Columbia 8mm Digests available in 1975

[Walter Stanton]

[Lincoln Thorn]

Very cool!

I would love to find that version of ONLY ANGELS HAVE WINGS

[Brian Harrington]

Yes, cool. I'd need to check old Willoughby catalogs from later in the 70s to see how many more were added. I do know THE DEEP was added since I have a copy. I don't think I've ever seen GILDA for sale anywhere in recent memory. THE AWFUL TRUTH is a must get! So is IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT, which is a great edit! I don't see SO THIS IS AFRICA listed, which is one I've been looking for forever.

[Douglas Meltzer]

Walter, thanks for posting that ad.

Columbia 8mm really committed to the 400' sound digest market. They put out over 100 feature cutdowns from their library, not counting the 4x200' Harryhausen films, all those Three Stooges shorts, Jetsons & Flinstones cartoons, Comedy Classics line, etc.
Here's a partial list of the cutdowns. The China Syndrome & Hardcore aren't on it and this also doesn't include the Warner Bros. digests they distributed.

[Brian Harrington]

Plus, they also released some in full-length, notably ON THE WATERFRONT.

[Osi Osgood]

... and "Cat Balou", although, on quick fade Eastman!

[Ed Gordon]

... and "Cat Balou", although, on quick fade Eastman!

Very true, I would avoid all Columbia color releases. My Columbia digests of The Caine Mutiny and Lawrence of Arabia are faded, but the B&W digest of On the Waterfront looks great.

[Melvin England]

A Columbia not yet mentioned (and post 1975 so not in that catalogue) that seems to be holding its colour very well..... at least mine is.................. Close Encounters of The Third Kind.


Am I Alone ???? !!!!!

[Brian Harrington]

I usually avoid collecting color films for that very reason, although I have a handful on LPP stock that still look gorgeous -- not from Columbia though. I do have a few Flintstones, a Jetsons, and a Top Cat from Columbia whose color has held up well, and they're not LPP.

Is there a list of other full-length Columbias? I never knew they did any until I picked up ON THE WATERFRONT, and I had originally assumed someone else had released it.

[David Kilderry]

The rarest film listed there is Gilda, because they say it's in colour!! Ooops.

[Phil Moors]

I have never seen a 400’ version of ‘20,000,000 Miles to Earth’, I don’t think it was ever released at that length. I had a 200’ black and white sound version which was excellent. Did anyone have a 400’ version of this?

[Mike Newell]

20 Million Miles to Earth is about as a 400ft Phil. Think one showed up on eBay awhile ago. It is in the generic yellow as supposed to artwork. As you say the 200ft is a great edit.

[Brian Harrington]

The rarest film listed there is Gilda, because they say it's in colour!! Ooops.

Well, it's pretty rare in B&W, too! And they released it feature-length as well. I read the review here.

[Douglas Meltzer]

The 400' cutdown of 20 Million Miles To Earth is well edited, however the audio on my print starts to go out of sync at the halfway point. Another collector told me the same thing happens on their print.

Melvin, I'll have to check my Close Encounters digest.

[Walter Stanton]

I love how "Honest Ed" says at the bottom of the ad: "...if you're a collector and your dealer doesn't have these classics please find another dealer or ask us"