8mm Forum: Blackhawk Films

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Topic: Blackhawk Films

Graham Ritchie
Film God

Posts: 4001
From: New Zealand
Registered: Feb 2006

posted February 29, 2008 02:00 PM

Looking through an old 1980 catalog it was surprising to read all the different films for sale standard 8 super8 and 16mm plus an interesting article on the company, who the people are and what they do, at the end it says...

If you're out our way on a Monday, Tuesday, Thursday or Friday stop in and say hi. We'll be glad to sit down over a cup of coffee and chat fo a minute. You might want to take a look around our building. It was built as a brewery in 1857 and the underground tunnels stay a constant 72 degrees { a perfect temperature for storing our film}

You know, some folks say we're a little old fashioned here in Davenport, Iowa. At Blackhawk we take that as a compliment.

I only have a couple Blackhawk films Our Gang "Anniversary Trouble" 1935 and L/H "Two Tars" 1928 both films are very good. after reading through their extensive catalog I think I will keep an eye out for more of there titles.

A few years ago I picked up a couple of DVDs Region 1 both had from the "Blackhawk Films Collection" on the back covers and are of excellent quality well worth getting.

Another interesting one is "Oliver Twist" 1922 with Jackie Coogan and Lon Chaney, the DVDs are distributed by Image Entertainment.

[ June 12, 2009, 06:13 AM: Message edited by: Graham Ritchie ]

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Douglas Meltzer
Moderator

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

posted February 29, 2008 03:46 PM

I was in Davenport recently. I guess the only folks I ran into were the young'uns who had no idea that this great company used to be in their town.
Doug

[ March 01, 2008, 12:20 AM: Message edited by: Douglas Meltzer ]

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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 March 01, 2008 12:40 PM

Surely 72 degrees is NOT an ideal temperature to store films?

When I visited the National Film Archive at Berkhamsted (hard hats to be worn - beware of falling films) it was pretty cool.
I can't remember the temperature stated but thinking back I would estimate no more than 40F.

Maurice

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Maurice

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Joe Caruso
Film God

Posts: 4105
From: USA
Registered: Jun 2003

posted March 01, 2008 01:54 PM

Blackhawk's storage was underground and 72 or so was commensurate with a cooling effect. Since the building was a brewery, there you go. Not once did I suffer an inferior print. Materials were tended to faithfully. Some of my old bulletins also profile the employees, and I long to read any information on just how and the where the boxes were created. One of my projects is to locate people who worked at Blackhawk and write a decent paper about it. The array of subjects they offered was astounding and in more ways than none, Blackhawk was resposible for truly important collections. I still swear by them, Shorty

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Osi Osgood
Film God

Posts: 10204
From: Mountian Home, ID.
Registered: Jul 2005

posted March 02, 2008 01:30 PM

I would really look forward to that Joe!

... as well as information as to how they did thier restoration process. From what I've read on the internet about Blackhawk, they were one of the first outfits that actually did restoration of ancient prints and it's because of Blackhawk that many an early film print exists today!

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"All these moments will be lost in time, just like ... tears, in the rain. "

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Steve Klare
Film Guy

Posts: 7016
From: Long Island, NY, USA
Registered: Jun 2003

posted March 02, 2008 10:38 PM

I got a Blackhawk Our Gang sound 200 Footer a while back which came with kind of a pleasant surprise: the original invoice was inside the box.

The print was shipped in 1978 and cost the original purchaser $15.98 plus shipping. I had just barely started collecting in 1978 and was paying other producers more than that for silent prints. It was a bargain, especially considering the nice quality of the print even today.

I only bought one new Blackhawk before they gave up movies on film. From the ones I've gotten used since then I regret not buying many.

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All I ask is a wide screen and a projector to light her by...

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Paul Adsett
Film God

Posts: 5003
From: USA
Registered: Jun 2003

posted March 03, 2008 06:41 AM

I have several Blackhawk prints and most of them are of very good quality. One print of a Little Rascals short 'Hook and Ladder' is the best black and white print I have ever seen on S8 with astounding sharpness and deep rich contrast. Blackhawk treated films with great respect, often adding a minute or so of introductory text detailing the history of the film. In the 1980's they struck a deal with RCA to distribute the ill fated RCA Selectavision video disc system (yes, video on a gramaphone record- a precursor to DVD!) A truly great company, and one more sad victim of the video age.

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Michael O'Regan
Film God

Posts: 3085
From: Essex, UK
Registered: Oct 2007

posted March 03, 2008 07:08 AM

As we speak, I'm awaiting delivery a 16mm Blackhawk print of Hitchcocks THE MAN WHO KNEW TOO MUCH, from the US.
Its been a while since I've looked forward to receiving a print with such anticipation.

-Mike

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Osi Osgood
Film God

Posts: 10204
From: Mountian Home, ID.
Registered: Jul 2005

posted March 03, 2008 12:27 PM

That brings up a great point about Blackhawk ...

It shows just how much they cared about film. Sometimes these introductions would add at least a minute to several minutes on a release, which would add to the costs considerably, but they cared so much for thier output that they did this extra, and I think they were pretty much the only Super 8 company who did this!

Blackhawk ... Hoorah!!

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"All these moments will be lost in time, just like ... tears, in the rain. "

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Steve Klare
Film Guy

Posts: 7016
From: Long Island, NY, USA
Registered: Jun 2003

posted March 03, 2008 08:15 PM

I bought "Hook and Ladder" confusing it with "Hi, Neighbor!" and actually like it even better! That moment when the fire wagon is filmed from behind with the off-kilter wheels weaving back and forth is awesome on a large screen.

Osi is right: the neat thing about Blackhawk is you can tell from the material they were people that really loved film, much like we do.

I bet they never imagined those last days when they were sweeping the floors and turning out the lights for the last time that well beyond the fabled year 2000, when people were supposed (...at least in the 1950s) to be dressing in aluminum foil suits and colonizing planets beyond the stars, they'd still have fans all over the planet (..and I mean "Earth") treasuring their 8 and 16mm products.

Microwave Popcorn, anyone?

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All I ask is a wide screen and a projector to light her by...

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Osi Osgood
Film God

Posts: 10204
From: Mountian Home, ID.
Registered: Jul 2005

posted March 04, 2008 02:34 PM

Hey Joe,

Keep us updated on your "Blackhawk Project", I'd love to read it!

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"All these moments will be lost in time, just like ... tears, in the rain. "

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