8mm Forum: Americom Question

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Posted by Brad Kimball (Member # 5) on May 20, 2011, 11:05 AM:

Does anyone know which Americom titles were actually released in Magnetic Sound editions and also if there was an alternative Color edition to titles that were actually shot in color (ie: "Horror Of Dracula")?

Posted by Adrian Winchester (Member # 248) on May 20, 2011, 03:50 PM:

I don't know what they released with magnetic sound - any such releases must be very scarce - but I know that the edition of 'Horror of Dracula' that came with the record, and at least one and probably both of the reels from 'The Curse of Frankenstein' were released in colour versions. I have a vague recollection that I may have heard that the colour wasn't considered great, even at the time, though.

Posted by Joe Taffis (Member # 4) on May 20, 2011, 04:43 PM:

I had the 200' color regular 8mm silent CURSE OF FRANKENSTEIN with the floppy record. I bought it new back in the 1960s and I have to say that the color was excellent.

Posted by Brian Hendel (Member # 61) on May 20, 2011, 11:21 PM:

Hey Brad - I am personally obsessed with the old Americom releases and are still collecting them. Unfortunately most of the color prints have turned totally red over time. As for your question, the following were released in color magnetic sound edition. Unfortunately all their sound prints were in regular 8mm because they were already fading out as a company when super 8 became popular in the late 60's.

AMERICOM COLOR/SOUND RELEASES

HORROR OF DRACULA
CURSE OF FRANKENSTEIN
ULYSSES
THREE STOOGES MEET SNOW WHITE
ACE OF SPACE - Popeye
SEA SERPENT - Popeye

There were no black and white sound prints released by Americom. The above titles were also released in color silent releases as well.

I am still looking for the sound prints of Ulysses, Ace of Space, and Sea Serpent in the original boxes if anyone has them for sale. By the way my silent Sea Serpent still has really good color - so may the Hammer shorts are out there with good color somewhere?!

Posted by John Hourigan (Member # 111) on May 20, 2011, 11:35 PM:

Didn't Americom also release a couple of 400-foot films? I vaguely recall the titles to be something like "Let's Have A Party" or something like that? If I remember correctly, the 400-foot films were comprised of a cartoon or two and a Stooges or 1940s Laurel and Hardy condensation?

Posted by Douglas Meltzer (Member # 28) on May 21, 2011, 11:19 AM:

Brian,

Those titles were available in both b&w and color sound versions, as were two Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea excerpts, The Frogmen and Sea of Mines.

John,

You're right. The two Americom 400 footers were Let's Have a Party and When Comedy was King.

Doug

Posted by Brad Kimball (Member # 5) on May 28, 2011, 12:43 AM:

I actually have the 2 "Frankenstein" titles in SUPER 8 Magnetic Sound. I won them on Ebay. They are edited in sequential order and mounted on a 400' reel. The credits from "Curse" are utilized and the repeat scenes from "Birth" that appear in "Curse" were excised so everything runs as one smooth 14 minute digest. Whomever did the editing actually did a decent job and the sound isn't bad at all. I do suspect that it's a home-grown striped and recorded version being that according to Brian and Doug "Birth" was never actually issued in a magnetic sound edition. The subtitles are present throughout so it's true that Americom utilized the same negs for both silent and sound editions. The color is terrible - beet red - so I never show it to anyone except myself. I'd be too embarrased to run it for anyone else and I would have a hard time explaining why there's english subtitles throughout the whole reel when the audio is also in english. Try getting a non-collector to process that concept.

Posted by John Hourigan (Member # 111) on May 28, 2011, 10:50 AM:

Agree, Brad -- there are several films that I'd never show an audience for similar reasons. Actually, I'm quite picky as to what I do screen for an audience given the idiosyncrasies of some Super 8 films (particularly in this day and age of damn-near perfect home video projection technology).

Posted by Douglas Meltzer (Member # 28) on May 28, 2011, 10:53 AM:

Brad,

Sound digests for the hearing impaired!

Doug

Posted by Osi Osgood (Member # 424) on May 28, 2011, 01:10 PM:

Brian ...

I believe that Barry Attwoods Independent 8 super 8 site has, on his current list, a copy of "Popeye: Ace of Space" I don't know as to whether it is an Americom release however. You'd have to ask Barry.

OSI

Posted by Brad Kimball (Member # 5) on May 30, 2011, 08:14 PM:

Doug, what's ironic is that I've often told young people I've shown silent editions to is that the studios released alot of titles in sub-titled versions for hearing impaired collectors rather than go into the entire history of why some film are silent, but the movie was originally a "talkie". Many young folk that I've encountered (under 35) don't get it. They were raised in digital environments. They see I have vinyl lp's and vhs tapes and I get the "I see you collect antiques" comment. I normally politely agree and move on. Just don't have the patience to try to explain it to them. It's often too frustrating. I do have digital entertainment in my home, as well. That they relate to. It's a bit sad, but I only hope my kids continue to enjoy, and later appreciate, the various forms of home entertainment I expose them to.

[ May 30, 2011, 10:43 PM: Message edited by: Brad Kimball ]

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