8mm Forum: Film Office history

This is topic Film Office history in forum 8mm Forum at 8mm Forum.

To visit this topic, use this URL:
https://8mmforum.film-tech.com/cgi-bin/ubb/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=012167

Posted by Dave Groves (Member # 4685) on March 19, 2018, 09:43 AM:

I have a couple of Popeye optical sound cartoons issued by Film Office. I gather they were a French company, but does anyone know anything about them? Did they issue much in optical sound such as features or documentaries, and when did they go out of business?

Posted by Bruno Heughebaert (Member # 2756) on March 19, 2018, 10:18 AM:

Some informations : Company was found in 1920 as film producer/distributor. They went out of the super8/16mm business in late 1981. Then they went in the french vhs market with disney movies by the end of the 90's. All the unsold super8 stock was destroyed in the mid eighties. I have no informations about the optical prints.

Posted by Maurice Leakey (Member # 916) on March 19, 2018, 10:47 AM:

Here is some interesting information on Film Office, although the article specifically refers to 9.5mm.
http://www.pathefilm.uk/95flmcat/95flmcatfo.htm

Posted by Dave Groves (Member # 4685) on March 19, 2018, 02:35 PM:

Thanks Bruno for the input. Interesting that they went so far back. Maurice, the info made fascinating reading. I had no idea that they had such a large and varied catalogue. Their 'Popeye' cartoons were always worth showing. It's a shame mine have faded. Your knowledge of the film world is astonishing and when someone asks a question I think to myself, 'Maurice will have the answer!!!' Thanks again.

Posted by Maurice Leakey (Member # 916) on March 19, 2018, 03:38 PM:

Dave
Thank you for your comments. It is quite amazing how many 9.5mm films were issued by Film Office. They were a prolific organisation.

Posted by Gilbert Lambert (Member # 5403) on March 20, 2018, 04:39 AM:

Film Office Cartoons can often be bought with great colours as the stock is 8 out of 10 AGFA - It's a gamble of course - On the 10 cartoons from Film Office I bought last years 7 had great colours , they were a few Popeye , Asterix , Pink Panther and Tom and Jerry , and some other - Always interesting to buy cartoon reels 600 ft ( 180 meters ) or 800 ft ( 240 meters ) edited together by collectors in France. I know you don't have the original boxes, but out of the 7 or 8 cartoons spliced together you should have around 5 with top colours. Often for a fair price -Good luck, Gilbert

Posted by Luigi Castellitto (Member # 3759) on March 20, 2018, 05:03 AM:

My favorite publications of Film Office have always been the films of Guignol et Barbarin.
I've always found them in France, I have a passion for films with puppets.

Posted by Andreas Chmielewski (Member # 2208) on March 20, 2018, 06:46 AM:

Here is a Catalog from Film Office

http://www.super8rezensionen.de/k-filmoffice_1.htm

Posted by Dave Groves (Member # 4685) on March 20, 2018, 08:19 AM:

Andreas, thanks for he catalogue. Absolutely astonishing. Were the majority English reprints or were they French/dubbed prints?

Posted by Maurice Leakey (Member # 916) on March 20, 2018, 12:13 PM:

I assume the prices shown are in French Francs, if so, the conversion rate on 1st April 1980 was a British pound (£) equalled 9.7 FF.
The list showed only the Super 8 releases, we must not forget that Film Office also had a very large listing of silent 9.5mm films.

Posted by Winbert Hutahaean (Member # 58) on March 20, 2018, 06:14 PM:

During that time (1980) US$ 1 = 4 franc. If we convert the price list we can see:

A Tom & Jerry was priced 182 f = US$45
a 1200' film (Color & Sound) was 1756 f = US$439 !!

A funny thing with Film Office, they priced films according to the actual length [Smile]

cheers,

[ March 20, 2018, 08:32 PM: Message edited by: Winbert Hutahaean ]

Posted by Luigi Castellitto (Member # 3759) on March 20, 2018, 07:57 PM:

Film Office also produced in 16mm.
I have some beautiful documentaries, in colors and b/w. Well edited and with excellent quality.

Posted by Dominique De Bast (Member # 3798) on March 21, 2018, 02:58 AM:

As I one reported it on this forum, Film Office printed their film on 35 mm stock then splitted the 4 strips. As a result of their lens position, the two central strips are sharper but there is no way to know the strip position through a specific mark on the film. If your film is sharp, you're lucky to have found a "b" or "c" print. If the quality is not as good, it may be a "a" or "d" print. That said, marginal strips films are not bad, just not as good as the central ones.

Posted by Luigi Castellitto (Member # 3759) on March 21, 2018, 02:03 PM:

Interesting, Dom, I had not read this notion!
And it also applies to the 9.5mm in center on 3 stripes?

Posted by Dominique De Bast (Member # 3798) on March 21, 2018, 03:36 PM:

Yes, Luigi. On the Pathé 9.5 films, you can see G (gauche-left), D (droit-right) or M (milieu-middle). The M copies are better.

UBB.classic^TM 6.3.1.2