8mm Forum: The Sound of Music 6 x 600ft Questions

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Posted by Martin Dew (Member # 5748) on April 21, 2017, 07:25 PM:

I've just bought a copy of The Sound of Music Derann release on 6 x 600ft spools, with what appear to be the original boxes and artwork.

Would any of you be kind enough to answer some questions for me, as this is the first Derann feature I've ever owned?

1) Every 600ft spool is interrupted by a countdown leader halfway through. Does anyone know why this is? (The last owner had tape spliced these middle countdowns, so presumably he had previously mounted the whole film on larger spools.)

2) I only have 800ft capacity on my current projector (until I find a long-play unit), but can anyone give advice as to how to mount the film most efficiently onto new spools? Three of the six reels are overflowing, so I was thinking of putting those three only onto 800ft spools, for example. (I will, of course, be keeping the original boxes separately.)

Thanks so much. Any answers on this or extra information on the history of this title would be much appreciated. I want to do the best thing for my current needs, and for the future preservation of this fantastic print.

Posted by Carter Bradley (Member # 984) on April 22, 2017, 12:17 PM:

I also own this TSOM edition, and mine came mounted on 6 600' reels with no original boxes. When I received the film I discovered that all reels needed to be rewound, and that there was plenty of room on reel one for extras. I then purchased TSOM long preview (100') and a couple of Tom & Jerry cartoons to fill out the reel. I believe the total run time of the feature is 174 minutes.

Posted by Steven J Kirk (Member # 1135) on April 22, 2017, 12:24 PM:

That sounds weird. There are countdown leaders spliced in at 300ft in the reel? Sounds like maybe it was spooled up for a projector with only 400ft capacity... You should be aiming to get a machine with 1200ft capacity because then two of each 600ft reels will go together on 1200ft which is an hour playing time. Carefully cut out the leaders but keep them if they are originals.

Posted by Tom Photiou (Member # 130) on April 22, 2017, 12:30 PM:

We have this full feature as well. Ours is on three 1200 foot spools but there shouldn't be any countdown in mid reels.

Posted by Brian Fretwell (Member # 4302) on April 22, 2017, 05:12 PM:

It may have been because they used the Rank Labs 16mm negative that was prepared for single reels and they could not have it edited for 600ft Super 8 printing. I haven't shown mine for many ears so can't say if it is the same. Of course it could be that only early prints were like this.

Posted by Oliver F. R. Feld (Member # 1911) on May 01, 2017, 04:11 PM:

I own 2 prints of TSOM. I bought both of them used and I wanted to change 2 reels of the first print, which were scratched by the former owner.
The first print has 1 splice in each reel. So in the end it wasn´t 6x600" but 12x300". And the original number of 35mm-reels in the cinemas were 12.

I put the complete film on 2 big reels, so there is only one break.

The second print has exactly the countdown leaders (as described above) at the same sections as in the first print, and so I assume, that Derann released all the prints like that. Some owners removed them, some owners didn´t.

I could imagine that Derann kept the leaders, because they also had to release the cutdown in Scope (3x600" reels edition). Maybe it was more easy for them to do this cut with the original reel-distribution...?

Posted by Martin Dew (Member # 5748) on May 01, 2017, 04:23 PM:

Yes, that must be it. Thanks for all your explanations.

The tails read 'End of Part 1,3,5,9,11' respectively, so clearly it was taken from a 12-reel print. I'm now storing all those mid-reel leaders on a separate spool, and I have transferred each 600ft reel onto a corresponding 800ft spool to overcome my overflow problem.

Posted by Mike Blasko (Member # 5867) on May 08, 2017, 12:51 PM:

How is the color on these? Seems like some pre-date LPP, but still look good? Was there a mix of stock?

Posted by Andrew Woodcock (Member # 3260) on May 08, 2017, 01:06 PM:

It was an earlier release so I'd say results can vary but on the whole the ones I've seen still look very good.

I have a 2x 1200ft abridged version that includes the extras Derann put out for this title and its still fine.
The bandstand scene is the most likely to show any changes if there are any at their infancy.
If you're thinking of buying this title on eight, ask the seller to post you a few photos from this scene.

They are all a little towards the blue side where colour is concerned.

Going back to Martin's earlier point among all of this, I'd previously never seen a Derann feature with a middle original splice at the mid point of each 600ft reel of Film, but having recently seen "That's Entertainment" this one is the same, 8x 300ft rather than 4x 600ft as its boxed.
It's all as original also.
All leads and tails still in tact but a manufacturer splice in the middle of every reel.
No countdown in the middle though.

[ May 08, 2017, 07:55 PM: Message edited by: Andrew Woodcock ]

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