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Topic: The Great Train Robbery?

Zechariah Sporre
Jedi Master Film Handler

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From: Ladysmith, WI U.S.A.
Registered: Dec 2010

posted November 07, 2013 11:28 PM

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I recently got a Blackhawk films copy of The Great Train Robbery on super 8. I was surprised to see that it was printed on color film stock. Were most or all of these released on color film?

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Gerald Santana
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From: Cottage Grove OR
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posted November 07, 2013 11:37 PM

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There were some made in color, most are black and white and a are few black and white with spliced in color sequences. I have all three...my personal favorite is the one with spliced in color although, faded red now -- it's pretty good. Blackhawk made notes about each of these prints ahead of the short..

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Robert Crewdson
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posted November 08, 2013 04:07 AM

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Back in the early 80s, it was announced in the UK that Kodak were going to cease production of B&W filmstock due to a rise in the price of silver, which was used in the manufacture. It was stated that all future B&W films would be printed on colour stock, and of course this meant paying colour prices. This was when I stopped collecting, VHS had already put many film distributors out of business. Now B&W film is widely available.

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Steve Klare
Film Guy

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From: Long Island, NY, USA
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posted November 08, 2013 05:25 AM

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Among our reviews:

The Great Train Robbery

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All I ask is a wide screen and a projector to light her by...

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Robert Crewdson
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From: UK
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posted November 08, 2013 05:44 AM

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A great review Steve. One of the actors in that film was Bronco Billy Anderson, who became a star in his own right. I've got a B&W print released in the UK by Perry's Movies in the 70s.

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Joe Caruso
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posted November 08, 2013 08:12 AM

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Blackhawk had color-tinted versions in 1975, scored too

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Zechariah Sporre
Jedi Master Film Handler

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From: Ladysmith, WI U.S.A.
Registered: Dec 2010

posted November 08, 2013 11:18 AM

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Hi Steve, thanks for the review, has a lot of good info. I thinking the coloring is pretty neat for how old this film is. Could especially be a nice film for a movie showing partly because of its historical significance.
Mine has a little pink fade but it doesn't seem to bad but I can see how one with spliced in color scenes could make it quite distracting.

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Steve Klare
Film Guy

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From: Long Island, NY, USA
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posted November 08, 2013 11:40 AM

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What always gets me with this one is they couldn't just do the whole thing on color stock?

No! They had to do the titles B&W and introduce that splice!

Was the little savings in stock cost worth making some poor soul sit there with a hundred reels and a splicer all day?

Now that I'm thinking if it, I think I'll watch mine.

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All I ask is a wide screen and a projector to light her by...

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Janice Glesser
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From: Sunnyvale, CA USA
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posted November 08, 2013 12:48 PM

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I just bought this film in Super 8mm. I haven't received it yet, but I think it has the 865 prefix...so I'm guessing it's the same colorized version. Great review Steve...can't wait to see it [Smile]

[Smile]

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Janice

"I'm having a very good day!"
Richard Dreyfuss - Let It Ride (1989).

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Osi Osgood
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From: Mountian Home, ID.
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posted November 08, 2013 12:49 PM

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Steve ....

It's only my two cents worth, but perhaps the early LPP film stock (instead of Black and White film stock), would tend to have a slightly bluish cast to it, and perhaps they had feedback about that being distasteful?

It's just a thought, as I know that many early LPP prints of Black and white films did tend to be overly bluish.

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Robert Crewdson
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From: UK
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posted November 08, 2013 02:20 PM

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I first heard of this film when I was about 8 years old and reading an illustrated article on the beginnings of motion pictures. I think it's a must for anyone interested in the history of the cinema. We are all very lucky to be able to own a copy (in Film).

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Zechariah Sporre
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From: Ladysmith, WI U.S.A.
Registered: Dec 2010

posted November 08, 2013 07:11 PM

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Hey Steve, mine is all color stock, even the Blackhawk titles. So it has no splices, which is nice.

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Janice Glesser
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From: Sunnyvale, CA USA
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posted November 14, 2013 04:30 PM

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Just got my copy today...It is the spliced version and the color stock has turned completely pink and faded. Adding colored filters helped minimally ... but it is what it is. [Roll Eyes]

[Roll Eyes]

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Janice

"I'm having a very good day!"
Richard Dreyfuss - Let It Ride (1989).

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Steve Klare
Film Guy

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From: Long Island, NY, USA
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posted November 14, 2013 05:38 PM

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I used to have an arrangement with a British film-friend where when he bought a print stateside he'd have it shipped to me and I gave it a look before I sent it across to him, just in case it needed to go back to the seller.

One of them was the all black and white "Great Train Robbery".

-I actually liked it better than my colorised one.

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All I ask is a wide screen and a projector to light her by...

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Janice Glesser
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From: Sunnyvale, CA USA
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posted November 14, 2013 06:02 PM

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Steve...I'd be happy with B&W as well. Maybe one of these days I'll find one [Smile]

[Smile]

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Janice

"I'm having a very good day!"
Richard Dreyfuss - Let It Ride (1989).

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Steve Klare
Film Guy

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From: Long Island, NY, USA
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posted November 14, 2013 10:16 PM

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I watched mine tonight after not having seen it in a couple of years. It is very red, yet somehow it seems to work with this film, something like a sepia tone. If it was something from even 20 years later it would seem awful!

The dance hall scene is kind of interesting. You would think a bunch of guys firing their guns in the middle of a social occasion would at least clear the room, but no, they just kept on dancing! (Rough crowd!)

It also struck me I was watching something that happened 110 years ago. That ability is part of what makes film so fascinating, Before all this when a moment passed it was no more than a memory. Now somebody not even born for another six decades can see it for themselves.

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All I ask is a wide screen and a projector to light her by...

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