8mm Forum: What was your first Super 8 Purchase?

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Posted by Alan Rik (Member # 73) on May 25, 2015, 12:44 PM:

I know there might be a topic already done in the past but this will be fun for the newer members! Do you remember your first Super 8 purchase...and do you still have it?
This one is mine:

I think it cost me $39.95 and I purchased it from Larry Arpin of LA films! That was expensive since I was 13 or 14.
Notice how there are no head leaders?

I give thanks to my first Super 8 projector. The Chinon 4100. It used to routinely eat all my films up. I hated that machine.

Posted by Daniel Tollick (Member # 4820) on May 25, 2015, 01:06 PM:

Looks good been watching one of these on ebay for the last few days.

Posted by Andrew Woodcock (Member # 3260) on May 25, 2015, 01:37 PM:

Mine Rik, was a Standard 8mm B/W 50ft version of "Do You Like Snow" silent of course as well! Ha ha.

How many 8 year olds of today would be amazed by such media! [Big Grin]

Posted by Clinton Hunt (Member # 2072) on May 25, 2015, 05:18 PM:

I started collecting only 5 years ago but have managed to have a huge collection now!

My first Super8mm was The Planet Of The Apes 200ft B/W Silent - I think it was about US$10 plus P&P.

Then discovered it wouldn't run on my first projector I got for Christmas - Eumig P8 - a Standard/Regular 8mm projector!
Yes I was abit green on all the film guages but learnt quickly [Smile]

Posted by Brian Fretwell (Member # 4302) on May 25, 2015, 05:41 PM:

A 50ft Silent extract from "Easy Street" or A keystone Cops silent. I only had a battery/add on transformer projector then, no shutter, 10w lamp and a flat aperture plate - it scratched the films terribly. It was soon replaced by a Eumig 510D

Posted by Andrew Woodcock (Member # 3260) on May 25, 2015, 05:48 PM:

Apart fron Rik, who is postively posh by comparison (ha ha), it appears most of us mere mortals started out with humble beginnings.

Posted by Jose Artiles (Member # 471) on May 25, 2015, 06:17 PM:

My first was a full feature film of "walking tall" starring Joe Don Baker and a full feature print of "Dead Weekend" starring Brenda Baccaro i buy the films new 25 years ago from a spanish brand called Visiones Marbiscolor. I still have the print of " Dead Weekend" ,it was printed on agfa stock and still have a wonderfull colour.

Posted by Marshall Crist (Member # 1312) on May 25, 2015, 06:24 PM:

200' silent cutdown of REVENGE OF THE CREATURE. What a wonderful night I had watching that.

Posted by Steve Klare (Member # 12) on May 25, 2015, 07:39 PM:

Moving into sound as a teenager puts you in the Advanced Class!

-I got my first silent film as a 16 year old and went into sound at forty!

Back that long ago the idea of having sound was almost exotic. Among the very few people I knew that had movies at all, all had silents only. The first Super-8 sound projector I ever saw was my own.

Posted by Andrew Woodcock (Member # 3260) on May 25, 2015, 08:14 PM:

Jose tops us all with a first screening ever with a FULL. FEATURE as a virgin projectionist!

Quite frankly if that had been me on first go at threading, i would have been scared to death of wrecking that valuable print on its maiden voyage.

You sure left it late Steve for moving into "Talkies".-why such a big gap of 24years to try them out? [Confused]

Posted by Douglas Warren (Member # 1047) on May 25, 2015, 08:42 PM:

The first reels I purchased with my own money (age 16 ) were Universal 8 / Castle Films: Frankenstein & House of Frankenstein.Both were 200',silent reels.I must have played both three times each that day!... Douglas

[ May 26, 2015, 12:22 PM: Message edited by: Douglas Warren ]

Posted by Alan Rik (Member # 73) on May 25, 2015, 10:00 PM:

I remember looking at the ad on the back page of Famous Monsters of Filmland magazine and at that time I thought it was the whole feature with sound and color for a mere 9.95!! Imagine my surprise when I went to the Kmart and they told me it was only 2 1/2 minutes long!!

