Vintage 8 MM Porn films !

[init4fun]

Hey guys , today I bought an old 8 MM projector that was in mint shape . Due to the nice enclosure it is in , the thing looks brand new . I have determined it to be of roughly late 1940s manufacture .

Now , with this projector , are 5 reels of some REALLY old porn . Were talkin this stuff looks like maybe late 1930s or early 1940s based on the hairstyles (the only way I know of for attempting to attach a date to the films , everything else pretty much looks the same as any other )

My question is ; Is this collectable ? are there vintage porn collectors just dyin to pay me Ebay riches for this stuff or should it end up in the trash ? It's not really "pervy" porn , just good ol straight guy on girl stuff , and I'd hate to throw it out if it's valuable to someone somewhere . I figured to ask here cause a Video forum would likely be the place to find someone knowledgable about what I've found , and to know if folks actually collect this stuff ...

[lnx64]

I wouldn't want to watch that. :/

Knowing they would be dead right now? No thank you.

[ChrisW6ATV]

I am sure that is valuable to the "right" collector(s), but I do not know how you would find them. Not likely on this forum, though. They would be a sub-group of vintage film/8mm collectors, or vintage "erotica" collectors, or something similar.

[init4fun]

Originally Posted by lnx64

I wouldn't want to watch that. :/

Knowing they would be dead right now? No thank you.

Hi Brandon ,

Yep , In my opinion , kinda creepy and icky for sure , but I am really curious as the wether this stuff has any value or is just dumpster fill .. If folks who collect old film deem it worthless , it's hittin the trash , that's a given .

I just don't want to throw it out and THEN hear "Oh , yea , that stuffs worth $50 a reel" or something similar .

PS , Thank You Chris for your answer as well . You have mentioned exactly what I was thinking , someone whose collection includes such films would be the guy to find . Ideally , I'd like to maybe even swap these for a few 8 MM films I CAN show while demonstrating the projector . Some cool old car racing footage or maybe Airshow footage would be FAR more welcome to me than some old stag films , as I could then demonstrate the projector to anyone . As it is now , I don't have any acceptable film to run through it ...

[earlyfilm]

Originally Posted by init4fun

. . . I bought an old 8 MM projector . . . 5 reels of some REALLY old porn . Were talkin this stuff looks like maybe late 1930s or early 1940s based on the hairstyles . . . . . Is this collectable ? ...

There seems to be a very small niche market for these.

If 50 foot reels, they are of almost no value.
If 100 foot reels, they will do better.
If 400 foot reels, on a lucky day, you might get $25 for them.

If any are from that period and in color (exceedingly rare as the few labs that could do color prior to 1950 would not do porn) they might bring some bucks, provided the color has not faded.

If there are credits (or printed in leaders), write down any names that you see. Then google the names. If there is a big name in them like - say, Virginia Bell *, that might be a selling advantage.

For your epray listing, you will have to find PG rated scenes to photograph to illustrate the advertisement and that may be hard to do. I'd suggest lumping all the reels together and starting the bidding at 99 cents.

If they are printed on Kodak (or Eastman) stock, I can tell you how to determine the year within 6 months when the print stock was made, but not when they were photographed.

* She was born in 1932 and the last I heard, was still alive.

Jas.

[init4fun]

Originally Posted by earlyfilm

There seems to be a very small niche market for these.

If 50 foot reels, they are of almost no value.
If 100 foot reels, they will do better.
If 400 foot reels, on a lucky day, you might get $25 for them.

If any are from that period and in color (exceedingly rare as the few labs that could do color prior to 1950 would not do porn) they might bring some bucks, provided the color has not faded.

If there are credits (or printed in leaders), write down any names that you see. Then google the names. If there is a big name in them like - say, Virginia Bell *, that might be a selling advantage.

For your epray listing, you will have to find PG rated scenes to photograph to illustrate the advertisement and that may be hard to do. I'd suggest lumping all the reels together and starting the bidding at 99 cents.

If they are printed on Kodak (or Eastman) stock, I can tell you how to determine the year within 6 months when the print stock was made, but not when they were photographed.

* She was born in 1932 and the last I heard, was still alive.

Jas.

Hi Jas ,

Thank You very much for your response . I have found the operator's manual on line for the projector , it is a Revere model 85 that was made in 1949 . Today I got a better look at the films and I found that the material spans several different generations Beginning ?maybe? in the late 1930s and ending I believe in the early 1970s ? (again , attempting to place year due to hairstyles or other scenery that may indicate approx decade) . These reels are 300ft I believe , from what my research turned up last night . These are certainly "professionally" produced from the quality of the camera work and the proper filming techniques employed in their production . Thankfully these aren't some creepy home movies and really appear to have been produced in some kind of "film studio" , however small . They are all Monochrome . Upon a closer examination , the leaders are missing on all but one , and that one that has a leader has a very small one .There are no titles or studio or actor's names on any of them .

If they actually went to $25 a roll that would be $125 for the 5 , but I also doubt there is that much bidding value in these , and I'm really leaning tword throwing them out . I have found that there are ALL kinds of G rated 8MM films for purchase on line rather cheaply , so there is no need of me to keep these just to have something to run through the projector for demonstration purposes .

I appreciate the seriousness each respondent to my question has considered this with , and your help has been most welcome . It is amazing how we sometimes pick up these little side hobbies , I was of course looking for old radios when I found my first bit of film equipment , a 16MM Kodak "Kodascope model C" that I have restored and have several G rated films for . This Revere 8MM will get the same restoration and will have some nice G rated material of it's own to show .

