8mm Forum: Super 8mm Arcade Machines ... anybody remember these?

This is topic Super 8mm Arcade Machines ... anybody remember these? in forum 8mm Forum at 8mm Forum.

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Posted by Osi Osgood (Member # 424) on April 01, 2008, 10:41 AM:

The Hanna Barbera series of posts brought back a memory from childhood that I had completely forgot.

There used to be these "arcade" Super 8 machines! You would sit in them, and it had a curtian on them, (to cut down light from the outside) On the outside, it would have a list of cartoons that you could watch, and these were largely Hanna Barbera cartoons. It cost a quarter. You'd have your mom put in the quarter and select, (otherwise, you would miss some of your precious cartoon!).

I'm going to look these up on the internet, as I would be fascinated if there is anything about them on the internet.

Note: I think that these were used in porno parlors for naughty films, and the curtian allowed for , er, privacy.

Posted by Steve Klare (Member # 12) on April 01, 2008, 11:27 AM:

I remember years ago they had self-contained daylight viewers showing loops of Super-8 film for product demostration purposes in stores. I saw one operating in a store as recently as four or five years ago and even as a certifiable film-freak I was kind of shocked.

I would certainly forgive a 13 inch TV with an integral DVD player in a case like that!

Posted by Michael O'Regan (Member # 938) on April 01, 2008, 01:58 PM:

Yeah, Osi,
I came across one of those arcade machines in Butlins Holiday camp in Dublin when I was a kid.
I can even remember the cartoon - it was Inspector Willoughby in "The Case of the Cold Storage Yegg".

-Mike

Posted by David Kilderry (Member # 549) on April 01, 2008, 07:12 PM:

They were here too. I remember in the late 1970's in shopping malls they sat out in the central areas along with kiddie rides. I remember putting 20c in the slot and watching classic 1950's Warner Bros Cartoons.

From memory they had a few cartoons on the loop and you just watched what cartoon was next. The booth was decorated with Bugs and other Warner Bros characters.

In department stores I recall little reverse projection demo boths with Super 8 loops. One department store here, Waltons used them to promo Columbia 400ft titles. I think I stood and watched Born Free about 5 times one Saturday morning, but I was sold on the Guniness Book of World Records Vol 1. I saved up and bought it for 24.95 colour sound 200ft in 1980.

David

David

Posted by James N. Savage 3 (Member # 83) on April 02, 2008, 11:54 AM:

I remember those arcade booths with the cartoons, Mighty Mouse, etc. There was one in the lobby of a local movie theater up until the 90's, when the theater closed.

Steve-

speaking of those demo-type viewers, there was one in a doctor's office a few years ago. It had a film (super 8 sound) about artery cloging and heart attacks. The film looked like it was made in the 70's, but I guess the information is still relevent, so its left in the seating area for patients to watch if they want.

James.

Posted by Osi Osgood (Member # 424) on April 02, 2008, 01:01 PM:

You know, I'm beting that there ae no doubt, coin operated machine vendors all over the country, that would have these old machines in the basements, that we intrepid collectors could haggle with and get for a song, as there may very well be extremely rare cartoons and such just sitting, vegetating in these machines waiting for us to get our sweaty little hands on!

Posted by Knut Nordahl (Member # 518) on April 03, 2008, 02:14 AM:

Some of these babies?, maybe not, but same ballpark

http://scopitones.blogs.com/

I have watched several of the vids. Cracked me up big time [Smile]

Posted by Trevor Adams (Member # 42) on April 03, 2008, 09:03 PM:

James,I've got a scandanavian-made demo tv-type projector that has medical cassettes with it-great entertainment for the waiting room.Yep,1970s vintage.Trev [Wink]

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