8mm Forum: Who are they? Where are they? US film dealers of super 8.

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Posted by Mark Todd (Member # 96) on March 19, 2004, 07:47 PM:

Having not actually dealt with any dealers of super 8 accross the pond I just wondered who might be in this illusive but I`m guessing small band of chaps, Any ideas or directions anyone.
Thanks Mark.

Posted by James N. Savage 3 (Member # 83) on March 19, 2004, 09:16 PM:

Mark, I've often wondered if any of the old super 8 leaders or employees of the old U.S.A. companies like Ken Films, Red Fox, etc., are involved in the super 8 hobby now. It seems more common over there in the U.K. for the people involved in the business to also be hobbiest in super 8 as well (like the late Derrick of Derann or Phil of CHC).

I sometimes wonder, are they reading the posts on this forum? Could they be watching us right now [Roll Eyes]

It would be so cool to hear from anyone involved in the business from back then.

Nick.

Posted by Tony Milman (Member # 7) on March 20, 2004, 12:13 AM:

I think we should all club together and take out life cover on tehe UK cine dealers so that if and when one pops his clogs we could use the money to buy up his stocks (including Ian's many copies of the Rose)

Tony [Wink]

Posted by Mike Newell (Member # 23) on March 20, 2004, 06:26 AM:

I think we should clone collectors as well! [Eek!]

Posted by D'Arcy More (Member # 50) on March 20, 2004, 10:47 AM:

There is only one dealer I know who is still in the biz of film but not in the biz of selling super 8 anymore. Jeff of Jeff Films. His last name eludes me right now but he contributed to the former forum off and on. I know Jef has old store stock but last I heard he didn't want to sell it. He has his fingers in a lot of film projects. Aikman I believe is his last name and he could very well be reading this post of mine right now. [Razz]

Don't quote me on this but if you have one of his old film lists that had not only brand new feature length prints but contemporary trailers too.......I am pretty sure Jeff probably has one or two copies of most titles.
Jeff is a VERY smart biz man. I was told through the grapevine that when all of the copyrights were lapsing in the late 70's and early 80's of a lot of Hollywood B films, Jeff got himself down to the Library of Congress and bought up the copyrights before they became public domain. Now with this in mind I THINK that means he had the rights to all of the negs as well.
This all could be heresay but this is what I was told. All I would like is for Jeff to post a list of super 8 leftover films on his stock shelves and do a first come first serve sales list. His features were mainly black and white so color fade is not an issue. If new color features are commanding $500 plus in U.S. dollars.....wouldn't you be willing to pay $250 for a brand new unused classic black and white feature that has never been run before?
There is a fella from New York who is selling off a deceased friends super 8 collection on Ebay.......very slowly. His friend bought almost everything he could that was super 8 sound. But NEVER played them. In fact I don't think he even owned a projector. Most of his shorts are still sealed. I purchased a Sherlock Holmes feature length print from him that was as perfect as the day it was issued.
There was a fella in Port Hope Ontario....named John Booth who used to run Peak Films. I would imagine that John is no longer with us but I should never assume that. Port Hope is literally 30 minutes down the road from me here in Peterborough.
I have heard beautiful stories about how wonderful John Booth was to deal with and how trusting he was with his established customers.
I was told from a friend that Booth supplied some of the films for the school board of Ontario so he was on the road doing deliveries a lot.
My friend would get a phone call from John about a new release that came in....John would then HAND DELIVER the film to my pal's door......let him watch it and then send payment the following week!
Oh the good old days
[Roll Eyes]

Posted by Alex Fox (Member # 94) on March 20, 2004, 11:45 AM:

As to Peak films the info i have which came from the fellow who ran Halmar Ents,. is that he moved out west somewere and now Halmar Ents,. seems to have disappeared
Alex Fox

Posted by John Whittle (Member # 22) on March 20, 2004, 08:27 PM:

D'Arcy wrote: "Jeff is a VERY smart biz man. I was told through the grapevine that when all of the copyrights were lapsing in the late 70's and early 80's of a lot of Hollywood B films, Jeff got himself down to the Library of Congress and bought up the copyrights before they became public domain."

Nice myth, but not the truth. The US Congress revised the copyright laws in 1976 which extended copyrights (and now they've been extended almost forever).

Few films "fell" into public domain expect for the odd independent low budget feature and the half dozen well know major pictures.

The other thing you can't do is run to the LOC and "buy" a copyright. You have to buy the copyright from the owner then then re-new the copyright. Raymond Rohauer did this on many many silent films a secured international copyright where the US rights were PD.

What "Jeff" may have done is one thing, but the actions described here he couldn't have done.

John

Posted by Mike Newell (Member # 23) on March 21, 2004, 03:47 AM:

There was a half page article in the Daily Mail in the early -mid 1980's about what Jeff had done. I think we reprinted in NI Film Collector's magazine.

If I can find it I will tell you.

See I have files on everybody. Too many Harry Palmer movies!!! [Wink]

[ March 21, 2004, 11:00 AM: Message edited by: Mike Newell ]

Posted by John Whittle (Member # 22) on March 21, 2004, 10:42 AM:

Mike wrote: "There was a half page article in the Daily Mail in the early -mid 1980's about what Jeff had done. I think we reprinted in NI Film Collector's magazine."

Would be most interesting. The LOC has no right to sell a "copyright" to anyone, they register copyrights. The registered owner could sell the copyright, not the Library. Once something is PD, then anyone can copy it and if the LOC has a copy they will sell a copy of the film for laboratory costs.

Maybe he bought copies from the LOC, but anyone could do that even today and make and sell duplicates. Stock footage companies do this at great length. The advantage to a producer dealing with a stock house rather than the LOC is you don't have to do the research to find the shots.

But in the USA, the government cannot "sell" copyrights.

John

Posted by Joe Caruso (Member # 11) on March 21, 2004, 12:22 PM:

The best folks to deal with now are long-time collectors/dealers; PHIL JOHNSON, ROGER WILLIAMS and STEVE OSBORNE - You will never be steered wrong with these stalwart gentlemen - I know - Worked with them all these last twenty-odd years now, still am - As to the old personnel from film outfits past, one hopes that word will trickle to any surviving folks from the past - I'm placing a BIG REEL ad just for that purpose in securing anyone who worked for BLACKHAWK, I'd like to write a dissertation on those folks and the artists and employees of CASTLE FILMS - That would be some reading! - Shorty

Posted by Mark Todd (Member # 96) on March 23, 2004, 04:00 AM:

Thanks Joe and all.
As has been said before seems like we really are lucky over here in the UK with a good array of decent dealers and two companies still releasing, amazing really when you think we are so few people on this little Ilse by comparrison.
16mm does look to be another matter and there still seems to be loads of interest in that in the states and stacks of stuff not least as luckly a lot of the 16mm TV stuff seems to have survived and got into collectors hands unlike most of the optical super 8 stuff.
Anyway time to count our blessings in the Uk.
best Mark.

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