8mm Forum: Powell films

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Posted by Colin Robert Hunt (Member # 433) on March 21, 2007, 03:12 PM:

Hi All

Have just run some of my Powell film features from the 70's. I must say that even by todays standards in 8mm these releases still hold up well. Have noticed also that the prices still hold on the 2nd hand market. I do remember visiting his film shop many times in the early 70's and found that I would spend a good few hours in the shop. The average price for features then were and its on a receipt I found in one of the film boxes for 1974 at £32.45 sounds cheap but at the time I needed to save up for a purchase. He was a great charactor and I am sure that you have heard various stories about him. I found him to be very trusting and one hell of a nice guy.

Posted by Brian Hendel (Member # 61) on March 21, 2007, 09:53 PM:

Yes, I am very fond of the Powell titles I have had in my collection. On some the colors are holding up beautifully (Vampyres) while others have turned to a reddish tone (Blood from the Mummy's Tomb).

Did you refer to a "Powell" shop in your post? If you did, I would love a detailed description of what it was like since I never had the pleasure of visiting it first hand.

Posted by Joe Caruso (Member # 11) on March 22, 2007, 06:37 PM:

I had a POWELL print of Edgar Kennedy's I'LL Build It Myself, and the Std 8 Sound was stunning, sold it darn me - But looking again...Shorty

Posted by Colin Robert Hunt (Member # 433) on March 23, 2007, 07:23 AM:

Hi all. Brian in answer to your request about the shop. I remember visting his shop first in a place called Englefield Green. This is near Egham in Surrey. Myself at the time I was living in South London (Camberwell) so it was a fairly long trip in my Ford Anglia 1964 (which was prone to breakdowns and was not very good at starting from cold in the winter). Anyway his shop was in a small parade of shops in the village. The village had the typical cricket green and in the summer the game would be played on the green. The shop was very modern with a glass window running the full width of the shop apart from the entrance door. The shop itself was very well organized and plenty of space to move in. Films of his releases were on shelves (more than one copy of each film). These were the full features and the 400ft cutdowns. Being the height of the film collecting era, there were many other realease from all the other distributors at the time. What made the journey worthwile was 1. Getting out of London into the less builtup areas, and in the summer there was plenty of places near make a day of it. 2. Tony Powell really was a happy sort of guy and was very eager to run his releases in the shop to show you just what the film was like, nothing special just running film onto small screen or whatever was around. These releases were in Super8 and Standard 8 and like I said earlier Perrys had the Powell releases in their library on Standard 8 only. I think Tony used Walton films facilites for the Magnetic sound recording and cannot remember if Walton Films done the printing. I would not say the shop was busy on the times I visited, but he did send a lot of films via post. I do remember once that I was in the shop and he said he had to pop out to the Post office next door to post some films off and buy some items. Amazing he left me in the shop still looking through the films. He moved to another shop near Ascot Berkshire later in the 70's similar sort of shop and I only visited there once in 1979. Of course he had a stand at the various conventions. Not sure when he finally gave up the shop and releases. I understand he moved down to the West Country (Cornwall) I think, and if anybody on the Forum can complete the missing bits I would be very gratefull. I think he used to advertize in Movie Maker. I dont have any of these mags any more. If Mike Packham reads this post I think he may have some of the mags and maybe provise a scan on this Forum on his adverts.
Regards Colin

Posted by Mal Brake (Member # 14) on March 23, 2007, 09:08 AM:

Powell's had a good, reliable film hire library in the early/mid 70's (and I mean the 19 70's )
Mal

Posted by Mike Peckham (Member # 16) on March 23, 2007, 09:42 AM:

Colin

Your wish is my command [Wink]

Actually, not sure whether or not they will be suffucuently large to read, but you get the feel of them anyway. [Cool]

Mike

Posted by Osi Osgood (Member # 424) on March 23, 2007, 10:29 AM:

Hey! I might actually have a Powell's film release! It's Edgar Kennedy in "How To Clean House." Standard 8mm sound.
I've always been impressed with how good the image is on this release.

Posted by Colin Robert Hunt (Member # 433) on March 23, 2007, 10:44 AM:

Thanks Mike for your adverts. Yes Mel I forgot to say that Powell had a film library as well. Perry's was the nearest to visit in person and they did a nice discount on 12 film bookings. Happy days but film prices seem cheaper now for new purchases from Derann etc., conpared with these 70's prices.

Posted by Joe Caruso (Member # 11) on March 24, 2007, 04:09 PM:

Osi, I also have that one, in 200' Super 8 Sound, and it's from MOUNTAIN (as the box so says), unless POWELL changes it's name - Looking for a few others - Shorty

Posted by Osi Osgood (Member # 424) on March 24, 2007, 06:00 PM:

Hmm Joe, it looks like Mountian released edited versions of those shorts, as my copy is 400ft standard 8mm sound.

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