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I recently got a beautiful '40s Natco projector for a great price and am trying to start a small collection. I'm not looking for anything rare or valuable, just fun things to screen with friends. I'm on a budget of just about nothing so I'll take what I can get.
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Hello Ike,
Welcome!
Something very nice in 16mm is Castle films short subjects. They are very common, so not expensive, and a lot of them are from the 1940s, so they will set a mood with your vintage machine.
My favorites among them cover the National Parks, but they also have subjects like sports, news shorts, old cartoons and more. If you like Abbot and Costello, there are more than a few for you.
If you go on eBay, there are currently 368 listings under "Castle Films 16mm", so I'm guessing you'd probably find something you'd like.
It really helps to like black and white: most of these will be just that.
The only warning is it's not always obvious if a given title will have sound or not. I recently bought one about the early years of aviation and it arrived silent: I watched the film and enjoyed it, but some engine sounds would really add something here!
PS: I just noticed your machine seems to be missing the arms the reels mount on. This is something to deal with before films arrive. I just saw another one like this and apparently the arms are detachable. Do you have them?Last edited by Steve Klare; May 24, 2025, 10:45 AM. -
thank you for the advice steve! my projector does have the arms and I have tested it with some old home movies, they were too damaged to play fully but it works great. I'll definitely look out for those and I do want to focus more on b&w stuff for now. I have a couple 8mm castlefilms and they seem like a good place to startComment
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It's a beautiful old machine: reminds me of a '48 Oldsmobile!
I'm not surprised it still works: things were built to last back then. Maybe if there were microwave ovens left over from the '40s we wouldn't have to buy a new one here every five years! (#3 is roughly halfway along, too!)
Not everybody loves it, but eBay is a great place to find 8mm and 16mm prints. It's to the point I really have to restrain myself because even beyond the issue of money there is the one of storage space. It's possible that it's easier to find films now than ever, but they still need a place to stay once you get them!Comment
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Hi Ike,
welcone to tge film collecting world! I'm in Tucson so rather close. I might have a few reels you can have to start out with. Sent me a PM. Always great to meet fellow collectors in the area. 🎬Comment
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hey cohen and thank you! that is a little far for me so unfortunately I won't be able to head over any time soon but when it gets cooler I might be able to plan a trip, I'll let you know 🤞Originally posted by Cohen Phillips View PostComment
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