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Topic: Way Out West

Bradford A Moore
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Posts: 272
From: Provincetown, Ma
Registered: Jul 2005

posted July 02, 2009 11:03 AM

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Hey All,

I just lucked out on ebay. I just got a very nice Blackhawk super 8 sound print of Way Out West, with Laurel and Hardy, which I only paid $27 dollars for. Prior to viewing it, I did some research on other prints of this film, and most haven't been so lucky. The only visible flaws were some minor scratches in the opening credits, but they could be pre print material. I would think in most prints, and from what is in mine, and I think very strange at that, you here the MGM lion during the count down. I was expecting it to have Blackhawk credits, but they were original.

Other than all of that, the film was very enjoyable, and a true find at such a low price. I also got with this deal for $58 dollars a better than expected print Of Sons Of The Desert. Not as great, just a little fuzzy hear and there. But combined was such a nice steal!

From what I had read about Way Out West, I was expecting it to be very grainy and washed out. To My surprise it was quite the opposite. In the description on ebay, it was said to have a difference in sound levels in reel two, but I didn't notice any difference. [Cool]

[Cool]

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Tony Stucchio
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From: New Jersey
Registered: Dec 2005

posted July 02, 2009 07:38 PM

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If you want a really nice WAY OUT WEST, try to get Blackhawk's later printing from the M-G-M negative. What you got is from the Film Classics negative -- notice that Leo is air-brushed out.
The later Blackhawk has a white-on-black WAY OUT WEST title card followed by the remainder of the original credits. You can always splice on the credits you currently have onto that print.

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Osi Osgood
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From: Mountian Home, ID.
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posted July 02, 2009 11:20 PM

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One of mym problems with this print is, while it has good grain and a nice range of grey tones through-out, it is also a somewhat hard to focus print.

For a Blackhawk print, I was rather surprised, as the short subjects have a pin sharp focus in most cases. I have noted that most of the features are not as sharp as the shorts.

I'm surprised that I never got around to reviewing this one. Good Job!

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

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Michael De Angelis
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posted July 02, 2009 11:54 PM

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Tony knows, and is worth his weight in film
stock and print versions.

As Tony mentioned, splice the titles if
you find another version and also splice in
the MGM Lion Roar, that includes the fan-fare intro music.

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Isn't it great that we can all communicate about this great
hobby that we love!

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James N. Savage 3
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posted July 03, 2009 02:27 PM

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In reference to Blackhawk super 8 prints, if there was one flaw to them, it would be slightly soft focus. Of about 50 Blackhawk prints that I own, about one fourth of them have slightly soft focus. But...not enough to be noticed by the average viewer. They are still good prints, just not quite as sharp as maybe the Castle 200 foot b/w digests.

James.

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Michael De Angelis
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posted July 03, 2009 10:48 PM

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James,

True.

We refer to the Castle 200' films as digests.
Castle listed them as "Standard/Complete."

[Wink]

[Wink]

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James N. Savage 3
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posted July 04, 2009 02:56 PM

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Good point Michael!

I always thought that was wierd too.

James.

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Tony Stucchio
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From: New Jersey
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posted July 06, 2009 07:17 PM

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quote:
Tony knows, and is worth his weight in film
stock and print versions.

Thank you, Michael!

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Michael De Angelis
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posted July 06, 2009 07:30 PM

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Tony,

I have a 16mm Blackhawk of Way Out West as you described.
The fine grain materials yield the best sharpness
and contrast and the image leaps off the screen.

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Osi Osgood
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From: Mountian Home, ID.
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posted July 07, 2009 09:04 AM

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All your talk about the beginning credit sequences on this feature made me interested about my print. So I unreeled the credits.

No Blackhawk titles whatsoever on it. It starts out with the "Hal Roach Presents Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy, with the second title stating the title of the film. So, it appears that my copy has the whole original titles. Was this a later printinf of this title?

The other little mystery is, right after the last countdown, on the leader, ("3" of course), the original leader to the film must start, as it has five frames of a lovely woman. Is this the 1930's version of the "Lilly"? If so, does anybody know who it is? An upcoming starlet, or just a handy model for photography at the time?

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

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Tony Stucchio
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posted July 07, 2009 08:17 PM

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Michael,

I went through 2 Super 8 copies from the FC neg, then settled on the 16mm one that you describe.

Osi,

You have the earlier printing from the FC neg. I believe that BH used the M-G-M neg first in 16mm, since my copy is on '75 stock, while one of my Super 8s was on '77 stock, if I remember correctly.

[ July 10, 2009, 05:25 PM: Message edited by: Tony Stucchio ]

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Michael De Angelis
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posted July 09, 2009 01:07 AM

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Tony,

Glad to hear that you snagged the best one
of W.O.W.

