8mm Forum: Strange print problem

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Posted by Guy Tessier (Member # 2029) on September 28, 2010, 06:28 PM:

Hi folks - hope I can explain this clearly - probably one for the chemists amongst you. I am working my way through a few old Super 8's I've not screened before. Whilst watching one b/w Columbia 400 footer (Jungle Jim - with George Reeves as the bad guy!) I noticed a slight but persistent rippling effect across the image. In dark scenes it showed up as blotches with a slight yellow colour. When I took a look at the surface of the film, it is actually pitted like lemon peel! It runs through the whole film - which remains watchable despite this effect. Any ideas?? I'll happily send anyone the print if they want to check it out - or is this some dreaded fungal thing which means the film should be binned?? Over to you all.

Posted by David Kilderry (Member # 549) on September 29, 2010, 01:17 AM:

Guy, it may have become wet at some stage and then dried, pulling the part of surface of the emulsion along with it.

Posted by Gary Crawford (Member # 67) on September 29, 2010, 09:04 AM:

Interesting....I have a Columbia digest of The Devil Commands....same exact symptoms....and it's the only film amongst 5 or 600 that exhibits that rippling yellowish/brownish blotching. That it's also a Columbia would be total coincidence...????

Posted by Guy Tessier (Member # 2029) on September 29, 2010, 05:54 PM:

Thanks David and Gary. I'll take it that it's "benign" and keep the film. I was wondering if it is an artefact of some cleaning treatment gone wrong? Although with Devil Commands it might be a particular batch from Columbia that had "issues"?

Posted by Bill Phelps (Member # 1431) on September 29, 2010, 07:13 PM:

I have a print of....you guessed it, Columbia's Batman serial (part two) that has the same problem. Although there is a sign of the box being wet so I tend to agree with David that it is water damage. It's only a 200' silent and I have the complete serial in sound so it no big deal.

Bill [Smile]

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