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Author Topic: 16mm Digests
David Coppola
Film Handler

Posts: 75
From: Rochester, NY, USA
Registered: Mar 2014


 - posted April 06, 2017 08:43 AM      Profile for David Coppola     Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Was wondering how prevalent the 16mm digests were in the 70s?
Occasionally I see U8 ones in 400ft versions, which, essentially would be the equivalent of the 200ft 8mm ones as far as length.
How were the quality of them and did they ever release 800ft versions?
Any other companies release 16mm digests then?

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Douglas Meltzer
Moderator

Posts: 4554
From: New York, NY, USA
Registered: Jun 2003


 - posted April 06, 2017 11:34 AM      Profile for Douglas Meltzer   Email Douglas Meltzer   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
David,

Castle Films released many of their 200' digests in 16mm. After becoming Universal 8, they continued the practice with 800' 16mm releases. Many of the U-8 digests were of lesser print quality than the earlier Castle prints.

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Doug

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I think there's room for just one more film.....

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Maurice Leakey
Film God

Posts: 5895
From: Bristol. United Kingdom
Registered: Oct 2007


 - posted April 06, 2017 02:53 PM      Profile for Maurice Leakey   Email Maurice Leakey   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Castle issued a great number of films as 400ft 16mm releases which included excerpts from Universal features. W.C. Fields and Abbott & Costello were great favourites.

Many Castle films were issued in the UK by Rank under the name of G.B. Moviepaks.

http://www.robbiesreels.com/castle_films.htm

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Maurice

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David Guest
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1704
From: Lancashire, UK
Registered: Oct 2011


 - posted April 06, 2017 03:31 PM      Profile for David Guest     Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
I have loads of these all or sale

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Dave Groves
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 508
From: Southend on Sea, Essex, UK
Registered: Feb 2015


 - posted April 07, 2017 06:32 AM      Profile for Dave Groves     Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
I wonder how well they were advertised and available as I don't recall seeing new one's in their hey-day. Possibly cost had much to do with it and the greater availability and choice of Super 8.

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Dave

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Maurice Leakey
Film God

Posts: 5895
From: Bristol. United Kingdom
Registered: Oct 2007


 - posted April 07, 2017 09:02 AM      Profile for Maurice Leakey   Email Maurice Leakey   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
GB Movie-paks were well advertised, perhaps Rank somewhat suppressed any UK advertising for Castle films.

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Maurice

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Adrian Winchester
Film God

Posts: 2941
From: Croydon, London, UK
Registered: Aug 2004


 - posted April 08, 2017 09:40 PM      Profile for Adrian Winchester     Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
I'd guess that some of the 200' and 400' U8 releases may have never appeared on 16mm, but it's hard to be sure unless there's a definitive list somewhere. E.g. I've never heard of a 16mm print of the one reel version of 'Jaws', but perhaps someone else has?

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Adrian Winchester

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Maurice Leakey
Film God

Posts: 5895
From: Bristol. United Kingdom
Registered: Oct 2007


 - posted April 09, 2017 02:41 AM      Profile for Maurice Leakey   Email Maurice Leakey   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
According to Scott MacGillivray's "Castle Film", in 1980 Universal 8 published a 68 page catalogue with text in four languages (English, Spanish, Portuguese and French.)

But soon, the price of silver escalated from $5 an ounce to $54 an ounce making prices too expensive for collectors to collect film so Universal 8 turned to video and threw in the towel on film.

Who would spend good money for seventeen minutes of clips from a favourite film when they could have the entire film on video tape?

Their remaining stocks of film were liquidated through Red Fox Films.

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Maurice

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