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Topic: Scopitone film jukebox

Matthew Bailey
Master Film Handler

Posts: 461
From: Port Arthur,TX
Registered: Sep 2000

posted 09-12-2000 02:05 PM

I am looking for any sites that involve
the Scopitone -pronounced scope it tone-
coin-operated music film jukebox.
These machines were made in the 1960's,and
used a film reel changer (No loop catridges).

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Ari Nordström
Master Film Handler

Posts: 283
From: Göteborg, Sweden
Registered: Jan 2000

posted 09-12-2000 05:00 PM

I'm forwarding your post to a friend who just might be able to help you, or know someone who could.

Incidentally, I ran some Scopitone reels at a film festival about two years ago. The audience loved them. The leaders were a problem, though; the holes made for the jukebox had a hard time passing through our 16mm film gate...

But the films really were hilarious.

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Ken Layton
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1452
From: Olympia, Wash. USA
Registered: Sep 1999

posted 09-13-2000 01:32 AM

I worked on several of them over the years. The American (Tel-A-Sign) made ones were much more reliable than the French models.

The projectors were made by Cameca and used the RCA 400 series 16mm sprockets.

Also try posting on the newsgroup: alt.collecting.juke-boxes

Here are some websites on Scopitones: www.gameroomantiques.com www.stim.com/Stim-x/9.4/scopitone/scopitone-09.4.html
http://hjem.get2net.dk/jack_stevenson/scopi.htm
www.homestead.com/hackmechanicalmusic/index.html

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Ken Layton
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1452
From: Olympia, Wash. USA
Registered: Sep 1999

posted 09-13-2000 09:19 AM

Some of the films like "Yellow Haired Woman" and "Small Potatoes" I believe were shot at Universal Studios in Technicolor.

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John Schulien
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 206
From: Chicago, IL, USA
Registered: Nov 1999

posted 09-13-2000 11:00 AM

In case you weren't aware, scopitone films for these jukeboxes appear CONSTANTLY on ebay. They were meant for rear projection, so the titles come out backwards, unless you aim the projector sideways, and use a mirror to flip the image left/right.

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Ken Layton
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1452
From: Olympia, Wash. USA
Registered: Sep 1999

posted 09-13-2000 11:54 PM

Soundies were printed backwards, not Scopitone films.

Soundies were optical sound and Scopitones were MAGNETIC sound.

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Zach McQuaid
Film Handler

Posts: 37
From: Erie, Pennsylvania, USA
Registered: Sep 2000

posted 09-14-2000 12:00 AM

Try Yahoo

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Robert Throop
Master Film Handler

Posts: 412
From: Vernon, NY USA
Registered: Jun 99

posted 09-15-2000 11:08 AM

When I was a kid My dad serviced 16mm projectors. He had a bunch of musical shorts
from the forties. The titles were all backwards. I thought they were defective. Many years later I found out they were soundies.

------------------
Bob Throop

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John Pytlak
Film God

Posts: 9987
From: Rochester, NY 14650-1922
Registered: Jan 2000

posted 09-15-2000 11:48 AM

Anyone who finds "soundies" or other potentially rare film footage should contact film archives to see if there is an interest in preserving the material. If there is a copyright or other information of ownership on the film, contact the copyright owner.

Many filmed performances of comedy and musical acts of the 30's, 40's and 50's only exist through the luck of finding these "music videos" of their day, since the original materials may not have been stored properly, or kept at all.

Here are some film preservation links for organizations that can be contacted:
http://lcweb.loc.gov/film/orgs.html
http://www.afionline.org/preservation/about/links.html
http://www.eastman.org/10_colmp/10_index.html
http://lcweb.loc.gov/rr/mopic/
http://www.filmpreservation.org/
http://www.cinema.ucla.edu/

IMHO, film and video in personal collections for personal use is fine, but if the material is rare and important, it should be shared through recognized archives.

------------------
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 Fax: 716-722-7243
E-Mail: john.pytlak@kodak.com

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David Kilderry
Master Film Handler

Posts: 355
From: Melbourne Australia
Registered: Sep 1999

posted 09-15-2000 08:48 PM

I owned a Scopitone for several years and have since passed it on to another contributor to this site. There were a few around in Australia, my particular unit was located in the foyer of the the Odeon and Times Newsreel Theatrette here in Melbourne.

I know of another example in good condition with stacks of film.

At an auction here about 4 years ago I came across a Mills Panoram, a much earlier version of the Scopitone.

David

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