Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Ancient Film Can

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Posted by Bill Enos (Member # 440) on 03-24-2001, 12:19 AM:

Ever wonder how old some of those beat up heavy cans are? A couple weeks ago a film came in a can that caught my eye because it was blacker and heavier than usual. Closer inspection revealed it to be embossed VITAGRAPH. I gave it to a friend who collects old film stuff and replaced it with a can from a long ago abandoned print.

Posted by John Pytlak (Member # 331) on 03-24-2001, 11:58 AM:

That VITAGRAPH shipping case is probably older than anyone here on Film-Tech!

------------------
John P. Pytlak, Senior Technical Specialist
Worldwide Technical Services, Entertainment Imaging
Eastman Kodak Company
Research Labs, Building 69, Room 7419
Rochester, New York, 14650-1922 USA
Tel: 716-477-5325 Cell: 716-781-4036 Fax: 716-722-7243
E-Mail: john.pytlak@kodak.com
Web site: http://www.kodak.com/go/motion

Posted by Scott Norwood (Member # 30) on 03-24-2001, 02:15 PM:

I've not seen one that old, although I have seen lab-new prints delivered by Technicolor in shipping containers labelled "RKO"--surely this must date back to the nitrate era. I have an RKO can at home (not painted orange!) and it's actually a lot sturdier than the new ones...

Posted by John Walsh (Member # 168) on 03-24-2001, 03:26 PM:

I ran a film: "The 300 Spartans" awhile ago. The print was totally faded to pink.

Inside the shipping can was a recommendation for: "The Most Important Man In The Theater: You, The Projectionist!!" telling me how "For Maximum Viewing Enjoyment And Repeat Ticket Sales By Your Patrons" I should follow the Motion Picture Research Counsel recommendations and project this film using; “The New SUPERSCOPE Process!!"

"For Your Convenience, The Image Area Specifications Have Been Reproduced And Placed On The Inside Of The Transport Containers” Sure enough, it was on the inside cover. It looked like a SMPTE spec document. I tried to peel it off, but it was old glue.. meant to stick for another 300 years.

I wasn’t quite sure what I should have done. I know Superscope was a Cinemascope knock-off, but I didn’t know what needed to be done at the theater. It looked OK when I projected it.

Posted by Aaron Mehocic (Member # 15) on 03-25-2001, 02:46 PM:

I've had a number of cans come through that date from the 40's & 50's. Once I opened a can and inside on the upper lid's cardboard lining was scrawled in perfect penmanship the name of a projectionist (escapes me at the moment), Des Moines, Iowa, July, 1952. Kinda cool when you think about all those who handled it before you I guess.

Posted by Jesse Skeen (Member # 586) on 03-26-2001, 05:55 AM:

I've seen a lot of film cans with "Vote for so-and-so" written on the inside- I assume this was a thing with the projectionist union a long time ago. I like to check what movies were previously shipped in the cans since they sometimes write on them with permanent ink- I've gotten ones that once held "Motorcycle Gang" and "The Cheerleaders"; the one "Red Planet" came in was once used to ship "Lunch Wagon". I remember "A Few Good Men" had a "Clockwork Orange" label on it; that's when I started checking this stuff more often.

Posted by Evans A Criswell (Member # 381) on 03-26-2001, 09:33 AM:

John Walsh,

If the print looked OK when you projected it, it was probably Superscope 235. Original Superscope had an aspect ratio of 2.00:1 with a 1:1 square image printed in the center of the film so that when projected with Cinemascope settings, would produce an off-center 2.00:1 image. Here are the specs, from The American Widescreen Museum, a wonderful site:

Process Developer: Superscope, Inc. & RKO Radio Pictures Corp.
Year of Introduction: 1954

NEGATIVE SPECS:
Film Gauge: 35mm
Direction of travel: Vertical - four perforations - 24 fps
Camera Optics: Standard spherical
Aperture Dimensions: .980" x .735" (full silent aperture)
Max Aspect Ratio: N/A - See Print

PRINT SPECS:
Film Gauge: 35mm - Anamorphic lab conversion from flat photography
Direction of travel: Vertical - four perforations - 24 fps
Projector Optics: 2x Anamorphic squeeze
Aperture Dimensions: .715" x .715" (Superscope), .839" x .700" (Superscope 235)
Max Aspect Ratio: 2.0:1 (Superscope) / 2.35:1 (Superscope 235)
Sound Format: Optical monophonic - Standard perforations

The current system referred to (laughably) as Super 35 is identical to Superscope 235.

Go to www.widescreenmuseum.com , and choose "widescreen", then "lobby", then "Superscope" and you'll have information, with pictures of prints made that way! Enjoy!

Evans