click to enlargeHere's an exceptional, and extremely rare historic film. In fact in 15 years of collecting I have never been able to find another print of E.W. Hammon's "War in China". (Incidentally, this is a very different film from the Castle Film of the same name, and nearly twice as long). The film graphically depicts the Japanese invasion of China and the assault on Shanghai, with many foreigners caught in the middle of the Imperial Japanese Forces and Nationalist Army. Much of the material in this film I've never seen in any other film on this topic. It was independently released and so does not seem to use the standard newsreel footage that you have already seen...
Absolutely heartwrenching to watch this film, even seventy years after these war crimes were committed by the Japanese.
I'm not an attorney but I believe this is a public domain film so you can use it on your website, as stock footage, etc.
Some really fantastic fantastic footage in here! See photos.
Condition is good. There is no vinegar odor. SOUND film runs about 19 minutes. All photos are from actual film for sale.
Bid now and secure your price point -- remember basic strategy for bidding -- if you want this item for $40 and some other person would only bid up to $39, by bidding first you beat them out.
Save a film from destruction -- adopt one today and preserve it!
See photos they describe this better than I ever could! Due to the proliferation of film to video transfer, all films are now sold "as is" no returns, no exchanges. I try to describe items accurately but some condition aspects of these items are subjective. Cans are not included in the auction unless mentioned or shown. Foreign bidders please use the shipping calculator at the bottom of the auction to avoid confusion or disappointment. Films shipped overseas are subject to handling fees as they must be accompanied by customs forms and hand delivered to the post office.
I do not negotiate shipping rates but I do combine shipping on multiple items purchased. Just wait for me to send you a combined invoice after purchase, please.
People often ask, how can I get the 16mm film I won transferred to DVD so I can watch it? Contact me at the end of the auction for more information.
Another common question, is this film a sound film or a silent film? In almost every case, items described as "home movies" are silent films. How do you tell the difference? Silent films have sprockets on both sides, and sound films only on one side.
Some people want to know, "how long is this film"? Well that's an interesting question. Sound films run at 24 frames per second, but silent films were often shot at a slower rate, 18 frames per second. This means that while a 400' reel of sound movies runs about 11 minutes long, a similar 400' reel of silent movies will run 14.5 minutes or so if projected at the proper speed. Similarly, a 100' reel of film will run three to four minutes.
Finally, people ask about vinegar odor and/or the "mothball" smell. The mothball or camphor smell is actually nothing to worry about -- it's a residue left over from camphor oil which was recommended by Kodak to keep films supple. Back in the 20s and 30s Kodascope film cans actually had a paper filter built into them which could be saturated with a drop of camphor oil, and it seems to have worked effectively. I haven't heard the whole story but someone said its use was discontinued during WWII due to military use of camphor.
Different situation if a film is emitting a vinegar odor, that indicates it is beginning to deteriorate. Films that have light vinegar odor are almost always projectable and can be telecined. Films with heavier levels of odor or full blown "vinegar syndrome" -- an extreme version of the problem -- may require care, treatment with chemicals or molecular sieves, or other handling or repair before transfer. In some extreme cases they may not be salvageable. You can read a lot more about this on-line.
16mm and 8mm films qualify for Media Mail shipping in the USA, although with small reels we will sometimes ship by First Class or Priority Mail, our choice please. Foreign bidders, please note that USPS prices for heavy films can be prohibitive.