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Author Topic: Universal 8 Features
Michael O'Regan
Film God

Posts: 3085
From: Essex, UK
Registered: Oct 2007


 - posted October 08, 2012 03:04 PM      Profile for Michael O'Regan   Email Michael O'Regan   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
It's just in the past few days come to my attention that Universal 8 released some full length features. Scott McGillivray's book lists Hell's Angels and Jet Pilot. Another collector tells me that Night of the Living Dead was another.
Does anyone know of any other titles?
I always assumed they only released cutdowns like their predecessor Castle Films.

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Mark Mander
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1236
From: Dunstable ,Bedfordshire.
Registered: Jan 2005


 - posted October 08, 2012 03:10 PM      Profile for Mark Mander     Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
I think they also released Scarface and The Conqueror features,Mark.

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Timothy Ramzyk
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 220
From: Milwaukee,WI,USA
Registered: Nov 2006


 - posted October 08, 2012 03:24 PM      Profile for Timothy Ramzyk   Author's Homepage     Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
I don't think they ever did NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD. Everybody else did though.

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Michael O'Regan
Film God

Posts: 3085
From: Essex, UK
Registered: Oct 2007


 - posted October 08, 2012 05:01 PM      Profile for Michael O'Regan   Email Michael O'Regan   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Would I be correct in saying these rarely turn up for sale?

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Pasquale DAlessio
Film God

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From: Bristol,RI, USA
Registered: May 2010


 - posted October 08, 2012 05:27 PM      Profile for Pasquale DAlessio     Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
yes

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Michael O'Regan
Film God

Posts: 3085
From: Essex, UK
Registered: Oct 2007


 - posted October 08, 2012 05:36 PM      Profile for Michael O'Regan   Email Michael O'Regan   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Can anyone report on the quality of the prints?

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Douglas Meltzer
Moderator

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From: New York, NY, USA
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 - posted October 08, 2012 06:10 PM      Profile for Douglas Meltzer   Email Douglas Meltzer   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
I have Scarface and Hell's Angels. Both are decent prints, sharp with good contrast. The fifth feature release was The Unfinished Journey of Robert F. Kennedy. John Black and I traded for this one at CineSea, however I haven't screened it yet. Tim is correct that NOLD wasn't a U-8 release.

Doug

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I think there's room for just one more film.....

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Barry Attwood
Phenomenal Film Handler

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From: Enfield, U.K.
Registered: Aug 2003


 - posted October 09, 2012 01:13 AM      Profile for Barry Attwood   Email Barry Attwood   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
The John Wayne movie Hellfighters had a few prints done F/L but were never released, as this was the time when U8 went under. Derek Simmonds tried to get them but they were seized due to U8 owing money to the U.S. Gov. and he never tried again.

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Michael O'Regan
Film God

Posts: 3085
From: Essex, UK
Registered: Oct 2007


 - posted October 09, 2012 06:48 AM      Profile for Michael O'Regan   Email Michael O'Regan   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Does anyone know what these retailed for at the time?

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Pasquale DAlessio
Film God

Posts: 3523
From: Bristol,RI, USA
Registered: May 2010


 - posted October 09, 2012 09:33 AM      Profile for Pasquale DAlessio     Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
There is a 200' of Hellfighter available but it is B&W silent. Really not worth it.

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Hugh Thompson Scott
Film God

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From: Gt. Clifton,Cumbria,England
Registered: Jan 2012


 - posted October 09, 2012 10:05 AM      Profile for Hugh Thompson Scott   Email Hugh Thompson Scott       Edit/Delete Post 
Hi Pat, the 200' "Hellfighters" was also a col/sound release at the
same time as "High Plains Drifter" by Castle Films back in the
mid seventies.

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Winbert Hutahaean
Film God

Posts: 5468
From: Nouméa, New Caledonia
Registered: Jun 2003


 - posted October 09, 2012 11:55 AM      Profile for Winbert Hutahaean     Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Mike,

Just to re-write my post from 5 years ago, here is a picture to see how does the original box of super 8mm full feature from Universal 8 look:

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Thanks to google, here is the thread:

Universal 8 box for full feature

Another good reading:

Universal features?

cheers,

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Winbert

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Michael O'Regan
Film God

Posts: 3085
From: Essex, UK
Registered: Oct 2007


 - posted October 09, 2012 12:43 PM      Profile for Michael O'Regan   Email Michael O'Regan   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Thanks Winbert,

Interesting. I don't remember the topic from the last time. I'll go read that.

