8mm Forum: Superman cartoon "Secret Agent"

This is topic Superman cartoon "Secret Agent" in forum General Yak at 8mm Forum.

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Posted by Jim Schrader (Member # 9) on December 07, 2017, 01:37 PM:

I recently bought this print it is from Niles does anybody else own this print? I want to know how many seconds of footage is available before the Secret Agent title appears mine seems to be shortened and want to know if Niles released it this way or was the beginning cut out there is an obvious splice put in place the rest of my cartoons start out with superman flying in and the narration says "it's a bird, it's a plane, it's superman"....etc. but not this one. I have watched the YouTube version and if it is missing anything it would be 10 seconds or so the Paramount logo is not in any beginnings on mine which I eliminated from the time. thanks for any info.

Posted by Bill Phelps (Member # 1431) on December 07, 2017, 06:25 PM:

I have a copy.....all my Superman cartoons are seperated except the B&W ones. I have 4 of those and I put them all together on one big reel/spool. I will pull it out and watch soon and let you know.

Posted by Jim Schrader (Member # 9) on December 11, 2017, 02:59 PM:

thanks bill, trying to figure out if niles put it out this way or not.

Posted by Bill Phelps (Member # 1431) on January 24, 2018, 07:45 PM:

Sorry it has taken me so long to watch this but I screened it tonight....in B&W I have ARCTIC GIANT, BILLION DOLLAR LIMITED, SHOWDOWN and SECRET AGENT all on a big reel/spool and they all start the same way...

It's a bird, it's a plane....no its SUPERMAN!

then generic title card

then text with white background explaining that these are adapted from the comics and magazines

then credits from cartoon (I think they use the same credits for all, they all say directed by Dave Fleischer but the last two were not)

then the cartoon story starts....the only exception is ARCTIC GIANT that includes the origin story after the "it's a bird" opening and the speeding bullet, locomotive, tall building descriptions and that is why I put it on this big reel first. Also each cartoon ends with alternate lightning, pounding surf, hurricane references to Superman and the it's a bird, plane....no its Superman! opening again.

It's a great reel/spool! [Smile]

Posted by Panayotis A. Carayannis (Member # 1220) on January 25, 2018, 01:28 AM:

All Fleischer cartoons were directed by (or,contractually credited to) Dave Fleischer.The later ones were made by Famous Studios (Paramount) after they took over the Fleischer studios and credit the actual directors.

Posted by Bill Brandenstein (Member # 892) on January 30, 2018, 03:11 PM:

Bill, were these prints from Niles or another company? And were there any jump splices in the pre-print source? Thanks for your help.

Posted by Bill Phelps (Member # 1431) on January 31, 2018, 04:09 PM:

Yes they are Niles prints and the body of the cartoons did not have any jumps that I remember, but the opening and closing sections were a little choppy during the ...bird, plane, tall building...sections...a bit abrupt almost tacked on...but no physical splices in the prints.

Posted by Bill Brandenstein (Member # 892) on February 04, 2018, 05:44 PM:

It's the choppiness here that's in question, and is the reason why Jim is concerned that what he received was not ideal. However, Bill, it sounds like all Niles prints are similar so far as "Secret Agent" goes. Bad pre-print source!

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