8mm Forum: The last USA Super 8 releases

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Topic: The last USA Super 8 releases

Adrian Winchester
Film God

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

posted June 23, 2010 07:11 PM

Seeing the great news from Larry with regard to his forthcoming release made me wonder what, and when, were the last Super 8 releases from US distributors? I recall that some time after the longer surviving companies such as Canterbury, Jeff and Red Fox went out of business, there were still one or two more obscure companies operating, although I think one of these was just reprinting Thunderbird trailer reels. One example of a late release I have imported from the USA is a 200' promo from 'Star Trek 4', in a plain box, with no indication of who produced it.

The last US release I can recall seeing advertised, possibly in the early 1990s was a b/w reel (possibly 600') that was a compliation of short items, maybe daysets, etc. Does anyone have this and can say more about it? Any thoughts on whether this or other releases represented the end until now?

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Adrian Winchester

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Maurizio Di Cintio
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 977
From: Ortona, Italy
Registered: Jan 2004

posted June 24, 2010 02:08 AM

Sorry for my ignorance, but what is a "dayset"?
Thanx

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Maurizio

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Gian Luca Mario Loncrini
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1948
From: Verona (Italy)
Registered: Jan 2009

posted June 24, 2010 02:43 AM

Hi Maurizio. It's something like 'the program of the day'.
Ciao.

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I remember when I was (super) 8 years old...

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Dino Everette
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1535
From: Long Beach, CA USA
Registered: Dec 2008

posted June 24, 2010 02:50 AM

yes, it is usually a set of little short tags, that say "Coming Soon", "Our Feature Presentation" "Thanks for attending the show" and other similar little tags to add to your public presentations.

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"You're too Far Out Miss Lawrence"

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Guy Taylor, Jr.
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 606
From: Galveston, Texas, U.S.A.
Registered: Mar 2007

posted June 24, 2010 08:55 AM

That 600' reel of daysets released in the 1990's was from Phil Johnson. He compiled these movie intros mostly from the 1930's through the 1950's. A lot of them from drive-ins in Texas. Several from the Interstate chain which operated various movie cinema's; mostly in Texas and New Mexico.

It is really a very good reel.

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Guy Taylor

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Adrian Winchester
Film God

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

posted June 25, 2010 06:38 PM

Guy - he must have compiled a lot for a 600' to be needed! Did Phil have a shop/lab or was he an collector operating under his own name? Do you know if he released anything else?

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Adrian Winchester

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Adrian Winchester
Film God

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

posted July 08, 2010 02:46 PM

Anyone interested in the end (until now) of USA Super 8 distribution might be interested to know that an issue of 'Coming Attractions enabled me to pinpoint this more precisely. The Phil Johnson reel mentioned above was 'Intermission Time', a 27 min b/w sound release that amazingly included about 60 short items. Phil Johnson also released 'Hustling For Health', a 15 minute (at 18fps) 1917 Stan Laurel short with a music and effects track. Both releases appeared around late 1992 and received glowing reviews. Nice rarities for anyone that has one or both.

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Adrian Winchester

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Tony Stucchio
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 625
From: New Jersey
Registered: Dec 2005

posted July 08, 2010 05:10 PM

If you have a print of HUSTLING FOR HEALTH, you're lucky, since the negative has now been destroyed:

HUSTLING FOR HEALTH

Phil Johnson also released CUPID'S RIVAL, with Oliver Hardy and Billy West. He has 4 prints of this one available on his web site -- but they are older prints -- not the ones he re-issued.

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Adrian Winchester
Film God

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

posted July 09, 2010 05:25 AM

That's sad news about the neg. The 16mm print on Phil's site is expensive!

Thanks for the link, it will give me the chance to contact him.

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Adrian Winchester

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Panayotis A. Carayannis
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 969
From: Athens,Greece
Registered: Jul 2008

posted July 09, 2010 03:56 PM

Tony
I'm lucky !!!!!!

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Tony Stucchio
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 625
From: New Jersey
Registered: Dec 2005

posted July 09, 2010 05:31 PM

I guess I'm lucky, too, Panayotis, since I have a copy. But frankly, that's one of the worst Stan Laurel solo shorts I've seen. I think I paid $50 for it brand new about 15 years ago.

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Michael De Angelis
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1261
From: USA
Registered: Jul 2003

posted July 13, 2010 04:32 PM

What I find interesting about Hustling for Health is that it's story line is thinly akin to the plot of Unaccustomed as We Are.

Also that Frank Terry - the homeowner, and known as the safecracker in The Midnight Patrol, Hives the butler / radio announcer in Me & My Pal, was the director on Hustling for Health.

Some more trivia: Terry was a comic writer, at times on the boys films - and his relationship with Laurel goes back many years. He was also an auto body car fender repairman and missionary.

An unfortunate situation when he inadvertently handed Harold Lloyd the bomb prop, that was indeed very real, exploding in Lloyds hand and to lose two fingers and a thumb. Lloyd concealed this from the audience by wearing gloves and to use a string to manipulate the fingers. More evidence of scars are noticed on Lloyds chin in tight close-up shots.

Hustling for Health is not very breezy. I find it significant and relevant of Frank Terry's long relationship with Stan, comedy and cinema.

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hobby that we love!

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