I also have a Blackhawk 16mm of Bohemian Girl
that is also printed in 20 minute sections.
Great sharpness and Contrast.
Sound that chimes with a wonderful sparkle.

However this title is not on my top 10 of favs.

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John W. Black
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posted July 10, 2009 01:55 AM

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I have an older std 8 sound print and it is very sharp,great contrast.On the other hand,I never saw a print of Sons Of The Desert that wasn't soft focus.

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Beat em or burn em,they go up pretty quick

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Osi Osgood
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posted July 10, 2009 09:20 AM

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You make a good point John, and I know that it has been talked into the ground, but though BH has manufactured many a good Super 8 print, I have NEVER (to this date) seen a bad standard 8mm BH print.

Thanks for that good point.

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

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Michael De Angelis
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posted July 10, 2009 04:34 PM

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John,

I have a Standard 8 Sons of the Desert, and it has
improved focus over the Super 8.
The only difference is that the Standard 8 has
a lighter or grayer appearance which may seem
softer but it is still sharp. The Super 8 in the silver
top box from 1984 has good density, but soft.

The best is the 1974 16mm but slightly a tad soft.
Later releases had all original titles
with the MGM logo and a superimposed
with the Blackhawk Indian.

Regarding W.O.W., I had a Blackhawk silent
Standard 8mm 400 foot edition and it was
very good and not soft.

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Isn't it great that we can all communicate about this great
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Brad Kimball
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From: Highland Mills, NY USA
Registered: Jun 2003

posted July 11, 2009 10:32 PM

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I have a 16mm print of WHACKY WEST (the W.O.W. cutdown) and it's stunning. Go figure?!

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Osi Osgood
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posted July 12, 2009 01:58 PM

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I haven't heard any guesses as to who is the woman in the five frame "Lilly" at the beginning of "Way Out West".

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

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Michael De Angelis
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posted July 13, 2009 12:34 PM

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The gray scale test pattern figure
is on many print releases.
She is on many of the 16mm films that
I own.

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Joe Caruso
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posted July 16, 2009 04:01 PM

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The woman is either Pickford or Rosina Lawrence - My nickel on it

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Michael De Angelis
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posted July 16, 2009 05:33 PM

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Good theory.
I disagree.

Rosina Lawrence came on the scene in the mid to late thirties.
Why would Pickford model?

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Brad Kimball
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posted January 09, 2014 02:12 PM

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I have a sound print that came in the pink box and a 16mm cutdown called "Wacky Westerners". My super 8 print is nice and the sound is good. However, the 16mm cutdown, also from BLACKHAWK, is really terrific in both picture and audio.

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Clinton Hunt
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From: Waharoa,North Island,New Zealand
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posted May 10, 2017 12:19 AM

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I've recently won Way Out West on Standard 8mm Sound,the picture quality is quite good and the sound was nice and clear.
It's on 4 x 400ft reels with the last reel having about 200ft.
It starts with the title of W.O.W. with no mention of Blackhawk Films until the end of the closing credits.
I watched it over 2 nights and will watch it again soon in one go,then I will see if it goes for the 63 or 64 mins that the original print did [Smile]

[Smile]

I enjoyed the 3 songs in it and the mule/donkey scenes are fun!

--------------------
Cheers from me in New Zealand :-)

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Terry Sills
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From: Weymouth,Dorset,England
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posted May 10, 2017 01:51 AM

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Bradford
Well done on getting a good copy of wow but I do not understand the term 'lucked out'. It just seems a contradiction in terms when in actual fact you have 'lucked in'. [Cool]

[Cool]

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Winbert Hutahaean
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From: Nouméa, New Caledonia
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posted May 10, 2017 02:41 AM

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quote:
I do not understand the term 'lucked out'. It just seems a contradiction in terms when in actual fact you have 'lucked in'.

Terry... I do understand your confusion.

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=LUCKED%20OUT

TOP DEFINITION

LUCKED OUT

In the UK this has the exact opposite meaning to that in the USA.

[Wink]

[Wink]

cheers,

--------------------
Winbert

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Michael De Angelis
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posted May 10, 2017 11:11 AM

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Hi Clinton,

As a dual 8mm collector, I would love to see picts from your Regular 8mm Blackhawk Films print of W.O.W, because my Super 8mm print is soft in appearance on the long shots.

A unique and unusual part in this S-8 print is that it contains the original opening fanfare music containing the roaring MGM lion sound track that's scored onto the countdown leader preceding the opening title.

I also have the silent Regular 8mm 400' edited print by Blackhawk that's titled
Way Out West and not titled The Wacky West, although this edition is basically identical and this edition is sharp with good contrast.

As a completist I have a 16mm W.O.W. printdown taken from 35mm material and also the 16mm The Wacky West cut down edition.

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Isn't it great that we can all communicate about this great
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