8mm Forum: Phantom Of The Opera

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Posted by Pasquale DAlessio (Member # 2052) on November 15, 2010, 03:37 PM:

I just purchased Phantom Of The Opera with Lon Chaney. It is B&W Silent 1200' on 3x400' reels. Does anybody know who made this? I know Universal 8 has a 400'Sound and Blackhawk had a 2x400'version, but I could not find any info on the silent 8mm version. I only paid 15.00 for it so I think that's a good deal. I am just curious to know who made it and if the original artwork is available so I can print it for my boxes. It came in metal cans. I just have to find the artwork!

[ November 15, 2010, 05:07 PM: Message edited by: Pasquale DAlessio ]

Posted by Brad Kimball (Member # 5) on November 15, 2010, 11:05 PM:

Check the leader. Usually the vendor source is somewhere on it.

Posted by Pasquale DAlessio (Member # 2052) on November 15, 2010, 11:50 PM:

I all ready checked the leader. No info there except for title. I think part of leader is missing.

Posted by Michael O'Regan (Member # 938) on November 16, 2010, 11:26 AM:

Didn't Niles release a print of this?

Posted by Pasquale DAlessio (Member # 2052) on November 16, 2010, 02:47 PM:

Did they? That's what I am trying to find out. Unfortunately the leader is cut off so there is no info. Not even on the tail except for reel number. I believe this was originally a 4 reel feature that was put on 3 reels. The reels are really full to the edge and on the last reel is says reel 4 0f 4 on tail.

Posted by Michael O'Regan (Member # 938) on November 16, 2010, 02:54 PM:

John Black is pretty good with the various releases and who released them. Perhaps he'll chime in here.

I'm pretty certain I've come across the fact that Niles did release this title in some form.

Posted by Spencer Bradley (Member # 2145) on November 16, 2010, 03:04 PM:

I have a blackhawk print of this that is on 5 400' reels. Looking at the amount of film on the reels it looks like it may fit on 3 reels.

Posted by Bradford A Moore (Member # 426) on November 16, 2010, 03:17 PM:

I bet it is a Niles Print. The Niles version was on 4 400ft reels, and didn't have the intro that Blackhawk did. The Niles is much darker than The Blackhawk, and specially in the last reel. the Blackhawk is bright and clear all the way through.

Niles was very touch and go. I just got a excellent 8mm Niles print of Joan Of Arc, except it was a library print, and has its share of lines. It could also be a Griggs/ Essex print, and if so could be nice as well too.

Posted by Pasquale DAlessio (Member # 2052) on November 16, 2010, 04:26 PM:

I'm thinking Niles print also. So that would mean there is no artwork on the boxes. Aren't their boxes just text with a logo? The print itself has nice contrast and the beginning starts out out of focus then clears. Looks like the original film opening was made that way. I'm happy to have it in my collection. Now I have to find Nosferato! Thanks for all the responses. That's what makes this forum so great!

Posted by Brad Kimball (Member # 5) on November 16, 2010, 10:15 PM:

Reel Images from Connecticut, USA as well as many other 8mm distributors such as Thunderbird released this title which was in the public domain for nearly 50 years. Could be any one of them. It's going to pretty tough to tell without the full leader.

Posted by Tony Stucchio (Member # 519) on November 17, 2010, 07:08 PM:

If there are no splices between what's left of the leader and the main titles, it will not be a Blackhawk. BH always had a prologue giving the film's history for their silent releases.

The tails usually have info as well. If you see numbers like 810-xxxx or 860-xxxx, it is a BH. After the end title, if there are no splices, you will usually see "Blackhawk Films" projected on the screen.

Posted by John W. Black (Member # 1082) on November 17, 2010, 10:29 PM:

Could be,Griggs,Reel Images,Cine Service and probably others.As for Niles Boxes,they had a couple generic color boxes.Some titles had special boxes,but not Phantom.

Posted by Dino Everette (Member # 1378) on November 18, 2010, 12:39 AM:

Practically everyone released that one, even companies like Minot films, and I know for a fact that the version Perry's Movies released was a 6 x 200 which could translate to the 3 x 400 you have...

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