as the yeas went by purchased a couple of Eumigs and a pile of Universal 8 films as they became available including A&C Meet Frank which I still have. Here is the very shop but no longer a cine dealership.
Along with Mr Swans Cine shop I also loved Collectors Club films and like many over here 'Jazz and Sand' was my first CC purchase.
Posts: 3216
From: The Projection Box
Registered: Nov 2006
posted May 29, 2015 06:33 AM
Strood Andrew. He used to also hire 16mm films and equipment. Mr Swan had a twin brother who also had a photography shop in Gillingham high street. It was a wonderful time then as I could visit his shop then go to Barry Wiles as well who also was a fascinating enthusiastic cine chap.
posted May 29, 2015 08:23 AM
Mr Swan sounds very much like old Bernard Hunter who used to have a small shop in West St. Bedminster, Mr. Hunter also encouraged my film collecting 50 foot vistapaks and then onto 200 footers...late 1960's through mid 70's. The shop is long gone, but the name remains and the shop is now in North St.
Posts: 7477
From: Manchester Uk
Registered: Aug 2012
posted May 29, 2015 09:54 AM
Wish I could remember Cyril's surname from Jubilee Film Services in Ashton Under Lyne.
I have seen it somewhere in Movie Maker ads but cannot find it again now.
Listening to Lee and Steves stories of encouragement shown to them as youngsters in the hobby, makes we smile in irony now on how things are so very different.
There are a few dealers left as we know but there are one or two who come across as though it is they who are doing you the favour by selling you the films that are left out there nowadays.
-------------------- "C'mon Baggy..Get with the beat"
Posts: 1373
From: Penistone Sheffield UK
Registered: Oct 2012
posted May 29, 2015 12:40 PM
Now my first films was bought by my grandma & grandad from Portland Films I think. It was one of those hand cranked viewers you held up to the light. Now the only problem with this was it took 50ft standard 8 reels. The two films were super 8 0n 200ft reels.
The first one I could watch was Hollywood and the Stars Monsters 400ft. The first I ever watched was hired Kronos both from Derann.
-------------------- I love the smell of film in the morning.
Posts: 2941
From: Croydon, London, UK
Registered: Aug 2004
posted May 30, 2015 08:00 AM
Mine was the 200' b/w silent Ken version of 'One Million Years BC' bought new (for £5, I think), from Portland Films. I then discovered that Super 8 films could not be played using the family 8mm projector! I didn't keep it for long because I soon afterwards had a basic Super 8 sound projector and I was seeking out the Walton colour sound extracts from the film.
Posts: 237
From: Boyne Island, Queensland, Australia
Registered: Sep 2013
posted May 30, 2015 04:07 PM
My first super8 purchase was when l stumbled across on the internet a little cine shop in Dudley . This is what got me into super8 back in the mid 90's after mainly collecting 35mm at the time, l could not beleive what l was seeing with all these new film titles for sale so l picked up the phone and who answered none other than the man him self and purchased The Lion King feature and Stargate trailer and this was my introduction into super8.
Posts: 233
From: Hamilton , Ohio
Registered: Aug 2012
posted May 31, 2015 08:23 PM
What a nice topic ! My first purchased film was a 50' standard 8mm Ken film - VARAN , THE UNBELIEVABLE . Ran it on my " crank " projector that I got FREE for selling FLOWER SEEDS the summer of ' 65 .
Posts: 7477
From: Manchester Uk
Registered: Aug 2012
posted May 31, 2015 11:39 PM
Wow Jason, you were spoiled rotten by your timing of starting a Super 8mm collection.
You must be the only person out there whose first film would be a feature film such as "The Lion King"!
As you say, I bet you couldn't believe your eyes seeing this company in Dudley churning out all of these top titles while the rest of the Super 8mm package movie scene was all but gone!
-------------------- "C'mon Baggy..Get with the beat"
posted February 08, 2017 12:02 PM
Cyril at Jubilee was Cyril Owens....old buddy of mine, we used to have fun trying to place the most outrageous headers to our Movie Maker and ACW adverts...things like 'Bigger than any other in the North West, to which response the following month would be ..'despite the claims of others'... Cyril now lives in Spain with his lovely wife Marge, spending his ill gotten gains from the bun shop he had before he moved into cine and had loads of fun, but dodn't make much, like theist of us! He's on facebook...as I am.
posted February 08, 2017 12:03 PM
Cyril at Jubilee was Cyril Owens....old buddy of mine, we used to have fun trying to place the most outrageous headers to our Movie Maker and ACW adverts...things like 'Bigger than any other in the North West, to which response the following month would be ..'despite the claims of others'... Cyril now lives in Spain with his lovely wife Marge, spending his ill gotten gains from the bun shop he had before he moved into cine and had loads of fun, but dodn't make much, like theist of us! He's on facebook...as I am.