[earlyfilm]

Originally Posted by init4fun

. . . . . the material spans several different generations Beginning in the late 1930s and ending I believe in the early 1970s (again , attempting to place year due to hairstyles or other scenery that may indicate approx decade) . These reels are 300ft I believe . . .

On ePay, do an active search for "8mm film" without selecting a category. Then select "advanced search" and then "completed items" and you will see that my estimate might have been slightly low.

By the way, back when these were made, the term was "stag" and occasionally "art" but never "porn."

As far as the titles, look at the head and tail threading leaders and you will probably see some writing printed in. In fact, this is how the lab where they were made kept track of the titles before they were boxed.

On the film itself, if the sprocket hole edge has any marks on it and either Eastman or Kodak, those marks can use to date when the print was made.

http://www.amianet.org/resources/guides/date_code.pdf

You read the date code symbols the same direction that you read the name "Eastman." Use a magnifying glass, as some symbols tend to be misread easily. Read only the symbol after "Eastman" and not the symbol after "safety" as the latter is a plant code.

If you throw the film out, save the empty reels, since quality reels have not been made in years and the cost of used ones is increasing.

The 300 foot size was probably the least used size from that era.

8mm Reel sizes:
50 ft = 3 inches
100 ft = 3 & 1/2
200 ft = 4 inches
300 ft = 4 & 7/8ths
400 ft = 7 inches

Jas.
See Post 32 for corrections on sizes.

[truetone36]

I'd probably be interested in them. I have some silent comedies and such that I'd trade for them. PM me if you're interested

[grimer]

I know of a similar story. A buddy of mine bought a 16mm projector and a few reels of film at a church rummage sale,sure enough,one of the films was an early porno.
About 25 years ago my friends and I were walking around NYC one night,got approached by a homeless guy for money,I gave him a beer instead,he gave me a bag of five 8mm porno's.They were all 1970's vintage,one had Jon Holmes.
I still have them somewhere(just as a goof) I think the earlier B&W stuff would be hilarious. The B&W 16mm film my friend bought looked more like amateur wrestling(sans clothing)

[Dude111]

Originally Posted by lnx64

I wouldn't want to watch that. :/

Knowing they would be dead right now? No thank you.

I didnt think they did such vulgar things back then

[snelson903]

i agree with inx64 ,i cant see anyone watching something like that,esp 8mm sounds like made by a underground maker for a qwick buck.

[maxhifi]

I think that they're part of America's history, and because of what they are they're likely rare and unlikely to be preserved - i.e. it's not a stretch you have the only known copies of them. Obivously they'd be of more historic or academic use now as lnx64 pointed out, their original function is hardly relevant, but still they document an industry, a time, and a place.Think of the attitude a non collector had towards old TV sets, especially rare ones. I think an ebay auction could stand a chance to put them in the hands of someone who could find a use for them.

[init4fun]

I was thinking along those lines as well , that these are a glimpse into an industry mostly kept "underground" and away from the eyes of everyone but those specifically seeking it . I myself am still in the deciding stage of what to do with them , and I'm strongly leaning tword trading them to a gent from here who has PMed me about them . History or not , I really have no use for something I can't show in "Mixed Company" to use to demonstrate the projector to folks who want to see it run .

Funny , When I was young , the word was "Stag Films" as noted by Jas , But I wasn't sure if the term was still in general use and if this generation would know what a stag film was . They used to be called "Blue Movies" as well , although I have no idea why the color blue would represent XXX films .

You guys are all great for responding here , I really appreciate the comments and input .

[leadlike]

There is still plenty of this stuff floating around today. A lot of it has been transferred over to various DVD collections, so it has largely been "preserved". I have a few reels of this stuff, mostly because I could not afford "real" movies when I began collecting 8 and 16mm, and per pound, porn was the cheapest film material out there, features typically going for around $30.

Not sure if that has really changed in the last few years or not. For your films to be worth anything at all, they must be in excellent playable condition, and free of vinegar syndrome. I would say the prices already quoted in this thread would be reasonable TOP DOLLAR for such films in perfect condition. Honestly, if they were mine, I would just give them away, as there really never seems to be any takers on this stuff.

Sounds like you have some independently produced prints. There were a lot of rigs around in the 50s and 60s that let you run a small film factory out of your home if you so desired. It also wasn't too hard to get a lab to print this material as well. While you are seeing some material from the 40s, I wouldn't be surprised if it was all made in roughly the same time period (60s) as that stuff was recirculated heavily until waaaay out of date. I've never seen a 300 ft reel before, so you likely either have films on 200 ft spools (typical) or "ultra deluxe" 400 ft spools.

[init4fun]

Hi Guys ,

First , I'd like to Thank leadlike for the response . I appreciate all the advice you more experienced film guys have given me , and it has helped greatly . I did check for "vinegar syndrome" and found no evidence of a vinegar smell from these reels . The reels all measure 5 inches across , this was the basis for my assumption that they are 300 foot reels , I've enclosed photos of the reels for a hopeful positive identification . I will also enclose photos of my other projector , my REAL pride and joy of my new film hobby , my Kodascope model C 16MM projector in action . the shots I took are of it playing a home movie of a watersking show in Busch Gardens Florida in 1960 . This footage was taken on my Eumig 16MM camera by the camera's original owner and was passed along to me with the 16MM setup when I obtained it . I am now in the process of using the Eumig to film my own movies to show through the Kodascope and so the hobby progresses . I have no 8MM camera , yet , but I'll bet I end up with one eventually .

PS , yes , that IS what you think it is in photo #4 , but I have cropped the photo to edit out the XXX portion of the view ...