8mm Forum: The Strange Case of ABC Films ...

This is topic The Strange Case of ABC Films ... in forum 8mm Forum at 8mm Forum.

To visit this topic, use this URL:
https://8mmforum.film-tech.com/cgi-bin/ubb/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=004365

Posted by Osi Osgood (Member # 424) on February 24, 2009, 07:40 PM:

The ABC Films releases are a strange lot.

In every case, these 5X400ft releases easily fit onto a 4X400ft format, so why would they use 5X400ft? After all, wouldn't they have saved money with one less plastic reel used?

The only reason for 5X400ft, (in my opinion), was to make the buyer think that with 5X400ft, they were getting a full feature.

Most of the reels would have around 15 minutes and no more.

On the plus side, some of they're releases, (such as "Charly" (1968) that we just watched last night) have some of the sharpest mono soundtracks I have ever heard, even taking into account Derann's modern mono soundtracks.

Lastly, what were the ABC releases? Douglas?

Posted by Michael De Angelis (Member # 91) on February 24, 2009, 09:20 PM:

Osi,

Perhaps the films are mounted according to
the original lab sections. Or if needed to fit on
smaller reels for small capacity machines?

Were the ABC film releases slightly edited?

I found that the super 8 print of L&H's The Devils brother is
mounted on 5 - 400 foot reels and each reel's
action is always continued onto the next reel;
as in the wishing well gag scene.

Posted by Osi Osgood (Member # 424) on February 24, 2009, 09:25 PM:

Yes Micheal (and good to hear from you!),

They were edited and depending upon the length of the original feature, they were either heavily edited or slightly edited.

Each feature it appeared was never more than 80 or so minutes.
However, as in the case of "Charly" the original film was only about 100 minutes, so there wasn't much of a loss, (actually, it wasn't bad at all!), buit in the case of, "The Last Valley" which ran, (I believe) 130 minutes, you lose a lot more.

Posted by Douglas Meltzer (Member # 28) on February 24, 2009, 10:51 PM:

Osi,

Here's a thread about ABC from a couple years back.

Cabaret
Charly
Duel in the Sun
For the Love of Ivy
Junior Bonner
Killing of Sister George, The
Last Valley, The
Lovers and Other Strangers
Notorious
Paradine Case, The
Portarit of Jennie
Rebecca
Song of Norway
Spellbound
Spiral Staircase, The
Straw Dogs
Take the Money and Run
They Shoot Horses, Don't They?
Tom Sawyer
Too Late the Hero
Whatever Happened to Aunt Alice?

Doug

[ February 25, 2009, 11:07 AM: Message edited by: Douglas Meltzer ]

Posted by John W. Black (Member # 1082) on February 25, 2009, 12:50 AM:

All the color features were edited.However,the black and white ones were released in complete versions.

Posted by Panayotis A. Carayannis (Member # 1220) on February 25, 2009, 09:02 AM:

The abc boxes stated "color films edited to 80-83 minutes".The b&w films are complete,with one exception. THE PARADINE CASE box says "120 minutes", which is about the actual running time ,while it is actually edited down to 80.The NOTORIOUS box states "130 minutes",while the film is complete in its actual length of 101 minutes !!

Posted by Paul Adsett (Member # 25) on February 25, 2009, 10:08 AM:

The black and white ABC films that I have are both edited. I have 'Spellbound' and 'The Spiral Staircase'. They have both had about 10 minutes chopped out. Possibly this was the length of film that was run on TV, to make space for commercials. In any case it is annoying, as you are expecting to watch the full length of the film as released to theatres. In the case of 'Spellbound' you get the definite sense that something is missing.
Both my ABC prints are very good print quality, with loud and clear mono sound.

Posted by Osi Osgood (Member # 424) on February 25, 2009, 10:17 AM:

Thanks for the list Douglas!

Posted by Brad Kimball (Member # 5) on February 25, 2009, 12:18 PM:

Does anyone know if "Jennie" had the green-tinted sequences in the final reel as well as the color insert of the protrait before the fade-out or was it all strictly b&w?

[ February 25, 2009, 01:50 PM: Message edited by: Brad Kimball ]

Posted by Bill Phelps (Member # 1431) on February 25, 2009, 12:30 PM:

I have the ABC feature print of "Take The Money And Run" and I screened it a few months ago and I don't remember noticing anything being cut out....it seemed complete. I'm comparing it to the laserdisc I have. I did not watch them back to back.

Does anyone else have this feature and know about any editing?

Bill

Posted by Osi Osgood (Member # 424) on February 25, 2009, 02:58 PM:

Bill,

That one may be a case of nothing being edited out.

The original run time for that feature was only 85 minutes, so, with the average run time of 80-83 minutes on these ABC releases, you may have lucked out on a ABC Films release that was actually a full unedited feature. I don't remember there being any highly objectionable material in that comedy.

By the way, great comedy film!

Posted by Panayotis A. Carayannis (Member # 1220) on February 25, 2009, 03:16 PM:

The copy of REBECCA is complete at 130 minutes.
Paul
Are you sure THE SPIRAL STAIRCASE is edited ? Its actual running time is only 83 minutes.
Brad
I don't think the abc JENNIE had the color bits.It would be much trouble for them!!

Posted by Osi Osgood (Member # 424) on February 25, 2009, 04:17 PM:

That was a good question, actually. The film "Charly" had some scenes on the last reel, that go from Black and White footage to color, but it was all placed on color film stock.

In the case of the other film, it was a largely black and white film with a few colored sequences, so that ones more doubtful.

The more I'm hearing on this specific post, it sounds as if ABC films got off they're 80 minute style and embraced releasing full unedited features.

Posted by Eberhard Nuffer (Member # 410) on February 25, 2009, 04:24 PM:

Bill, Osi,

theres is nothing cut from ABC's "Take the Money And Run" feature. I have measured it on my Elmo projector, and it has a running time of exactly 85 minutes (519m/approx. 1730ft)

Eberhard

Posted by Bill Phelps (Member # 1431) on February 25, 2009, 06:18 PM:

Osi and Eberhard,

Thank you for the info...I also have the Ken (ABC) feature "Notorious" which also to my memory seems complete.

I'm a big Hitchcock buff and this is one of my prizes. Beautiful condition in the original box with sweet graphics.

Bill

UBB.classic^TM 6.3.1.2