8mm Forum: First widescreen films on 8mm

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Posted by Panayotis A. Carayannis (Member # 1220) on November 29, 2008, 06:59 PM:

What were the first widescreen films released on 8mm? I mean films to be shown with an anamorphic lens and not in masked prints. I am aware of I MARRIED A WOMAN and THE GIRL HUNTERS , plus one or two Japanese monster one reel silent cutdowns,(like GHIDRAH THE THREE HEADED MONSTER)released by mistake (!!!) unsqueezed by Ken! Were there others even before?

Posted by Osi Osgood (Member # 424) on November 29, 2008, 08:22 PM:

Panayotis ...

I believe that you hit it on the button with those old Ken 200ft releases of the Godzilla type films.

Another possibility would be some of Thunderbird films releases, but they are very hard to date as to when they came out.

Would another safe guess be the Cinevision prints, which would be around 77 or so (am I right, Doug?)

When did Kempski start his prints? That would be another good question, but Kempski started his releases after Cinevision
did they're stuff.

Another good question would be when Derann first started they're scope releases?

Posted by Douglas Meltzer (Member # 28) on November 30, 2008, 09:19 AM:

I'll have to check the dates for those Cineavision releases, but Columbia Pictures put out a 200' "souvenir featurette" of First Men in the Moon in standard 8mm sound. The scenes from the film are in scope!

Doug

Posted by Mal Brake (Member # 14) on November 30, 2008, 09:39 AM:

I seem to recall Walton Films and The Widescreen Centre were early innovators for 'scope releases.
Derek at Derann intially didn't think it would catch on with collectors but became extremely enthusiastic for the format as it took hold.
I may be wrong here but think a certain Mr Wilton persuaded Derek that 'scope releases would sell.

Posted by Jean-Christophe Deblock (Member # 792) on November 30, 2008, 12:59 PM:

That's indeed an interesting question.

I've found, to an old collector, an anamorphic lens for 8mm projector!

JC.

Posted by Panayotis A. Carayannis (Member # 1220) on November 30, 2008, 01:30 PM:

Looking through my backlot of Thunderbird lists,I found they released WHAT'S UP TIGER LILLY?,the Woody Allen renovated and gagged up japanese feature,in scope,in 1977.I am missing three years, then, in 1980 THE GIRL HUNTERS is advertised.So, it must have been issued between '77 and '80. I bought it a few years later and afterwards,in 1985,on my first trip to England,I went to the Widescreen Centre and bought a Kowa lens ! But I believe I MARRIED A WOMAN came out much earlier and Cineavision much later.

Posted by Mike Tynus (Member # 1108) on December 01, 2008, 03:26 AM:

Columbia also released some UPA cartoons in scope in the '70s.
They weren't advertised as such, but they were released squeezed.
I have a print of MATADOR MAGOO in scope, and GERALD McBOING BOING ON THE PLANET MOO was in scope as well. Not sure if there were ever flat versions released.

The first time I saw scope prints for sale was from Jef Films, though I don't know what year he started selling them.

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