Posted by David Skillern (Member # 607) on May 26, 2015, 01:06 AM:

One of the first Super 8 purchases was going on a christmas shopping trip from South Wales to Birmingham and my father buying me a techno release of "Bugs Bunny Rides Again" in Boots of all places. I still have this copy over thirty years later and although my dad has gone - he loved this cartoon and I have fond memories every time I screen it.

David

Posted by Andrew Woodcock (Member # 3260) on May 26, 2015, 01:50 AM:

One to treasure David. Great that you still have it and a fabulous story to boot!

It's brilliant how, just like certain records, treasured vivid memories tag along with some of our collections. It really does make them priceless in many many cases.

Posted by David Skillern (Member # 607) on May 26, 2015, 01:59 AM:

Thanks Andrew,

Very true - regarding memories - my collection has many memories and reasons to hang on to the prints.

David

Posted by Graham Ritchie (Member # 559) on May 26, 2015, 04:40 AM:

Still have this B/W.. T/J.. bought way back in the 70s [Smile]

Posted by Trevor Adams (Member # 42) on May 26, 2015, 04:48 AM:

EASY STREET,Blackhawk.

Posted by Steve Carter (Member # 4821) on May 26, 2015, 05:04 AM:

my very first film was Standard 8 Walton 50ft Laurel & Hardy 'Reluctant Legionnaires'for Christmas late 60's with battery Horipet projector.My first Super 8 'Catalina, Here I Come' re-titled as 'Channel Swimmers' Collectors Club 200 footer starring Eddie Quillan and 400 foot 'With Love & Hisses', silent Laurel & Hardy.All my films were standard 8 until I got hold of a dual gauge projector, it was a revelation picture wise...

[ May 28, 2015, 04:03 AM: Message edited by: Steve Carter ]

Posted by Vidar Olavesen (Member # 3354) on May 26, 2015, 05:42 AM:

My first was bought with my Elmo ST-600 and was the black and white edition of Island of Mystery, 200' ... I was 11 at the time and money earned from paper route well spent on those two :-)

[ May 26, 2015, 02:22 PM: Message edited by: Vidar Olavesen ]

Posted by David Coppola (Member # 4209) on May 26, 2015, 06:48 AM:

7th Voyage of Sinbad and Revenge of the Creature. Purchased from a Two Guys Dept Store. VERY early 70s.

Posted by Marshall Crist (Member # 1312) on May 26, 2015, 07:11 AM:

My REVENGE OF THE CREATURE was from Two Guys as well!

Posted by Mark Silvester (Member # 929) on May 26, 2015, 10:09 AM:

My first 8mm move was a 50ft silent "Castle film" telling the story of Rudolph Valentino..the projector was a small hand cranked machine was from mail-master...with a bulb so weak you could hardly SEE THE PICTURES.

The NEXT WAS A 200" SUPER 8MM SOUND from Dixons called the "Night Caller" starring John Saxon...not a bad little b/w abridgement...I had a baby gioca at the time...it was £69.95 from Scientific and Technical.

Happy days...but before all that was the hand-cranked "movie viewer from Mail master.(you had to hold it up to the light)..I rented a few 200" to watch on that from the local camera shop...age 12/13 then... [Smile]

Posted by Gary Crawford (Member # 67) on May 26, 2015, 01:51 PM:

I go back to Standard 8mm...Parents bought me for my 9th birthday a Brumberger hand cranked projector. And gave me money to buy at Sears, two Castle headline editions.... Have Badge Will Chase and Abbott and Costello meet Frankenstein. That would have been 1958.

Posted by Osi Osgood (Member # 424) on May 26, 2015, 02:14 PM:

I'm not entirely sure, but I think my first super film I actually purchased new, when a kid, was a Disney super 8 color silent 200ft entitled, "Jumbo Cartoon parade", and I proceeded to wear it out, had fun, though.

I had a good number of "Hand me down" films from my dad before that, but that "Jumbo Cartoon Parade" was bought brand new, in the very early 1980's. A side note to that story, they had an offer of 5 or 6 color prints of Disney characters that were free, all you had to do was send shipping for them, (and the order form that came in the super 8 box, of course) ...

