8mm Forum: Excel Films ... history?

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Posted by Osi Osgood (Member # 424) on October 26, 2015, 01:21 PM:

Dos anyone know the history of this standard 8mm film company? I'm curious after the conversation I've been having with Shorty in that other series of posts.

I wonder when they started out and they're releases. Anybody have any info on them?

I thank you ahead of time

OSI

Posted by Joe Caruso (Member # 11) on October 26, 2015, 02:38 PM:

Lots of those companies went out so quickly, still working on the box-art people fro CASTLE, COLUMBIA & KEN - Then there's the lovely "paintings", as i refer to them, emanating from MOUNTAIN - A book should be written, or at least a dissertation - Shorty

Posted by Joseph Randall (Member # 4906) on October 26, 2015, 04:41 PM:

You can actually learn a lot from eBay. It seems they also issued 16mm silent extracts of not only the Stooges, but also Our Gang, among others.

Posted by Osi Osgood (Member # 424) on October 27, 2015, 01:14 PM:

I wonder if, way back then, there was a lot of "stealing" as no one was probably enforcing copyrights as a general rule, (and had no idea as to just how much these films were worth for future generations), so many companies did just that, released they're own digests, cut downs ect.

Posted by Osi Osgood (Member # 424) on October 28, 2015, 01:17 PM:

I tried looking all over the place for a little bit of "Excel" history, but couldn't find anything. [Frown]

Posted by Shawn Langrick (Member # 4993) on October 28, 2015, 06:49 PM:

For what its worth, I did some digging and found a few items that may be of interest. The following article from a 1944 "Popular Photography" magazine references an "Excel Movie Products":
https://goo.gl/F6mTjl
And there are a number of issues of the same magazine with ads for "Excel Movie Products" along with "News of the World" titles like this: https://goo.gl/vdk2CY

I also found a number of ads in old "Popular Mechanics" for an "Excel Home Movies" in Toledo, OH, such as this one: https://goo.gl/SFPJDH

Since EMP was in Chicago and EHM was in Toledo, it appears that there may have been more than one "Excel"?

Posted by Osi Osgood (Member # 424) on October 29, 2015, 11:04 AM:

Shawn!! I could give ya a big hug, manly hug!!

With just these little details, I can amass other facts about the company! Hey! It's a start!

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