8mm Forum: The Birth of a Nation Mystery

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Posted by Osi Osgood (Member # 424) on July 30, 2005, 07:41 PM:

Boy, it looks like I'll be posting quite a lot. Anyhow, I have this lovely, but starting to smell like vinegar full length print of "Birth of A Nation" (D.W. Griffith, 1914) , with all the original titles from the very beginning. It's also soundstriped, but, alas, since I don't have a sound standard 8mm projector, I can't listen to the music or whatever is there, (there is a long rumored "commentary track" version of this film where somebody who worked on the film talks about it. I doubt I have that version.)

I know that this isn't a Blackhawk print, and what startles me, is the extreme sharpness of the image. Honestly, I've never seen a standard 8mm this sharp, as well as having good contrast to the print. I know that at least this print was made from an early generation negative, as there is little "flutter" to the image, so common to many old silent movies.

If there are any specialist in the history of Standard 8mm prints, (and I know that there are bound to be many), Please help me clear up this mystery.

I thank you for your time.

OSI

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