8mm Forum: Pépé le Moko (1937) 1x400ft Digest Japan

This is topic Pépé le Moko (1937) 1x400ft Digest Japan in forum 8mm Print Reviews at 8mm Forum.

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Posted by Jason Smith (Member # 5055) on April 21, 2016, 08:39 PM:

Before there was "Casablanca" or the American remake "Algiers". There was Pépé le Moko.

Pépé le Moko is a film released in 1937 that some might say is the greatest gangster film ever made. The star of the film, Jean Gabbin, is regarded as one of the biggest stars of French cinema. His role in Pépé le Moko was a tour de force that brought him international fame.

Set in French Algiers, the story follows Pépé, a gangster from Paris, who is on the run from the authorities. It`s a story of love, and friendship, and betrayal.

This movie was released as a 400ft digest here in Japan in the late seventies. My copy of this digest has VS but with it being a black and white film there is no fade. My bulb was a little too bright for the film(Xeon) and I have a short throw, so the contrast is not that great in the screenshots. I felt like the editing of the film was very well done for a film that I had never seen before.

This digest was released by a company called Sungraph in Japan. They released quite a few digests here in Japan. Unfortunately, it seems like most of their releases were on Eastman Kodak film. This digest was released in optical and magnetic at a cost of 15,550 yen ($75) and 20,500 yen($100) respectively in the late seventies.

I would be curious to know if this film was ever released on Super 8 in France or anywhere else.

Posted by Rob Koeling (Member # 35) on April 22, 2016, 04:43 AM:

Wow! That's a really cool find!

Posted by Dominique De Bast (Member # 3798) on April 22, 2016, 05:18 AM:

Mireille Balin who plays also in this classical French film was a big movie star before the WW II. She sadly ended badly.

Posted by Osi Osgood (Member # 424) on April 22, 2016, 11:28 AM:

Wonderful review of a digest that everyone, but you, probably didn't existed, and thank you for opening up another whole realm of super 8 collecting, (or, at least, what to find on super 8 elsewhere).

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