8MM-16MM FORUM WORLDWIDE

I recently recieved a collection of several films. Among them was a feature from Canterbury Films called 'Gorilla' with the Ritz Brothers. I know about Blackhawk, Ivy, Castle, Universal 8 and other companies but this is the first Canterbury print I have looked at. Can anyone give any input about this company? What they released, quality conditions? The print of Gorilla that I have has major contrast issues although I will say that the sound is perfect and the print's focus is very sharp. Still, the image is almost black in some scenes then normal in others, sometimes during the same scene. Not sure if it's a bad print or this was normal for the company. The seller, like his other films, bought this one new and only watched the first reel before putting it in a closet. His gripe was that the image jumped. Didn't have that problem myself but wasn't impressed with the contrast quality.
Anyone else have films from Canterbury and how do they rate? Maybe Blackhawk and Niles have spoiled me.
Also for perfectionists, this was presented on super 8 B&W Kodak safety film with a balance stripe.

I have at least one full episode of Star Trek TOS on super 8 from Canterbury Films. It's an OK print except for the fade off course. I think I have at least one other feature from them but I need to check that out. Printwise I would say they offered decent quality.

I don't doubt the overall quality. My print of 'The Gorilla' has very sharp edges and very clear sound. The contrast was just all over the place though. Finally finished watching it tonight and some scenes are almost black but when the camera angle changed the image was normal and clearly daylight. Wasn't sure if the print wasn't right and maybe I got a bad one or if the company was more of a dupe printing place.

Canterbury Films was part of the public-domain film boom of the late 70's; it was run by a man named Leslie Brooks and was located in Great Neck, NY. They released a few features, a number of cartoons, and lots of trailers in both super 8 and 16mm sound. Canterbury differed from many other distributors in that their trailers were sold individually, rather than in combination reels. My experience was only with their 16mm product, but I always found their quality first rate in both picture and sound. I believe they used Cinemagnetics or some other major NYC area lab as manufacturer.

It could be that you have a lab "second" or "answer" print; Canterbury occasionally sold those individually at reduced prices.

I lost track of Les Brooks years ago; he may have gone into selling rare posters or comic books.

You nailed it. The lable on the box says it was from Great Neck NY. It still looks like a release print though since the whole poster is printed on the lable surrounded several times by Canterburry films logos. It was printed by Cine Magnetics wich I also thought was odd since I have several of their printings and they are usually really high quality. I think they printed most Ken Films in the late 70's early 80's. I guess I just can't get over how bad of a print this is. Maybe Blackhawk spoiled me all these years.

Thanks for your note. I'll admit being surprised that your print is a lemon; I was often in touch with Les Brooks during the years he ran Canterbury, and remember him as quite fussy about print quality. I own several Canterbury cartoons and shorts, and all are excellent. I guess yours might have been "one that got away."

I'm also surprised at your good luck with Niles Cinema products. During their operation, they had something of a schlock reputation. My own experience with Niles prints ranged from excellent (the Flash Gordon feature ROCKETSHIP) to awful (cartoons with almost non-existent sound or dark, grainy color.)

I understand that the gentleman who was once Niles' production manager has an online mailbox and is willing to answer questions about that company. Am going to try to contact him; if results are good, would you also wish to do so?

I'm long past caring, but I'd like to ask him how come it was OK to take my money for a Super 8 print of BLUEBEARD, but never send the film. I later found that they had ceased to do business, but none of my letters were answered wondering what had happened.

Anyway, I had mostly awful prints from Niles, purchased before I realized the difference between what a film looks like because of the age of the original VS what a film looks like because it's so many generations away from it's original source (90% of the problem with most of their product).