8mm Forum: Universal 8 200' vs. 400'

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Posted by Brad Kimball (Member # 5) on August 10, 2005, 12:42 AM:

Hi Fellas/Ladies.....
Would you all be kind enough to compare for me the differences (if any at all) between Universal-8 200' and 400' editions of their A&C and Monster releases? I want to know which ones to buy for elongation purposes and which ones are not worth hunting down and which ones just plain STINK.
Thanks

Posted by Philippe Cuypers (Member # 55) on August 10, 2005, 11:16 AM:

Hello brad I will give you what I know on one of the abbott & costello meet frankenstein ! they made the castle film (200ft in sound in the original box art (on the cover is frankenstein and abbott & costello look down on frankenstein great cover ,if I remember it start when count dracula say we cant repeat the frankenstein mistake and it goes to the end of the film most of it which the runing time 9 minutes aproximate, than universal 8 made their box which you have all the 3 monsters, dracula ,wolfman, frankenstein ,and also abbott & Cotello its very colorful pictures which that one is 400ft (17minutes aproximate long. I had one a long time ago, if I remember they still never shown the cartoon sequences at the begining which I thing it was a mistake not to show, specialy they didnt for the castle films version ? if I remember they show 2 or 3 different scenes at the begining ,and again they repeat the end just like the castle film version!! like I said it been a while! I have in my private collection a lot of the castle film in sound ,numerous time I put them on ebay , and no bid, so I am keeping them for now, I thing I will sale them , at a show, when hopefuly this economy is getting a little better. I occassionly put an add in the big reel time to time ,but the big reel should be call the LITTLE REEL!! unfortuely today its EBAY POWER! as much people say a lot of bad thing about ebay, but I see people always come back to it its realy funy ! and for some of us whe dont sale at all, I guess its luck! well anyway I hope I was a help to you. I do stll collect once in a while, I do colect 16mm also ,some castle films to they are used, I will probably sale them to eventualy, right now I am still looking for a doctor to give me a brake on my right eye who need surgery so, will see, take care ,happy collecting ! [Smile]

Posted by Brad Kimball (Member # 5) on August 21, 2005, 10:34 PM:

Anyone else got something to add?
I'm all ears.....

Posted by Osi Osgood (Member # 424) on August 21, 2005, 10:43 PM:

Hi, I think I might have a little info.

At some times, (I'm not sure in the case of the Abbot and Costello films) Universal 8, (Which of course, was earlier called "Castle Films") in order to make more profits, would take thier sometimes two 200ft. editions from a specific movie, and edit them together into one 400ft. edition. For instance, "Monkey Business" (Marx Bros.) Was originally two sequences, on the boat, and the second extract dealing with the rescue of the damsel in distress (with much mischief), the same was true of thier 400ft. edition of "Horsefeathers" and "Duck Soup" (also Marx bros. films).

One thing I really noticed about these Universal 8 400ft. editions, was that the sharpness, even with these old 1931-1934 Marx Bros films, (which were actaully originally released by Paramount, not Universal), were quite striking, some of the best B/W prints I had ever seen on super 8.

Anyhow, perhaps they did the same with the 400ft. Abbot and Costello films.

I hope that this may help.

OSI

Posted by Joe Taffis (Member # 4) on August 23, 2005, 03:50 PM:

hey Brad, I'll tell you what I know about the ones i've had, which have only been a few. The 400' U8 A&C meet Frankenstein was a big disappointment to me in terms of content, editing, and the quality of the print they used to make it. I thought the old Castle 200' was much better in all these areas. The U8 400' Frankenstein meets the Wolf Man, although I thought it could have been edited better, is very good quality. You can add about the first half of the 200'(the graveyard sequence) to it to make a nice 600 footer, which I have done. The 3-D Creature from the Black Lagoon U8 400' is very good, and, as someone stated on a previous thread, a lot of the 200' version can be added at the beginning; even though it's not in 3-D. The best quality U8 400' i've had was Son of Frankenstein, and a lot of the 200' Castle or U8 version can be added to that.

Posted by Robert Aragon (Member # 181) on August 23, 2005, 04:37 PM:

Hi brad,
Here is a run down as best I know..I have all the monster 400 and 200 films....
Frankenstein...400 and 200 nothing in the latter to edit into the 400 ft.
Dracula...400 and 200 NOTHING in the later to edit into the 400 ft.
Wolf Man ...400 and 200, Nothing in the latter to edit into the 400 ft.
The MUMMY...400, and get the 200 ft digest, ALOT to EDIT! Bits and pieces through out, When we re-corded, gives you about a 500 foot FULL digest. VERY COOL!
CREATURE BLACK LAGOON....400 3d, and 200 digest, the 200 footer has OPENING INTRO"in the beginning, la la la " and Then some UNDERWATER FOOTAGE and Killing....about a minute of footage there..once edited in, and re-recorded with GOOD sound, the audience really doesn't even notice it goes from 3d to 2d..
The MUMMY'S GHOST...LOTS to EDIT from the 200 footer..Throughout the film...Too much to mention, little scenes here and there. But again, when re-recorded MAkes close to 25 min digest
THE MUMMY'S TOMB...SOME KEY footage from the 200 footer can be edited into the 400 ft digest. Mainly TURHAN BEY and KHARIS CONVERSATION, BUT, really adds to the depth to the pathos of the film, and Then SOME BURNING mansion FOOTAGE....actually, come to think of it...alot, of that footage. re-record and again, another FULL reel
INVISIBLE MAN...400 and 200, nothing to edit
Abbott and Costello 400 and 200..NOTHING TO EDIT
A and C MEET FRANK..NOTHING TO EDIT
A&C MEET HYDE....In the 200 ft diegest, THE OPENING credits have HYDE running around the london streets and his first killing, Can be editied into the 400 ft beginning, since it starts with Lou and Bud at Scotland yard... It's a brief scene to add. But, Being a film nut..ONE MUST DO IT! hope, I helped...If I missed any, let me know. yrs, Rob

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