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Author
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Topic: Willis O'Brien surprise
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Robert Statzer
Junior
Posts: 21
From: Richmond, IN, USA
Registered: Nov 2018
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posted September 30, 2019 06:04 PM
So I recently picked up a set of films off eBay (which, I know, can be a crap shoot, but the price was nice). One of the boxes was from Blackhawk Films and was marked THE LOST WORLD. I figure it's the 400' digest of the film, which would be fun to throw on once in a while for a few friends. Finally, this Saturday, I decided to thread it up and give it a look. Much to my surprise, it's not THE LOST WORLD (and it's not from Blackhawk), but a compilation of early Willis O'Brien shorts from Glenn Photo: THE DINOSAUR AND THE MISSING LINK, PREHISTORIC POULTRY and R.F.D. 10,000 B.C.. Not a bad substitute for what was supposed to be in the box. A buddy of mine, some time back, found a Glenn Photo Super 8 print of O'Brien's CREATION test footage, which was great to see on the big screen. (I knew Glenn Photo had released a number of subjects on Super 8, but had no idea all this Willis O'Brien stuff was out there.)
Several years ago I got my hands on an 8mm copy of GHOST OF SLUMBER MOUNTAIN, but there were no markings on the film or box as to who released it. (Print quality is pretty decent though...better than many of the versions I've seen on home video.) Too bad it's not in Super 8, I'd put together a mega-reel of Willis O'Brien: The Early Years.
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BijouBob8mm
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Robert Statzer
Junior
Posts: 21
From: Richmond, IN, USA
Registered: Nov 2018
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posted October 01, 2019 10:19 AM
Osi, yes, I've had a number of LOST WORLD digests, as well as the 5 x 200' reel edition of the feature, but always on 8mm. (Got the Encyclopedia Britannica cut-down sold by Select Films when I was in high school. Some of the footage on that is out of sequence, although I didn't know that until GoodTimes released the feature on VHS, at which point I "tweaked" the digest and put the brief bits back in their proper place.) Finally got hold of the Blackhawk 400' Super 8 digest, which focuses on the London sequence. Would love to get a Super 8 copy of the Britannica edition, one day. (Along with that CREATION reel and SLUMBER MOUNTAIN, so that I could cut together a Willis O'Brien marathon reel.) Interesting that O'Bie, George Pal and Ray Harryhausen all started out doing whimsical short subjects. I got to know Ray after I interviewed him for a series of magazine articles, and we stayed in touch. Great guy.
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BijouBob8mm
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Osi Osgood
Film God
Posts: 10204
From: Mountian Home, ID.
Registered: Jul 2005
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posted October 02, 2019 09:09 AM
"The Lost World" was put out by a number of people. Were you speaking of only standard 8mm? (5X200ft), as, I know for a fact tht Niles Films released it on super 8mm, and I'm pretty sure that Blackhawk released it as well and, of course, if Blackhawk released it, you know that you'll be getting the best possible image or the Buck! ![[Smile]](smile.gif)
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"All these moments will be lost in time, just like ... tears, in the rain. "
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