8mm Forum: Thunderbird films?

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Posted by Osi Osgood (Member # 424) on February 23, 2006, 11:15 AM:

I have run across a number of different and quite suprisingly rare Thunderbird titles, but I know absolutely no history to this company.

So, would anyone within this vast vault of super 8 knowledge enlighten me as to this mysterious company. How Long it existed, ( I know at least late 70's, 79? )

The prints I have run across have been very sharp, but the original prints used for the releases have tended to be in so so condition.

Enlighten me, oh Super 8 nuts, (ah we must all stick together!)

Posted by Adrian Winchester (Member # 248) on February 23, 2006, 06:47 PM:

I'm sure others can tell you more but I think I've heard of their catalogues having an early 1980s date. I've got a lot of their trailer reels but I've never seen any of their other releases. I think there may have been something in the region of 175 200' trailer reels. I also know that some obscure US company (possibly Moorcraft?) re-released at least some of the trailer reels, possibly around the mid-1980s. I have some of these, in plain white boxes, and the print quality is worse than Thunderbird prints.

Posted by Michael De Angelis (Member # 91) on February 23, 2006, 08:56 PM:

Thunderbird, had varying quality.
However if you contacted Tom, he
would be glad to take back the print
and offer a replacement with improved
quality. Especially if he had improved
material to work with.

Some of the Super 8 rivaled 16mm.
Morgan, was his lab man, and worked
closely with Tom. Later on, Morgan ran
Morecraft. I have a wonderful reel of
vintage adverts from Morecraft. It is printed
with sharp and richly saturated quality.
It is titled Anouncements #3.

Both guys are gone from the scene.

Posted by John Whittle (Member # 22) on February 24, 2006, 09:21 AM:

Tom (of Thunderbird) also had problems with the Feds. He also delt in many "popular" but copyrighted titles during a time when the FBI was knocking over 16mm collectors and small labs.

I heard he had left the country at one point, I don't know if he's still alive or not.

One reason these companies produced the trailer reels, was trailers were not copyrighted back when they were exclusively handled by National Screen Service.

John

Posted by Osi Osgood (Member # 424) on February 27, 2006, 12:08 PM:

Thank you for your posts. As stated earlier, thier quality could vary. I had a lovely print of "Courage of Lassie" which looked stunning with razor sharp focus. The only Thunderbird I have left is "Rocketship" (Flash Gordon, 1936), which is a nice sharp print with pretty good sound. Besides, I just love that ole campy look of Flash Gordon, so matter how cheesy it gets!

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