8mm Forum: Help with Castle Films please

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Posted by Craig Hamilton (Member # 258) on August 29, 2006, 12:45 PM:

Hi guys, I have always been a huge fan of the Classic Universal Monsters series of films! However, last night whilst pottering around in my little Cine shed repairing one of my projectors, the time came to test it. The only film I had on hand was the 200ft silent subtitled version of The Mummy. This film I have had for some time as it came in a job lot box that I purchased but I never got round to running the film.

I was delighted when it was over, so happy that I ran it again. I know that the early Super 8 Castle films of the Universal series were all subtitled and silent, but to be honest it was so enjoyable that I have now decided to collect them all.

Below is a list of what I think was available at the time, but would appreciate it if you guys could add any missing titles.

I am also open to suggestions to any other Castle silents that are worth watching like The Invisible Man etc.

So far my collection consists of one. The Mummy. If any of you guys in the UK have any of the others for sale, please drop me an email or send me a PM.

Please remember that I am only interested in Super 8 silent.

The Wolfman

Dracula

The Mummy
The Mummy’s Tomb
The Mummy’s Ghost

Frankenstein
Bride of Frankenstein
House of Frankenstein
Frankenstein’s new brain
The Trail of Frankenstein
Frankenstein meets the Wolfman

The Creature from the Lagoon
The Creature walks among us
Revenge of the Creature

Craig

Posted by Jean-Marc Toussaint (Member # 270) on August 29, 2006, 01:03 PM:

Would you be interested in "Dr Cyclops"?

Posted by Douglas Meltzer (Member # 28) on August 29, 2006, 01:06 PM:

Craig,

You are so right! Those silent Castle 200 footers are great fun to watch. Here are a few you missed:

Son of Frankenstein

Doom of Dracula
House of Dracula

The Wolfman's Cure

By all means check out The Invisible Man and The Incredible Shrinking Man also.

Doug

Posted by Craig Hamilton (Member # 258) on August 29, 2006, 01:29 PM:

Jean-Marc, yes I would be interested. Send me a PM or email.

Doug, I can see that this might be the start of a new chapter in my collection. Honestly they are great fun to watch.

Forgot to mention that I don’t mind if it is an original Castle release or the later Universal 8.

Craig

Posted by Carter Bradley (Member # 984) on December 23, 2007, 09:13 PM:

If you are interested in silent versions, the two Universal 8 "Best of Horror" complilations are great introductions. Each contains 8 50' "headline" editions from Castle Films, which were phased out with Universal 8, combined on a 400' reel. An interesting note is that I have seen scans of Universal 8 50' monster films boxes (with the Andy Warhol-type graphics), but, for some reason, I don't believe they were ever advertised as available from Universal 8.

Posted by Brad Kimball (Member # 5) on December 24, 2007, 12:45 AM:

You're right..... I, too have seen pictures of the U-8 headliners, but not once are they mentioned in any of the U-8 brochures. Where and how were they made available?

Posted by Adrian Winchester (Member # 248) on December 24, 2007, 10:14 AM:

I was interested to read Carter's mention of the 50 ft U-8 reels because I've never seen one in the UK, even though I've seen the "Best of Horror" 400' reels. Are the 50' releases actually on 50' reels, and are the boxes cardboard ones in the same style as the cardboard 200' boxes?

Posted by Joe Taffis (Member # 4) on December 24, 2007, 04:15 PM:

Castle 50 footers came in a small box just bid enough to hold the 50' reel they were mounted on. Ken films 50 footers fooled me at first back in the '60s....they were mounted on a 50' reel, but in a much larger box with an insert to hold the reel. They were sold in all the camera stores around here for about $5.00 USD. I used to watch my silents while playing the latest Beatles albums in the background. The artwork, I believe, was the same for both the 50' and 200 foot boxes [Smile]

Posted by Joe Caruso (Member # 11) on December 26, 2007, 06:41 AM:

I couldn't get in on the forum to answer, but thanks to my colleagues, the answers are here - the U-8 headlines came in 50' boxes which seemed silhouetted, purple/black, not the actual lithos like the 200' - I had two MUMMY'S TOMB and RIDE 'EM COWBOY, but sold them as I wasn't going to collect another run like that and wasn't keen on headliners anyway, I have four including the color MUMMY'S TOMB box, which was a special buy from a geeat seller in that the bottom of the box was yellow with slightly different advertising - Its a rare one - Craig, there was 31 CASTLE or U-8 releases in S8 Silent of the Sci-Fi/Thriller run, and most are on EBAY or through "live" shows, don't have any, if I get some will definitely contact you - Cheers, Shorty

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