8mm Forum: Qusetion on U-8 packaging

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Posted by Joe Caruso (Member # 11) on July 09, 2008, 12:44 PM:

Am I wrong in that, the earlier S8Sound 400' U-8 had the clear plastic with picture insert, then later the plain white plastic with a glued-on picture? - What years did these start and stop, also it might have ben nice if the U-8 200' S8Sound had clear plastic with picture inserts (I prefer them that way on the 400' editions anyway) Shorty

Posted by Jean-Marc Toussaint (Member # 270) on July 09, 2008, 02:18 PM:

Joe, my U8 200ft print of A&C "Who's on First" is the clear plastic with pic insert version, so they DO exist.

Posted by Joe Taffis (Member # 4) on July 10, 2008, 05:14 AM:

I bought a few of the 400' U8s when they were first available (1978?), and they were the white plastic type.

Posted by Graham Sinden (Member # 431) on July 10, 2008, 07:16 AM:

Some of my universal 8's are in a plain white plastic box with a cardboard slip case, while others they just glued a picture onto the white plastic box.

Posted by Joe Caruso (Member # 11) on July 10, 2008, 06:01 PM:

A cardborad slip-case - Please describe - And yes, the 200' WOF with A&C is a clam-shell with a glued color-scan affixed, most of the 200' were this way, what I wanted to know was when they started the clear plastic with paper insert and when they started the all-white plastic with glued picture - IOW, which came first, the clear or the solid and what years are we speaking of...I'd say 1977-1984 - You all know I'm so-fascinated with original packaging, I should write a short book about it

Posted by Douglas Meltzer (Member # 28) on July 10, 2008, 07:33 PM:

I'd say that the first U-8 releases were packaged in the white plastic boxes (2 separate pieces) with the artwork glued to the top. I purchased both the 3-D "Creature From the Black Lagoon" and the 100' "Who's On First" in November of 1977 and they came that way.

A catalog from 1979 proudly mentions that "All films-200' or 400'-are packaged in a new durable plastic filmcase with new color graphics and storyline on a protective shrink-wrapped slipcase." That would be the white clamshell.

So when did the clear plastics come out?

Doug

Posted by John W. Black (Member # 1082) on July 11, 2008, 12:09 AM:

Shorty,
The white boxes were first. I have some prints of Family plot that came near the end of U8. Some even had the pic in black and white cheap copies

Posted by Joe Caruso (Member # 11) on July 11, 2008, 05:50 AM:

Great pictures, Doug, you always do good by your friends - Yes, that is how I got my early ones too. Atta boy, Blackie, I knew you wouldn't let me down either [Smile]

Shorts

Posted by Osi Osgood (Member # 424) on July 11, 2008, 10:33 AM:

I seemed to have been the style for a couple of companies at the time.

I've noted that the MGM Cinevision prints were in these plastic cases with a paper cover insert, (The Tom and Jerry's, for instance), and I have a Cinevision print of "Force 10 From Navarone" (400ft) in the larger 400ft plastic case with the clear cover as well.

Posted by Eric Baucher (Member # 809) on July 11, 2008, 05:05 PM:

U8 had two types of white plastic boxes, ones with a "top" and a "bottom" and the white clamshell boxes that open like a book I alwats thought the "book type" were the last ones and the clear topped plastic ones were first, and the white two half type were in the middle.

Posted by Trevor Adams (Member # 42) on July 11, 2008, 05:32 PM:

DUCK SOUP,#4014 and MONKEY BUSINESS,#4011 are in white plastic containers with stuck on label. HORSE FEATHERS,#4013 andA&C IN THE FOREIGN LEGION are in clear containers with graphic insert in the lid. Maybe this was a time of "changeover?"Trev

Posted by Tony Stucchio (Member # 519) on July 11, 2008, 06:07 PM:

My 800 foot 2-parters are all in the white clamshell with slipcase. First one I bought was in 1979. For the 200 footers, I first bought one in 1977, RIDE'EM COWBOY with A&C, that was the 2 part white box -- my first Castle in a U-8 box. Also bought a 400 footer in 1977 in the 2 part white box.