-Mike

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Timothy Ramzyk
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 220
From: Milwaukee,WI,USA
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 - posted October 09, 2012 01:13 PM      Profile for Timothy Ramzyk   Author's Homepage     Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
They must not have sold all that well, because releases were few and it was never an ongoing project. Why they didn't choose more sure-thing titles like PSYCHO, DUCK SOUP, or FRANKENSTEIN I don't know.Seems like they wanted no overlap with the digests.

I bought that Richard Pryor concert just because I saw it for $50 back in the day, but never had much interest in their offerings.

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Brad Kimball
Phenomenal Film Handler

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From: Highland Mills, NY USA
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 - posted October 09, 2012 01:58 PM      Profile for Brad Kimball   Email Brad Kimball   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
I wouldn't think overlap with digests would be a concern more than worries about bootleg versions of their features curculating among hobbyists.

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Hugh Thompson Scott
Film God

Posts: 3063
From: Gt. Clifton,Cumbria,England
Registered: Jan 2012


 - posted October 09, 2012 02:24 PM      Profile for Hugh Thompson Scott   Email Hugh Thompson Scott       Edit/Delete Post 
Hi Michael,back in the day when these features were first made
available,about 1980, Derann were selling them at £79.95 for SCARFACE and £109.95 for HELLS ANGELS, Postage £2.50 extra.
At the same time the Marketing features were selling for between
£130.00 - £170.00 and Derann's 4x400's were £69.95 col/snd.
All these prices were for brand new prints.

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Michael O'Regan
Film God

Posts: 3085
From: Essex, UK
Registered: Oct 2007


 - posted October 09, 2012 02:27 PM      Profile for Michael O'Regan   Email Michael O'Regan   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Thanks Hugh.

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Winbert Hutahaean
Film God

Posts: 5468
From: Nouméa, New Caledonia
Registered: Jun 2003


 - posted October 09, 2012 03:20 PM      Profile for Winbert Hutahaean     Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
quote:
Marketing features were selling for between
£130.00 - £170.00 and Derann's 4x400's were £69.95 col/snd.

So Derann price is so much cheaper!! [Eek!]

Do you know what is behind that? I think the variable of production cost would be more or less the same (film stock, plastic reel, lab process, labour, etc).

The only things that might different were probably: publication (advertising) and copy rights fees.

Any view Hugh?

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Winbert

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David Ollerearnshaw
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From: Penistone Sheffield UK
Registered: Oct 2012


 - posted October 09, 2012 04:23 PM      Profile for David Ollerearnshaw   Author's Homepage   Email David Ollerearnshaw   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
I'm new to this forum, but a collector from about 1975. I seem to remember when Universal 8 released some features on 8, some collectors were complaining about the selection. Must admit they were not to my taste.

On pricing between Marketing Film & Derann you should remember Derann's 'features' were mainly abridged versions. Where as the Marketing titles were also released as complete features. You need to compare the 3x400ft versions to get a nearer price comparison, although they probably did cost a little more.

Not exactly Universal 8, but Universal releases. I list a small selection that you could rent from the Rank Film Library:

American Graffiti, Charley Varrick, Day Of The Jackal, Great Waldo Pepper, Rooster Cogburn, The Sting, The Black Windmill.
There were a few other titles at the time (1978/9) The print quality was fantastic. But remember the cheapest for 'one' showing was £10 I think.

Columbia and FDA which were Fox also released a number of titles.

Would think that not many prints were made of these titles, and after the first batch I don't think any more were released.

Will have a look for the old listings and try to scan them to post if anyone's interested?

I hope someone has these prints at home. [Big Grin]

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Winbert Hutahaean
Film God

Posts: 5468
From: Nouméa, New Caledonia
Registered: Jun 2003


 - posted October 09, 2012 06:29 PM      Profile for Winbert Hutahaean     Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Hi David,

Nice to see old collectors here as I like to read Hugh writing/stories of the old days.

