The last optical sound feature?

[Osi Osgood]

This is an interesting question, as I am pretty sure that verifiable titles end sometime in 1988, but there are rumors that optical sound features continued until 1990 in Japan, as I once heard of an optical sound print of 'Hunt for Red October". However, for ones that I can verify, "Clara's Heart" was definitely a 1988 release, and depending on the ratings book, "Stand and Deliver" is listed as either 87 or 88. Lethal Weapon, Fish Called Wanda and Living Daylights made it onto super 8 optical sound, and those are 87. Does anyone have any other features that are from 87, 88 or later?

[Lee Mannering]

A good question as I for one have no idea.
But.. I got Living Daylights in Deranns optical boom time which is my favourite bond ever. A few years after the limited print run dvd was fetching up to £100 used.
The optical feature is a good find and highly collectable even now. Expect others have it but I've never seen one for sale.

[Stuart Budd]

I like the question too. With airlines being a major user and most Japanese home market projector variant having an optical option, seemingly as standard. It would appear that Japan and airlines would be the last market for optical.

But where was optical produced? Which companies?

[Osi Osgood]

In England, there was "Sunstrand", but that is a really good question! I have no idea as to who or where these prints were manufactured in the U.S. I assume that they must have been manufactured in the U.S. as well.

[Stuart Budd]

I'll have to digitize my optical test film I got from Phil at Classic Home Cinima. I'll also take shots of the film to see if anyone can identify. Probably so it this weekend. Maybe, optical was produced in many locations across the globe and possibly in some locations they were produced/made after other companies ceased!

I'll digitize my optical and post, see what you think.

[Kenneth Horan]

The two major laboratories that produced Super 8 prints with an optical soundtrack were Rank Labs in Denham and Technicolor labs in the U.S. They were printed by direct optical reduction from a 16mm picture negative, rather than from a dual 8 negative. That is one reason why the Super 8 optical sound prints are sharp. The soundtrack negative was recorded by a modified Maurer galvanometer to produce a single bi-lateral variable area record. Although the Maurer galvanometer could also produce a variable density track as well. Technicolor applicated the track with silver for better reproduction while Rank did not. There were other labs that produced Super 8 prints with an optical soundtrack, mostly in Japan.

[Barry Attwood]

I know my old boss Gary Watson had a copy of "Batman" (Michael Keaton) and " The Hunt for Red October" which he sold for a lot of money back in the day.

[John Armer]

Presumably these last optical features in the later 80s were on low-fade stock, so the colours are holding up OK?

[Osi Osgood]

Unfortunately, that isn't necessarily true. I know that "Stand and Deliver" was on Kodak SP, and being that these films had a limited run-on super 8, no doubt, they used the cheapest stock available. Stockpiles of Kodak SP were very available, after low fade film stock took over the market. However, some prints were most definitely low fade early on. My " Rocky 3" is definitely on low fade, as is the case with " For Your Eyes Only", as well as a number of others in my collection. By the way, thanks for the confirmation of "Hunt", as well as "Batman".

[Stuart Budd]

Here is a link to the film I mentioned. 15 minutes of silence digitized on a Wolverine.

If anyone know the title, nice to know.

FYI, have used to test one of my optical projectors and happy with result - optical sound. What's that about the label on the tin!

[Osi Osgood]

If you were to give me a few more screenshots, other scenes, I might have a better idea!

[Stuart Budd]

Have you been doing too many pressups Osi!

Press play!

You're having a larf!