Posted by David Kilderry (Member # 549) on July 11, 2008, 06:57 PM:

I have both types of U8 white plastic box (clamshell and top/bottom) and also U8 in the clear top with the coloured slip under the clear plastic. Perhaps it was just some titles like Harlem Globetrotters etc that had the colour slip under the plastic?

Posted by Adrian Winchester (Member # 248) on July 11, 2008, 09:38 PM:

And of course the 200' U8 releases didn't only come in:
Clear plastic box with label underneath
White plastic box with label on top of lid
White plastic clamshell inside slipcase

... as quite a few are in cardboard boxes with the label on top of lid

Posted by Patrick Walsh (Member # 637) on July 11, 2008, 10:11 PM:

I got a number of 200fters in the white plastic containers, with the cover sticker in side the box itself loose, I had to remove the paper backing off the covers and stick them on the lids myself just like a large sticker.
Pat [Big Grin]

Posted by James N. Savage 3 (Member # 83) on July 12, 2008, 06:42 AM:

Universal 8 also used sturdy white cardboard boxes, with paper color label glued on top of lid (nothing on bottom). I think they only used these for the older releases, like the old black and white horror movies.

James.

Posted by Carter Bradley (Member # 984) on July 12, 2008, 06:19 PM:

I must agree that the white two-part boxes came first. I ordered the three Hitchcock films ("Psycho," "Frenzy," and "The Birds") as they first became available for the special sale price of $99.99, and they all arrived this way. An interesting note: I wrote Universal 8 and they allowed me to purchase just the box top decal (I believe they called them lithographs) for many films. I believe they ran 75 cents per label.

Posted by Douglas Meltzer (Member # 28) on July 12, 2008, 06:51 PM:

Carter,

I remember that offer!

Doug

Posted by Joe Caruso (Member # 11) on July 13, 2008, 10:18 AM:

I knew there would be a wealth of diverse conversation on the subject, my compliments gentlemen. Yet, DUCK SOUP #4014 DID also come with the lithograph insert under the clear plastic - I find these more attractive and collector item for ephrema - As a sideline book, or treatise to Scott's great CASTLE book, my desire is to have the photos and info on U-8 packagaing techniques. Actually, a book on all the other distributors with interviews of surviving employees

Posted by Carter Bradley (Member # 984) on July 13, 2008, 10:32 AM:

Doug, thanks for sharing the Universal 8 ad. I have not seen it in about 30 years! Carter

Posted by Tony Stucchio (Member # 519) on July 24, 2008, 05:42 PM:

Ever notice how sometimes the pic on the box was not a scene in the extract? Sometimes, it was from a different feature all together.

For instance:

U-8 W.C. Fields

That is not a scene from either the CALIFORNIA BOUND extract, nor the feature it is from -- IT'S A GIFT.
Ditto, THE BIG THUMB.

The MUCH ADO ABOUT GOLF (YOU'RE TELLING ME) pic is so generic, but it looks like the older Fields, not the 1934 Fields.

The other 2 are certainly from NEVER GIVE A SUCKER AN EVEN BREAK.

At least they got the actor right! [Big Grin]

BTW, MUCH ADO ABOUT GOLF is the only Castle/U-8 Fields extract I don't have. I have all the 200 foot and 400 foot variants, including YOU'RE TELLING ME. Does GOLF have anything not in the 400 foot version?

Posted by John W. Black (Member # 1082) on July 25, 2008, 09:05 PM:

Here You Go
First U-8 Boxes White Plastic Two Piece With Litho Glued On
2nd.White Clam Shell With Logo Imprint,Litho Glued
3rd.Same case with Cardboard sleeve Over Case
4th Clear two Piece With Litho Inside Case

UBB.classic^TM 6.3.1.2