What 16mm Films Did You See Last Night?

[Steve Klare]

I had a language adventure last night!

I've been attending German class one night a week for five years now. I'm a descendant of about 10 generations of German speakers including my Dad, who was born here but spoke only German until he was five years old. I found an adult German course that wasn't expensive, wasn't very demanding (1.5 Hours per week, and on Zoom since the lockdown, with no tests and no grades), so I said "Why not?".

Well, I said there were no tests, but last night 16mm gave me one!

Die Kuh showed up from E-bay a couple of days ago, labeled for the West German Embassy to Canada in Ottawa. It has the look of early 1960s television.

Now here's the thing about learning foreign languages: for most of us, real fluency is kind of elusive. Native Speakers started learning when they were babies, it's a pretty faint hope to catch up with them for somebody that started in their fifties! Yes, you can learn many words and the grammar, and I seem to be getting fairly good at reading it, but decoding a native speaker going full tilt is hard! Last night I had the same reaction I often do: "We don't speak this fast in class: please slow down!" (It's all processing speed.)

Then they hit you with some word or phrase you don't know and after that, it's like going down a flight of stairs on roller skates!

(I had the same problems with Spanish when I worked in Mexico...)

-so the smallest details of conversations ran past me like fence pickets in a tornado, but I got the basic idea. An advertising agency is doing a campaign for a dairy company featuring a cow out in a field. They are having trouble drawing her because they don't know which of the front or back legs a cow stands up with first. They go visit a farm and all they see is a cow fertilizing the pasture! -So they ask the Ad. executives: they don't know. -So the Ad. Execs ask the president of the company: he doesn't know. -So he gets on the phone and calls the Ministry of Agriculture. By the end of the movie this question is swirling around the top echelons of the German government!

-so despite me missing the lurid details of whatever the Boss was saying to that stunning blonde secretary (she smiled...), I got the basic gist!

I'm giving myself a "C+", and maybe putting "Die Kuh" on the shelf for a few months! (I might injure myself!)

[Melvin England]

Still ploughing through my 16mm collection at the moment.

So tonight's delight's were......


The Making of A Hard Day's Night - 1x 200' - Brief newsreel going behind the scenes of the well known Beatles film. Also available in super 8.

Let It Be - 1x 1600' - The last 40 minutes of the Beatles film featuring the famous rooftop concert. I wanted to see this again before I get to see Peter Jackson's new version of events, soon to be released.

M*A*S*H* - 1x 1000' - An episode from the TV series entitled "Officer of The Day." (Season 3 Episode 3)


Sgt. Bilko - 1x 1000' - Phil Silvers in an episode "Bilko's Formula Seven" where he discovers moonshine drained through a car's cooling system provides an antidote to ageing when rubbed on the face. (Season 4 Episode 22 or episode 129 overall)

The Beverly Hillbillies - 1x 1000' - An episode "Teenage Idol" when a pop star relative is forced to make a visit. (Season 3 Episode 8)


An enjoyable evenings entertainment.

[Ken Souza]

I watched a super nice print of Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein. I think it's A&C best!

[Paul Browning]

Watched one of my twilight zone episodes, "the monster are due on maple street", and what a beauty it is, real blacks and superb contrast, there is a fifth dimension.........

[Lee Mannering]

I See Ice 1938
Good old George Kay Walsh was quite a beauty

[Tom Photiou]

The Blues Brothers, A new addition, requires a little bit of work and in a few days will be all joined up on two 2000ft reels. Great colours and a modern,(1980) musical made for the big screen. I thought this was going to be a film to return to sender but its turned out alright on the night.

[Oliver Feld]

SEVEN BRIDES FOR SEVEN BROTHERS in Cinemascope… Sadly on the red side but beautiful, funny and entertaining anyway.

[Steve Klare]

That's cool, Melvin!

Wildwood seems to have hosted more than it's share of 16mm films. We've seen at least two at CineSea. The most recent was a week ago tonight. It was some Chamber of Commerce film about why you should bring your family to Wildwood for next Summer's Vacation. It's classic 1960s stuff: happy looking families arriving in immense station wagons and splashing in the blue surf. Dad and junior go fishing on a party boat and everyone meets later for a lobster dinner. You look at it with modern eyes and you wonder if life was ever really that perfect!

I have one that arrived from a completely unexpected direction. I E-bayed a Super-8 Blackhawk railroad film about the Budd Rail Diesel Car in the 1950s. One of the lines they showed these operating on was the Pennsylvania-Reading Seshore Lines branch to Cape May. The second to last stop was called "Wildwood Junction".

-up until the moment I first projected this, I had no idea that Wildwood had ever had railroads.

[Melvin England]

Another night up in the Man Cave with the bigger gauge.

Tonight's feast....


Raslin Rockets - 1x 300' - An old style wrestling bout in the style of the British World of Sport as opposed to WWF. However, the bout was from possibly the 1960's, was black and white and was staged, strangely enough, in a certain seaside town in New Jersey by the name of Wildwood. I seem to have heard of that place from somewhere!

Penny Lane - 1x 150' - The Beatles film made to go with the song. The one where they are on horses and have a tea party in a field.

Casablanca - 1x 2200', 1x 1600' - Humphrey and co. Say no more...... except this was my first screening of my 16mm copy since purchase. Ran quite nicely. The eagle eyed amongst you will realize I now have a copy of this on both 16mm and Super 8mm. To answer your next question.... NO!.... neither one for sale!

.

[Lee Mannering]

Finished what turned out to be something of a rebuild on the 16mm projector so a rather large soak test. (Test run)

Watched Bugsy Malone mainly to see if I had as much hair as I did in 1974 on the filming set. Bitter disappointment 😉

A new nostalgia 1600ft reel assembled as a bit of a local group effort with fellow collectors which will be loaned during the year, a good way to spread the cost of film.
Adverts, Trailers and special interest shorts
































Crazy Gang































Ethel Smith on the Hammond organ and a nice lady in real life.

































Good old George in Keep Fit

Alice Faye Sing Baby Sing

Ads of Yesteryear DERANN Agfa print.


I can confirm the projector worked fine YAY!

[Lee Mannering]

7 minute promo for Bugsy Malone. Triva Stood on set watching Jodie deliver her lines followed by a hand full of cream in the face. Seems a long time ago 1975....

Been servicing my 16mm projectors and sorting some LPP features so watched Outlaw Josey Wales. Lovely colour as well.
Working thru the 80's features next so plenty of screen time to get in.

[Edward Nicielnik]

Genevieve 2X1600 feet Excellent Color

[Dominique De Bast]

My son Darrin visiting this weekend and performed the projectionist duties.

A future member for the forum ?

[Janice Glesser]

My son Darrin visiting this weekend and performed the projectionist duties. We watched Baby Boom (1987).

[Bill Phelps]

That’s a cool title to have Melvin! My dad came over today and we screened some 16mm. Cartoons were Rebel Rabbit (Bugs) 11th Hour (Superman) and The Lone Star State then the feature Hang ‘em High. It was faded but still had some color…clean print and great movie. I haven’t watched much 16mm lately either so it was nice.