UNIVERSAL 8 Feature releases.

[Ged Jones]

Anyone recall the titles, I can only remember Jet Pilot and Hell's Angels.

[Mike Newell]

Scarface, The Conqueor, Rooster Cogburn and a few prints of The Hellfighters were struck. I’ve seen The Sting and Charlie Varrick on list but no idea if they were official Universal 8.

[Edward Nicielnik]

The Unfinished Journey of Robert F.Kennedy

Richard Prior Live in Concert.

[Edward Nicielnik]

Another notable feature is 'Psycho' on Std 8, which Universal permitted Derann to release.

[Ged Jones]

That's a different story... At some-point in late 1968 Derek Simmonds for Derann and Tony Powell of Powell Films were both able to clinch deals with MCA (Universal)! Derann picked up the rights to 'The Evil of Frankenstein', 1964; 'Psycho' 1960; 'Magnificent Obsession', 1954; 'Flower Drum Song', 1961; 'The Invisible Man', 1933; 'To Hell and Back', 1955 and 'Blue Skies', 1946, while Powell secured the rights for 'The Phantom of the Opera', 1962; 'A Touch of Evil, 1958; 'Winchester 73, 1950; 'The Benny Goodman Story', 1956; 'A Gathering of Eagles', 1963 and 'Munsters, Go Home!' 1966. (there could be others, but I can't confirm how many and what they may have been). You can find evidence of these titles in rental catalogues and adverts in both "Movie Maker" and "Film Making" of that era and I'm not even sure that they were all released, I can find no evidence that 'Flower Drum Song' was released or that a neg was ever produced. However I was told by Derek that both Derann's and Powell's contracts abruptly ended following a phone call from MCA and it became apparent that the MCA employee they had dealt with, didn't occupy a position to do so and presumably had somehow managed to pocket any monies and royalties involved. It was quite obvious that this MCA contact was no longer an employee and was possibly facing criminal charges. They sent a van to the labs which housed the standard 8 negs, while a similar van arrived at the shop on the Stourbridge Road to retrieve the sound masters and all unsold prints. I was told we'd just taken delivery of 12 prints of 'Psycho' which were still waiting to be sounded... these were also quickly stacked away in the van along with the soundmasters, Derek said he felt betrayed and frustrated, but his hands were tied. MCA must have felt more than a little embarrassed regarding the whole affair and there was never any comebacks for either Derann or Powell, they just wanted the matter concluded as quickly and quietly as possible and wanted the entire matter swept under the carpet. If a box label was printed for any of them, I never came across one, however Derann had issued a 200' from Psycho and this is still to be seen.

[Osi Osgood]

What a wonderful read! I have never seen a Rooster Cogburn, beyond the 400ft digest.

[John Taylor]

It would be interesting if someone could also confirmed a story I heard about the marketing deal with the excellent batch of paramount films.
I myself cannot confirm this, but I heard that a meeting in the form of a dinner and drink session was held between the bosses of marketing and the big wigs of a department of Paramount that dealt with home entertainment. The story, in simple terms, is that the guys at Paramount were fed and fuelled with a drinking session that got a signature that should never have been, hence why so many top titles were available, but also, in just about every version, 200ft, 400ft, 3x400 and a full length feature. I'm not too sure if anyone would admit to this but this is what I heard from many in the trade. Bearing in mind how tight Paramount were with home releases, it kind of makes sense to me. Theres no smoke without fire, but I know all collectors are very happy to get this wonderful deal 🤣🤣

[Mike Newell]

What a wonderful read! I have never seen a Rooster Cogburn, beyond the 400ft digest.

it popped up on a list one month Osi. To my surprise it was available. Could have been on run up to Blackpool. I think either Perrys or Derann . Good print more colour than the digest but very similar at that point but there was slight fade at that stage early 1990s.

[Paul Adsett]

Wow, I never realized there was so much drama, intrigue, and subversion, associated with the release of home movies!😀

[Mike Newell]

It would be interesting if someone could also confirmed a story I heard about the marketing deal with the excellent batch of paramount films.
I myself cannot confirm this, but I heard that a meeting in the form of a dinner and drink session was held between the bosses of marketing and the big wigs of a department of Paramount that dealt with home entertainment. The story, in simple terms, is that the guys at Paramount were fed and fuelled with a drinking session that got a signature that should never have been, hence why so many top titles were available, but also, in just about every version, 200ft, 400ft, 3x400 and a full length feature. I'm not too sure if anyone would admit to this but this is what I heard from many in the trade. Bearing in mind how tight Paramount were with home releases, it kind of makes sense to me. Theres no smoke without fire, but I know all collectors are very happy to get this wonderful deal 🤣🤣

Film executives ain’t that bright. 🤪

I think there was some type of story relating to Marketing in terms that Paramount didn’t know how many films they had given rights to release. You need to remember in 1970s it was Film box office at the movies and television rights. Home entertainment (video) wasn’t thought about and super 8 sales were a niche market.

Remember the story of Jef Films they seemed to have picked up film rights when they went to public domain and then got paid by tv stations to broadcast those movies and were able to release super 8 titles mainly trailer and shorts.

[Mike Newell]

Wow, I never realized there was so much drama, intrigue, and subversion, associated with the release of home movies!😀

Very much cloak and dagger Paul. Mainly feature prints for collectors . The UK locals Derann ,Perrys , Portland and others all borrowed each other prints.

[Ged Jones]

There is some truth to Your post Mike Derek and Mountain Films did swap film rights and we even helped put out a few of his titles. But I don't recall anything with Perry's.

[Brian Fretwell]

I remember that the 200ft of Psycho had a couple of shots that weren't in many DVD abd BluRay releases!!! When it was mentioned in a DVD forum that some shots were cut and were only in a German release I thought,"Not in my copy, I've seen them befroe!". I later discovered I had seen them in the Std 8 200ft version not the Blu Ray.

[Mike Newell]

There is some truth to Your post Mike Derek and Mountain Films did swap film rights and we even helped put out a few of his titles. But I don't recall anything with Perry's.

Hi Ged

I would say a lot was swap and trade if they couldn’t get a negative.

I remember visiting Perrys and Arthur was out the back running off some of your titles. I also recall opening a copy of County Hospital sealed new it was Starline which was Portland / Mountain name and it was a Walton print with their logo on the film. At least it had a balance stripe which is more than Walton ever managed in the early days. I remember DCR and Powell releases came from different sources. Someone close to you said to me of course we copied them they were good sellers and our versions were better bloody prints.

[Ged Jones]

During my 36 plus years at Derann I don't recall Perry's printing for us Mike. As for DCR, Fletcher, Mountain and Walton when they closed we would often take over the negs if we could find a sound master. This also occurred with Lone Wolf and of course Ken Films and Red Fox as well as Steel Valley, Canterbury and Kempski.