I completely forget about it and then, many months later, they actually arrived!

Posted by Luis Caramelo (Member # 2430) on May 27, 2015, 07:28 AM:

star wars 400ft by ken films

Posted by James N. Savage 3 (Member # 83) on May 27, 2015, 07:56 AM:

My first film (8 years old) was Castle's "Dracula", 50 foot, silent. I wore that film out until my dad said "That's Enough!" [Smile]

.

That was actually the perfect place to start, since you can only go up from there.

My first over-the-counter purchase with my own saved money was...
"The Posiedon Adventure", 400 foot, color, sound (I think I was around 14 or so). I thought I was BIG-time then [Wink]

.

James.

Posted by Andrew Woodcock (Member # 3260) on May 27, 2015, 01:18 PM:

And you were back then james, just like I was with my Agfa Sonnector LS with its 100w lamp back in 1980. My mates loved it!

Hong Kong Phooey 400ft Techno double Bill was my first sound film ever projected along with Disney's Greatest Chases!

"A chase is a chase is a chase...but a Disney chase mixed with humour and excitement, is something special!"

Ha ha and I haven't even owned it for over 25 years!!

Posted by Kurt Gardner (Member # 440) on May 27, 2015, 02:54 PM:

Christmas gift from Dad: an 8mm projector (can't recall the make), Castle Films "Bride of Frankenstein" silent 200 ft. and "Return of Dracula" silent 50 ft. "Dracula" got stuck in the gate and began to blister and I thought it was part of the movie. Wow! Color!

And since the "Bride" credits said it utilized Western Electric Noiseless Recording, I figured that's why it was silent.

I was very young.

Posted by Brad Kimball (Member # 5) on May 27, 2015, 10:23 PM:

Silent edition of the 200' version of "Doom Of Dracula".

Posted by Joe Vannicola (Member # 4156) on May 27, 2015, 10:45 PM:

Before my conversion to Super 8, I had a 8mm projector and my first film that I bought was The Great Chase and The Bride of Frankenstein from Castle Films. That was the Christmas of 1967 if memory serves me.

Posted by Jean-Marc Toussaint (Member # 270) on May 28, 2015, 03:29 AM:

I started with standard 8 as well. The very first reel was a 50ft b&w silent extract from a Flintstones episde. Can't remember the title (I no longer have it) but Fred and Barney were argueing about ownership of a ladder.
This was quickly followed by Disney's "Mysterious Dr Syn", 200ft color silent.

Posted by Lee Mannering (Member # 728) on May 29, 2015, 06:18 AM:

A nice thread to start Alan.

I had the pleasure of visiting the building that used to be Mr Swans cine shop recently and although now long gone he was a kindly man who encouraged me as a young boy along the cine road. My first purchases from him in the early 70's would have been a 50ft Laurel & Hardy and Chaplin film, but he also used to lend me free of charge films to show over the weekend then return on Monday. I always called him Mr Swan and as the yeas went by purchased a couple of Eumigs and a pile of Universal 8 films as they became available including A&C Meet Frank which I still have.
Here is the very shop but no longer a cine dealership.

Along with Mr Swans Cine shop I also loved Collectors Club films and like many over here 'Jazz and Sand' was my first CC purchase.

Fond memories...

Posted by Andrew Woodcock (Member # 3260) on May 29, 2015, 06:30 AM:

Whereabouts was Mr Swans cine shop Lee?

Posted by Lee Mannering (Member # 728) on May 29, 2015, 06:33 AM:

Strood Andrew. He used to also hire 16mm films and equipment. Mr Swan had a twin brother who also had a photography shop in Gillingham high street.
It was a wonderful time then as I could visit his shop then go to Barry Wiles as well who also was a fascinating enthusiastic cine chap.

Posted by Steve Carter (Member # 4821) on May 29, 2015, 08:23 AM:

Mr Swan sounds very much like old Bernard Hunter who used to have a small shop in West St. Bedminster, Mr. Hunter also encouraged my film collecting 50 foot vistapaks and then onto 200 footers...late 1960's through mid 70's. The shop is long gone, but the name remains and the shop is now in North St.