Your story is very valuable for collector who did not involve in 1970s. I started collecting in 1986. But grew quickly in 1990s. The atmosphere was already different. So reading the old stories are kinda time tunnel for me.

Please share more your stories.

ps: I don;t think forum leader can delete your post other than deleting this entire topic. You need to edit it and write "sorry for double post". The edit button is on the most right (with book and pencil icon).

cheersm

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Winbert

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Hugh Thompson Scott
Film God

Posts: 3063
From: Gt. Clifton,Cumbria,England
Registered: Jan 2012


 - posted October 09, 2012 09:04 PM      Profile for Hugh Thompson Scott   Email Hugh Thompson Scott       Edit/Delete Post 
Hi Winbert,and thanks for those kind words.I would hazard a
guess that Deranns features were cheaper, would be because
there was no fancy packaging involved and Dereks staffing levels
were not great, his 4x400s were the same as Marketings 3x400s
in price.At the end of the 70's I bought a lot of the Hammer films
for £49.00 per feature.On the whole DFS did give the collector
some very reasonably priced features over the years and I'm
sure Winbert, if you had been around in the 70's, you no doubt
would have been like the rest of us.......penniless,the selection
of film was taking off and by the 80's had really hit it's stride.
A little ploy Derek used to use ,was to place on his lists a title
like "Horror of Dracula" 5x400' imported title, when you rang up
of course it had been sold, this was to test the water for a release, and of course it used to pay off, and led to many collectors bulging shelves and disgruntled wives.Happy days.

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Adrian Winchester
Film God

Posts: 2941
From: Croydon, London, UK
Registered: Aug 2004


 - posted October 09, 2012 09:26 PM      Profile for Adrian Winchester     Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Hugh - interesting story about 'non-titles' on Derann lists, something I haven't heard before. Amazingly I did once buy a genuinely imported full length 'Horror of Dracula' from Derann. The quality was quite poor as it was an obscure US 'bootleg' version that was clearly filmed off a screen (probably from a 16mm print) and compiled from 50ft lengths. Sound was probably added later and was not quite perfect in terms of sync. The colour was quite nice and it was just about watchable, taking into account its rarity value before the Derann release.

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Adrian Winchester

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Hugh Thompson Scott
Film God

Posts: 3063
From: Gt. Clifton,Cumbria,England
Registered: Jan 2012


 - posted October 10, 2012 03:54 AM      Profile for Hugh Thompson Scott   Email Hugh Thompson Scott       Edit/Delete Post 
I'll say this for Derek and his company,they used to take on board
what collectors wanted, I had just placed an order for one of his
titles and he joked "Oh by the way , I've a few cpoies of "7th
Voyage of Sinbad" just come in if you're interested?", knowing
full well I'd continually asked for this title for years, a few months
down the line, there it was, thanks to a well known reviewer who
had helped out no end in helping get master material.So it showed
that in among the kidding, collectors were being listened to and
their requests were being taken on board,likewise with Walton
Film.I agree with folks here that have commented on the very
strange choice of features from U/8,I don't know if this is true
or not,but I was informed that Derann could have released the
"Dollar" westerns from UA, which I'm sure would have been
"sure fire" winners.Still one can't have everything, and what was missed on 8mm can always be picked up on 16mm.

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Douglas Meltzer
Moderator

Posts: 4554
From: New York, NY, USA
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 - posted October 10, 2012 04:49 PM      Profile for Douglas Meltzer   Email Douglas Meltzer   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
From the October 1980 Red Fox Films catalog:

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Doug

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I think there's room for just one more film.....

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Hugh Thompson Scott
Film God

Posts: 3063
From: Gt. Clifton,Cumbria,England
Registered: Jan 2012


 - posted October 10, 2012 05:49 PM      Profile for Hugh Thompson Scott   Email Hugh Thompson Scott       Edit/Delete Post 
Hi Adrian,that sounds like an off beat copy of "Dracula" you've
got there and definately worth hanging onto just because of it
being so unique. When I was saying about Derek "putting the
feelers out" for collectors reaction, he did the same with "Sinbad"
advertised on the list,but when I tried to reserve it, one of the
lads at Derann told me it was just to see who was interested in
buying this title as it was due out soon, which I thought was quite a good idea.

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