1922 Original Print of "The Man from Beyond"

bab...@gmail.com

unread,

Sep 3, 2012, 7:53:11 PM9/3/12

to

I just aquired a 1922 original print of the film "The Man from Beyond" starring Harry Houdini. It is complete with all six reels on 8mm. I'm am curious as the value of such a film. Thanks!

Old Movie Fan

unread,

Sep 3, 2012, 8:18:14 PM9/3/12

to

Was 8mm a standard size film in 1922? I don't think that it was. If
not, it could not be original.

If it is original, is the film nitrate? The stuff gets unstable with
age and burns easily. Have you attempted to project it.

I've seen the man from beyond and except for earlier views of Niagara
Falls, there's not much to the story.

It's not a lost film since it can be had at Netflix.

bab...@gmail.com

unread,

Sep 3, 2012, 10:27:01 PM9/3/12

to

On Monday, September 3, 2012 6:53:11 PM UTC-5, (unknown) wrote:
> I just aquired a 1922 original print of the film "The Man from Beyond" starring Harry Houdini. It is complete with all six reels on 8mm. I'm am curious as the value of such a film. Thanks!

8mm and 16mm were the standard at the time. I am aware that is isn't a "lost film", I'm just curious as to the monetary value of the item from a collector standpoint. I doubt that there are a plethora of the 1922 reels floating out there.

william ahearn

unread,

Sep 4, 2012, 12:39:43 AM9/4/12

to

On Monday, September 3, 2012 10:27:01 PM UTC-4, (unknown) wrote:

>
> 8mm and 16mm were the standard at the time. I am aware that is isn't a "lost film", I'm just curious as to the monetary value of the item from a collector standpoint. I doubt that there are a plethora of the 1922 reels floating out there.

I just checked eBay for prices on 8mm films and the answer to your question is "not much." Maybe $25? Go to eBay and run "8mm movies" through the search engine and see what you come up with.

hislop

unread,

Sep 4, 2012, 10:20:44 PM9/4/12

to

On 4/09/2012 12:27 PM, bab...@gmail.com wrote:
> On Monday, September 3, 2012 6:53:11 PM UTC-5, (unknown) wrote:
>> I just aquired a 1922 original print of the film "The Man from Beyond" starring Harry Houdini. It is complete with all six reels on 8mm. I'm am curious as the value of such a film. Thanks!
>
> 8mm and 16mm were the standard at the time.

In 1922? Any references to support this?
As far as I know it had always been 35mm until they came up with 16mm
after the silent era, and 8mm well after that.

hislop

unread,

Sep 4, 2012, 10:21:42 PM9/4/12

to

On 4/09/2012 9:53 AM, bab...@gmail.com wrote:
> I just aquired a 1922 original print of the film "The Man from Beyond" starring Harry Houdini. It is complete with all six reels on 8mm. I'm am curious as the value of such a film. Thanks!

I would bet that was a print created in the 60s or 70s for the home market.

william ahearn

unread,

Sep 4, 2012, 11:19:29 PM9/4/12

to

On Tuesday, September 4, 2012 10:20:48 PM UTC-4, hislop wrote:

> In 1922? Any references to support this?
> As far as I know it had always been 35mm until they came up with 16mm
> after the silent era, and 8mm well after that.
>

Eastman Kodak released 8mm film for the home market in 1932, according to a wiki entry.

hislop

unread,

Sep 5, 2012, 6:24:20 AM9/5/12

to

I looked up on wikipedia after here. They did introduce 16mm in the 20s
it said, but for the home market. I might have missed some sizes
mentioned in the early days such as 22mm.
It was a bit confusing.

Neil Midkiff

unread,

Sep 5, 2012, 2:54:53 PM9/5/12

to

For a somewhat more authoritative source, see Kodak's web site:

http://motion.kodak.com/motion/Products/Production/Spotlight_on_Super_8/Super_8mm_History/index.htm

It confirms the introduction of the 16mm format for home movies in 1923
and 8mm in 1932.

Other small-gauge hobbyist film sizes were available in early years, but
if it's really standard 8mm, the Houdini film cannot have been
"original" from the 1920s.

-Neil Midkiff

hislop

unread,

Sep 5, 2012, 8:45:11 PM9/5/12

to

The only thing that bothers me is that I'm not sure Kodak were the only
ones in the early days.
It still is evidence against 8mm in the silent era, and I still suspect
the print in this thread could be from the 60s or 70s.

Derek Gee

unread,

Sep 7, 2012, 7:53:50 PM9/7/12

to

"hislop" <takecar...@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:k28rmq$s8o$2...@dont-email.me...

Kodak wasn't the only ones, but they invented the 8mm format and held the
patents on it. If the original poster has an 8mm print, it CANNOT be an
original from the 1920s.

http://oldfilm.org/content/brief-history-amateur-film-gauges-and-related-equipment-1899-2001

D

spacecadet

unread,

Sep 13, 2012, 7:52:39 AM9/13/12

to

There may be a stock date code in the rebate. But no, definitely not
original. 1932 is right. OP, are you sure it's 8mm and not Super-8? 8mm.
has the perforation on the frameline, Super-8 halfway up.

StormChaser

unread,

May 18, 2013, 11:01:39 PM5/18/13

to

On Monday, September 3, 2012 7:53:11 PM UTC-4, bab...@gmail.com wrote:
> I just aquired a 1922 original print of the film "The Man from Beyond" starring Harry Houdini. It is complete with all six reels on 8mm. I'm am curious as the value of such a film. Thanks!

I find Harry Houdini's films slightly betray his mystique.
To think of him and imagine his tricks, one endows him with
superhuman status. To actually see him on film, one sees
a rather ordinary man following leading man protocol at the
time but adding exotic stunts that he looks ordinary performing.

Besides, its a movie. Though he performs his own stunts, it is not
necessary to make a movie successful.