Posted by Andrew Woodcock (Member # 3260) on May 29, 2015, 09:54 AM:

Wish I could remember Cyril's surname from Jubilee Film Services in Ashton Under Lyne.

I have seen it somewhere in Movie Maker ads but cannot find it again now.

Listening to Lee and Steves stories of encouragement shown to them as youngsters in the hobby, makes we smile in irony now on how things are so very different.

There are a few dealers left as we know but there are one or two who come across as though it is they who are doing you the favour by selling you the films that are left out there nowadays. [Big Grin]

Posted by David Ollerearnshaw (Member # 3296) on May 29, 2015, 12:40 PM:

Now my first films was bought by my grandma & grandad from Portland Films I think. It was one of those hand cranked viewers you held up to the light. Now the only problem with this was it took 50ft standard 8 reels. The two films were super 8 0n 200ft reels.

The first one I could watch was Hollywood and the Stars Monsters 400ft. The first I ever watched was hired Kronos both from Derann.

Posted by Adrian Winchester (Member # 248) on May 30, 2015, 08:00 AM:

Mine was the 200' b/w silent Ken version of 'One Million Years BC' bought new (for £5, I think), from Portland Films. I then discovered that Super 8 films could not be played using the family 8mm projector! I didn't keep it for long because I soon afterwards had a basic Super 8 sound projector and I was seeking out the Walton colour sound extracts from the film.

Posted by Jason Gronn (Member # 3921) on May 30, 2015, 04:07 PM:

My first super8 purchase was when l stumbled across on the internet a little cine shop in Dudley [Wink]

.
This is what got me into super8 back in the mid 90's after mainly collecting 35mm at the time, l could not beleive what l was seeing with all these new film titles for sale so l picked up the phone and who answered none other than the man him self and purchased The Lion King feature and Stargate trailer and this was my introduction into super8.

Posted by David Baker (Member # 3259) on May 31, 2015, 08:23 PM:

What a nice topic ! My first purchased film was a 50' standard 8mm Ken film - VARAN , THE UNBELIEVABLE . Ran it on my " crank " projector that I got FREE for selling FLOWER SEEDS the summer of ' 65 .

Posted by Andrew Woodcock (Member # 3260) on May 31, 2015, 11:39 PM:

Wow Jason, you were spoiled rotten by your timing of starting a Super 8mm collection.

You must be the only person out there whose first film would be a feature film such as "The Lion King"!

As you say, I bet you couldn't believe your eyes seeing this company in Dudley churning out all of these top titles while the rest of the Super 8mm package movie scene was all but gone! [Smile]

Posted by Jason Gronn (Member # 3921) on June 01, 2015, 12:23 AM:

Andrew,

Trust me l was blown away seeing new films still being released.

Posted by Steve Ellison (Member # 658) on February 08, 2017, 12:02 PM:

Cyril at Jubilee was Cyril Owens....old buddy of mine, we used to have fun trying to place the most outrageous headers to our Movie Maker and ACW adverts...things like 'Bigger than any other in the North West, to which response the following month would be ..'despite the claims of others'... Cyril now lives in Spain with his lovely wife Marge, spending his ill gotten gains from the bun shop he had before he moved into cine and had loads of fun, but dodn't make much, like theist of us! He's on facebook...as I am.

Posted by Steve Ellison (Member # 658) on February 08, 2017, 12:03 PM:

Cyril at Jubilee was Cyril Owens....old buddy of mine, we used to have fun trying to place the most outrageous headers to our Movie Maker and ACW adverts...things like 'Bigger than any other in the North West, to which response the following month would be ..'despite the claims of others'... Cyril now lives in Spain with his lovely wife Marge, spending his ill gotten gains from the bun shop he had before he moved into cine and had loads of fun, but dodn't make much, like theist of us! He's on facebook...as I am.

Posted by Andrew Woodcock (Member # 3260) on February 08, 2017, 12:49 PM:

Thanks for that Steve! 😊😊

Nice to know he's still doing well. I was still only in my teens last time I saw him. [Smile]

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