BACKGROUND INFO:
I am not a 'film enthusiast' and my past working life has revolved around electronics (many fields including communications, industrial and audio) and "The Arts", more specifically, creative arts such as handcrafted fine china, ceramics and landscape artworks.
An associate has asked me to help find new owners for HIS large collection of photographic and film items ... this is yet another one of those items. I am frequently asked "THE QUESTION"
So how many films do you have, Russ?
My response is ... boxes and boxes of them, perhaps 350+ films are now left for me to look through ... plus a few projectors
Another question I am often asked "Can I come and have a browse through the films?" Sorry, but the answer has to be a flat NO!
ALL film stock is safely away in my storage units, nice n cool and out of harms way, each day (or so) I will retrieve a few films, take a look (and smell!) at each film ... absolutely NO ONE can just casually "browse" the collection. My associate wouldn't like that and neither do I.
There is a lot of detail on this page plus even more HERE ... I strongly suggest anyone who is interested in this film to read everything carefully, including looking at the link. To not do so is at your own peril!
Vinegar Syndrome "smell test" ☑= Negative
CITY LIGHTS
I could not see any credits to a film distribution company at all or even the movie studio who created this film
Charlie Chaplin's motion picture creation, from the musical score, the writing, production, direction and yes he acts in his movie as well. This is not a silent movie but has a synchronised sound track (with sound effects) added - no dialogue though. Apparently he began work on this film in 1928 and although the "talkies" were beginning to emerge, Charlie decided to venture into adding sound but just the musical soundtrack - sort of a quasi move into the talkie film technology.
Title: CITY LIGHTS (1931)
Catalogue # Unknown
4x 400 Feet Smokey Clear TUSCAN (Made in Australia) reels
Each reel is within a Smokey Clear TUSCAN two part case
Leader film is fitted to each reel **
** Strange thing here, the leader is from Kodak and has had some writing placed on Reel 1 at least which indicates the film came from DOONSIDE, NSW of all places (not far from my location but a LONG way from where the owner was living previously ... just a little weird in my view)
Monochrome
Sound (Mono)
Note that the sound is musical and sound effects in nature, NO spoken dialogue
Apparently quite a ground breaking motion picture for the day (almost 100 years ago), City Lights was produced with synchronised sound, but not dialogue, instead Charlie Chaplin synchronised the musical score and sound effects only. This was the first time that Charlie composed the film score to one of his productions. The motion picture was written, produced, directed by, and stars Charlie Chaplin and the storyline follows the misadventures of Chaplin's tramp as he falls in love with a blind woman (played by Virginia Cherrill) and develops a turbulent friendship with an alcoholic millionaire (played by Harry Myers)..
COSMETIC CONDITION:
USED
CLEAN
All of the TUSCAN cases are undamaged, meaning no cracks etc and very little signs of handling marks (scuff marks etc)
Each case has a small typewriter created label on it, each reel also has a small typewriter created label attached to one side.
None of the reels are cracked or damaged
NO personal writing on the film reels or the library cases
NO film clip is fitted is fitted to any reel **
** This is a shame because when I indicate these are 400' reels, they are FULLY LOADED to the maximum, not really unmanageable but these are full reels which could have done with some film clips.
TESTING:
Test machine: ELMO 1200ST
The projector film path has been completely cleaned prior to running this film through the machine. I now have a "running sheet", my maintenance schedule if you like - I record when each maintenance is performed because I am running a lot of films through the machine.
Film stock on the reels, including the sprocket holes, appears to be physically undamaged - at least on the first sections that I examined and ran through the projector for testing (about 5 minutes duration of the film on each reel).
I ran all four reels through the projector but time limited myself to just around 5 minutes viewing time ... I can't sit here all day watching movies, even Charlie Chaplin flicks!
The first thing that struck me was the "colour". Yes this is a monochrome release but I was expecting Grey/Blacks or perhaps sometimes with a bit of Yellows.
This film is showing a sort of Brownish-Orange colour! Not really Sephia tones, more towards the Red-Yellows which results in this Orange look.
Between reels there is not much by way of any "countdowns" or similar, I had the distinct impression that this may have once been a 1600' reel, reduced to 4x 400' reels
The contrast is acceptable although I felt it wasn't great at times, I have seen this with other Chaplin films too. The Orange-Brown picture colour isn't bad either, it just takes a bit of getting used to when you are expecting the usual Greys or Blacks.
Good news on the sound ... the audio is clean, crisp, clear and of a good level across all four reels ...
SPECIAL NOTE: I felt I needed to add this little note ... whilst viewing the film on the screen, it actually looks "less Red" than the photographs would indicate. My antiquated digital camera (very old, one of the very first 'point n shoot' models!) just isn't up to the task in regard to colour representation nor the ability to portray contrast properly. The screen shots I take are now taken with the film on pause which gives an improved image but the light is dimmer and a couple of the frames are quite blurred because I didn't stop the film just at the right time for those photographs. In any case, these photographs are only a very rough guide for what you can expect to see on your own screen.
These four reels have now had the standard treatment regarding Silica Gel packets, sealing each reel and then the whole film is within an outer sealed clear plastic package to maintain the current condition as much as possible.
