8mm Forum: U8 400 foot MEXICAN HAYRIDE

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Posted by Tony Stucchio (Member # 519) on July 05, 2010, 08:45 PM:

Has anyone ever seen the Universal 8 400 foot version of MEXICAN HAYRIDE with Abbott and Costello? I was wondering what scenes were included. I'm very familiar with NO BULLS, PLEASE, though.

thanks

Posted by Tony Stucchio (Member # 519) on July 07, 2010, 06:46 PM:

Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?

Posted by Douglas Meltzer (Member # 28) on July 07, 2010, 10:31 PM:

Tony,

I only have a vague recollection of what's on the 400 footer. I believe it starts off with Lou hiding the stock money from Bud, but Dagmar finds it. I'll try to watch it this weekend and let you know.

Doug

Posted by Tony Stucchio (Member # 519) on July 08, 2010, 02:02 PM:

Thanks Ferris -- I mean Doug!

I figure it has the bullfight scene, which we all have from NO BULLS, PLEASE. But I was hoping it had at least one of the following scenes:

1) Silver Ore routine
2) Sid Fields "interviewing" Costello
3) Abbott ripping out the JB initials from Costello's clothes
4) Fritz Feld elocution lesson

If it starts out where you said, then none of the above would be there. Do we at least get Costello making the enchiladas and tortillas?

But this wouldn't surprise me, because:
1) They are the funniest scenes in the picture
2) This is Universal 8, who also botched A&C MEET FRANKY!

I look forward to your review.

thanks again

Posted by Douglas Meltzer (Member # 28) on July 12, 2010, 07:21 AM:

Tony,

Any day now! This turned out to be a 16mm weekend.

Doug

Posted by Guy Taylor, Jr. (Member # 786) on July 12, 2010, 08:03 AM:

I do have this 400' digest. It's been a while since I've watched it but none of those scenes you mentioned ring a bell. The bull fight scene is, of course, in the 400' version as well.

Posted by Brad Kimball (Member # 5) on July 12, 2010, 10:31 AM:

Big Surprise! U-8 was awful with their treatment of the classics! None of them reflect any care or consideration for what fans and critics would outlay as key sequences from each title. I think the editors figured we'd be happy with any footage as long as it was a title we wanted. Eugene Castle must have been spinning in his grave when those 'Universal Monsters' took over the Castle regime.

Posted by Tony Stucchio (Member # 519) on July 12, 2010, 08:10 PM:

None of those scenes? What were they smoking?!
[Big Grin]

Seriously, though, I think the best editors were probably working on the more recent hits, particularly the 2 part 800 footers. I have no complaints about titles like THE STING, DRACULA, ANIMAL HOUSE, SMOKEY AND THE BANDIT. (Those are the ones I have.)

Also, I think they did a good job on the 400 foot FRANKENSTEIN, and BRIDE OF. But they failed on many of the A&Cs. Pretty good on W.C. FIELDS -- NEVER GIVE A SUCKER did not include HURRY, HURRY, so I have an almost 30 minute digest.

Posted by Brad Kimball (Member # 5) on July 12, 2010, 10:36 PM:

Okay, Tony. I'll give you "Frankenstein" and "Bride" were not terrible. Perhaps the editor who did the "Frankenstein" 400'ers actually cared - they fired him for taking too long - then replaced him with some Benjamin Moore sales clerk moonlighting as a film editor and told him "....Just slap some scenes together. Don't spend too much time on it - collectors will buy anything with A&C on the box. Just make sure you're done with all the titles by the end of the day Friday." The conversation probably took place on a Wednesday afternoon over lunch in the employee cafeteria. The echilon at U-8 were a bunch of (fill in the blank)s. What kind of high-minded thinking went into selecting titles like "The Incredible Shrinking Woman" or "The Don Is Dead"? They must have been held up in the office way beyond 3:00 in the afternoon for that one.

Posted by Michael De Angelis (Member # 91) on July 12, 2010, 11:10 PM:

Tony,

How is that "Never give a sucker an even break?" Does the quality match Hurry, Hurry! The feature film is an ultimate classic.

Posted by Tony Stucchio (Member # 519) on July 13, 2010, 07:23 PM:

Content-wise -- it's great. Image quality -- looks like a dupe -- same as the A&C titles.

But you get most of the film-within-a-film sequence with the "squigilem" game and Margaret Dumont. Plus scenes with Franklin Pangborn and Carlotta Monti in the office. Some Leon Errol, too.

Posted by Michael De Angelis (Member # 91) on July 13, 2010, 11:14 PM:

Thanks Tony, Good to know.

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