What 8mm films did I watch last night?

[Brian Fretwell]

A mixture. First the Avengers episode "The Living Dead" 1x400ft Deran on Agfa, followed by The Empire Strikes Back 4x400ft Ken Films extracts now rather brown in the shadows (only edge-marking I could see was EKC31) , The Phantom of the Opera Universal 8 very pink. Then to cheer me up a Walton 1x400ft of The 39 steps (Robert Powell version) on late Fuji amd great colours.

[Brian Fretwell]

The last, and longest, purchase from CHC "The Ghost Train" an adaptaion of the stage play by Arnold Ridley (perhaps now better known as Godfrey from Dad's Army), 4x400ft Powell film release on 2 800ft spools. A typical B&W release quality of the time, with very little wear. As it stars Arthur Askey and Richard Murdoch, with Kathleen Harrison, it is more comedy than the play but still has some serious "fifth column" arms smuggling to balance that.

[Douglas Meltzer]

I watched Universal 8's The Best of Horror Part II, a 400' silent compilation of 8 Castle Films headline editions. This grouping consists of The Mummy's Ghost, Doom of Dracula, Revenge of the Creature, The Deadly Mantis, One Million B.C., Bride of Frankenstein, War of the Planets and It Came from Outer Space.



I'll be striping this and adding sound to show at the upcoming CineSea at the end of September.

[Osi Osgood]

Though it was just a few days back, I had the good pleasure of viewing Philip's "JAWS" 200ft, and despite Lee's protestations, this reel, made in Italy, really has outstanding color and image quality. In fact he has placed an extra copy of this on eBay! Definitely an excellent edit!

[Brian Fretwell]

I'm still catching up on my weekend purchases/prizes. Last night it was the film I won 200ft on Australian Aborigines faded and a little bowed at the start but no smell (I'll be keeping it separate) and The Coal Miners Daughter U8 2x400ft in typical U8 colour condition, bought at a bargain price.

[Douglas Meltzer]

John, What a great buy and what a great reel!

Lee, "Projected in our camping tent"? Now there's a picture that belongs in the screening room photo section!


I watched a Marketing Film 400' print of Die Rache des Dr. Fu Man Chu (The Vengeance of Fu Manchu).



The evil Doctor surgically creates a double of Scotland Yard's Nayland Smith and has him commit murder.

[John Armer]

Agreed - it was good to catch up with fellow collectors at Phil's Autumn Sale.

I checked the prints I got last night and Sunday night, but the highlight had to be a very cheap reel of WEST SIDE STORY. I know that Derann did a couple of official extracts, but this was just a 600ft reel from the feature. But what a reel! It started with the dance where Tony and Maria first meet, then onto the song 'Maria', then finishes with the song 'America'.

This was all of GBP 15 and a mint Derann re-print.

[Lee Mannering]

Good to see you to Brian and everyone else. Nothing beats being with like minded film people!
Thank you Classic for a nice time.

Projected in our camping tent, oh yes.
OH MR.PORTER Walton films.
TRAIN TIME
FLYING SCOTSMAN
NATIONAL ANTHEM God save the King. (Something I digitally made at home onto S8)

[Brian Fretwell]

A couple more obtained from CHC at the weekend before my Blu Ray viewing. "Lion Around" a B&W silent Donald Duck and the Tom & Jerrry "Solid Serenade", Walton with great colour.

[Brian Fretwell]

Also just back from the CHC event (good to see everyone there, including Lee0 Just watched a rather faded (cheap) Gone with the Wind re-release trailer with 2 good colour daysets on the same reel and the Look at Life "James bond's Island" great colour and sharpness. The latter took a while as I hadn't noticed it was wound tail out at first and wouldn't thread until it was re-spooled.

[Melvin England]

.... and for a change it WAS last night (Saturday) and not half an hour ago !


So, yesterday evening I screened a feature that I had just purchased the day before at CHC's August sale. The turnout for the sale was tremendous. A couple of guys from Norway, a forum member visiting for the first time, two brand new faces new to the hobby (young as well!) together with a lot of other familiar faces. An excellent few hours rummage !

Anyway, back on topic......

The Towering Inferno Trailer 1x 50' (to warm the projector up)

The Beautiful Briny - 1x 200' - Extract from Bedknobs and Broomsticks I have been after for ages.

The Third Man - 3x 800' - Classic Orson Wells / Joseph Cotton film noir. Pleased to say it was my first ever viewing of the film and was very impressed.

.

[Brian Fretwell]

It was a bit hit or miss for Walton (Studio Labs) mainly used Agfa or Fuji but sometimes you'd get a print on Eastmancolor or in the early 1970's 3M.

[Osi Osgood]

Great 1200ft reel, Graham! Walton was either lucky enough or purposefully used Agfa, and it was a brilliant move, as, all prints on Agfa, still look radiant today! As for me, I screened my new print of " The Third Man". I have already watched this new print three times since I bought it, ( I've only had it for about two weeks or so), but some films are infinitely repeatable! Best Orson Welles film that he was in, but didn't direct himself, butfrom what I have read, Welles gave a good deal of advice on camera angles and such.

[Graham Ritchie]

Regarding the Walton print above of "The Two Mouseketeers". I bought this print new back in the late 1970s and still regard it as one of the best color Tom and Jerry that Walton sold. Here are a couple of screen shots that I took a few moths back and even after all these years the color still looks great

[Graham Ritchie]

Well that was a fun night. I think I have watched these film way to much, as I can recite a lot of the dialogue before its spoken on the film, although in saying that, its a good memory test .

The GS 1200 is running well at the moment, giving a nice bright picture from 7.5 meters, its looking good with a nice on screen color rendition using the Osram 250 watt Xenophot lamp

Tonight again, with one full 1200 foot reel

1...Tweety Pie
2....Egg Cracker Suite.
3....Barber Of Saville.
4....The Two Mouseketeers.
5....The Dwarfs Dilemma.
6.... I Wan'na Be Like You 7....His Mouse Friday
8....Three For Breakfast.
9....Cat Napping