8mm Forum: The Great Train Robbery?

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Posted by Zechariah Sporre (Member # 2358) on November 07, 2013, 11:28 PM:

I recently got a Blackhawk films copy of The Great Train Robbery on super 8. I was surprised to see that it was printed on color film stock. Were most or all of these released on color film?

Posted by Gerald Santana (Member # 2362) on November 07, 2013, 11:37 PM:

There were some made in color, most are black and white and a are few black and white with spliced in color sequences. I have all three...my personal favorite is the one with spliced in color although, faded red now -- it's pretty good. Blackhawk made notes about each of these prints ahead of the short..

Posted by Robert Crewdson (Member # 3790) on November 08, 2013, 04:07 AM:

Back in the early 80s, it was announced in the UK that Kodak were going to cease production of B&W filmstock due to a rise in the price of silver, which was used in the manufacture. It was stated that all future B&W films would be printed on colour stock, and of course this meant paying colour prices. This was when I stopped collecting, VHS had already put many film distributors out of business. Now B&W film is widely available.

Posted by Steve Klare (Member # 12) on November 08, 2013, 05:25 AM:

Among our reviews:

The Great Train Robbery

Posted by Robert Crewdson (Member # 3790) on November 08, 2013, 05:44 AM:

A great review Steve. One of the actors in that film was Bronco Billy Anderson, who became a star in his own right. I've got a B&W print released in the UK by Perry's Movies in the 70s.

Posted by Joe Caruso (Member # 11) on November 08, 2013, 08:12 AM:

Blackhawk had color-tinted versions in 1975, scored too

Posted by Zechariah Sporre (Member # 2358) on November 08, 2013, 11:18 AM:

Hi Steve, thanks for the review, has a lot of good info. I thinking the coloring is pretty neat for how old this film is. Could especially be a nice film for a movie showing partly because of its historical significance.
Mine has a little pink fade but it doesn't seem to bad but I can see how one with spliced in color scenes could make it quite distracting.

Posted by Steve Klare (Member # 12) on November 08, 2013, 11:40 AM:

What always gets me with this one is they couldn't just do the whole thing on color stock?

No! They had to do the titles B&W and introduce that splice!

Was the little savings in stock cost worth making some poor soul sit there with a hundred reels and a splicer all day?

Now that I'm thinking if it, I think I'll watch mine.

Posted by Janice Glesser (Member # 2758) on November 08, 2013, 12:48 PM:

I just bought this film in Super 8mm. I haven't received it yet, but I think it has the 865 prefix...so I'm guessing it's the same colorized version. Great review Steve...can't wait to see it [Smile]

Posted by Osi Osgood (Member # 424) on November 08, 2013, 12:49 PM:

Steve ....

It's only my two cents worth, but perhaps the early LPP film stock (instead of Black and White film stock), would tend to have a slightly bluish cast to it, and perhaps they had feedback about that being distasteful?

It's just a thought, as I know that many early LPP prints of Black and white films did tend to be overly bluish.

Posted by Robert Crewdson (Member # 3790) on November 08, 2013, 02:20 PM:

I first heard of this film when I was about 8 years old and reading an illustrated article on the beginnings of motion pictures. I think it's a must for anyone interested in the history of the cinema. We are all very lucky to be able to own a copy (in Film).

Posted by Zechariah Sporre (Member # 2358) on November 08, 2013, 07:11 PM:

Hey Steve, mine is all color stock, even the Blackhawk titles. So it has no splices, which is nice.

Posted by Janice Glesser (Member # 2758) on November 14, 2013, 04:30 PM:

Just got my copy today...It is the spliced version and the color stock has turned completely pink and faded. Adding colored filters helped minimally ... but it is what it is. [Roll Eyes]

Posted by Steve Klare (Member # 12) on November 14, 2013, 05:38 PM:

I used to have an arrangement with a British film-friend where when he bought a print stateside he'd have it shipped to me and I gave it a look before I sent it across to him, just in case it needed to go back to the seller.

One of them was the all black and white "Great Train Robbery".

-I actually liked it better than my colorised one.

Posted by Janice Glesser (Member # 2758) on November 14, 2013, 06:02 PM:

Steve...I'd be happy with B&W as well. Maybe one of these days I'll find one [Smile]

Posted by Steve Klare (Member # 12) on November 14, 2013, 10:16 PM:

I watched mine tonight after not having seen it in a couple of years. It is very red, yet somehow it seems to work with this film, something like a sepia tone. If it was something from even 20 years later it would seem awful!

The dance hall scene is kind of interesting. You would think a bunch of guys firing their guns in the middle of a social occasion would at least clear the room, but no, they just kept on dancing! (Rough crowd!)

It also struck me I was watching something that happened 110 years ago. That ability is part of what makes film so fascinating, Before all this when a moment passed it was no more than a memory. Now somebody not even born for another six decades can see it for themselves.

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