Hugh ... SNAP it was those Captain Ads in Famous Monsters Of Filmland and Monster World that
really got me going and fired up to buy a proper projector so I could watch those Castle horror
films in my own home. I used to drool over them for hours and dream that one day I would
get them. That Thunderbird projector really fascinated me as a kid and was the one I wanted.
I never did get it though.
I can tell you something though I still have those original issues of F.M. and M.W. and others
and will never part with them. I still read them to this day and have many of them.
Here are the covers of the first three issues I bought away back then.

You're right Andrew, I get just as much buzz now than I did then sat watching super 8, I'm like a kid in a sweet shop at times . Does anyone remember Regent Films in Blackpool, I used to pass there frequently looking enviously at all the films I couldn't afford, even in 1980 Flight Of The Phoenix 400' was £30.00 which was about a weeks wages at the time, fantastic times, fantastic memories, thank you Douglas for starting a brilliant thread.

I don't Del and we were always at Blackpool as kids. Whereabouts was it?

I used to love that camera shop close to Winter Gardens that always had loads of decent cine gear in his front window though! I was always first to it after getting off the railway station at Blackpool North!
It was in the same era as they had Waltzers etc in the Winter Garden s basement.

South Shore mate, next to what was the Regent Cinema, on the bridge over the train lines, was it Regent Street? I know it lead to Watson Road because I lived quite close to it in the late 60's early 70's. Not a million miles away from the pleasure beach.

Crikey, I must have almost walked past an Aladdin's cave hundreds of times all those years back! Arghhh.

Did you used to have Big Dipper Del? 200ft Mountain col/snd film featuring Blackpool's infamous old wooden rollercoaster. I loved it when I had it as a kid.
There was a shot where it features my cousin on it just getting off the ride. She too grew up in Blackpool for a time before they moved to the Isle Of Man.

Yes Andrew I have it in fact I have 3 including Roller Coaster, Double dipper (Blackpool) and the 50' stereo scope one (I have 2 of those) I also took some footage when me and the wife was courting in the 80's of the pleasure beach with quite a few rides no longer there.

I take it you know where Regent Films was?

You're welcome Del as I feel like Andrew in that I still get a thrill out of watching films like I did as a youth. That's what makes this hobby rather magical to me (and so many others.) David, I too collected " Famous Monsters" and loved the film ads in the back of the magazine. Wasn't the Thunderbird projector offered actually a Brumberger? I may be totally wrong on that account but it reminded me of one.

I still have some old Regents films lists in my catalogue archive files.

I'm sure I do too David, I have a box full of mags/sales sheets, must look through them one day

To Del, yes mate as soon as you said whereabouts it was. I never knew it was there though, back in the day.

Next time you're watching Rollercoaster or Big Dipper, whichever one it was, look out for our Barbara. She had distinctive long Brown very straight hair and is sat with her then boyfriend before exiting the ride.

I think it was actually called Rollercoaster now I am visualizing it Del.
Strange really as the ride it was taken on was most definitely the big dipper, the one with the funny shaped dome on top.

Blackpool had three wooden rollercoaster s as I'm remembering, The Grand National, the old original lame wooden rollercoaster and The Big Dipper.

Yes Andrew there was three back in the day, I'll have a look when I dust down the old projectors and take them out of hiding I must have a look through my catalogues etc and see if I can find anything relating to Regent Films.

I found your site,surprisingly, while trying to trace Bill Davison! I bought Regent Films in Blackpool from Les Siddall around 1980...Derek Simmonds was going to buy Regent but pulled out when the excellent staff, Gordon Hastie, took a job at the Grand Theatre in Blackpool., and Les who was keen to retire asked me to step in...I am the former proprietor of Phoenix Films in Wigan, some of you may remember if youre as old as me!. The advantage in buying Regent to me was that Les had access to deals from the American 8mm distributors like Blackhawk, Thunderbird, etc, and in particular had a good deal that brought the original Ken Films 400 ft digests in to the UK...the prints were far superior to the UK produced prints released by my friend Peter Burt at Mountain Films. Regent in Blackpool was on Waterloo Road, next to the Palladium Bingo, a former cinema. It is now as far as I know part of the Palladium complex...I've not been in that part of Blackpool for many years. Most of the 8mm shops had to embrace video in the early days of VHS/Beta and tried to market 8mm package movies alongside VHS and Beta at first, but the market for film gradually shrank and while it was kept going at a loss because of my interest, and the interest of others like Cyril Owens at Jubilee Films, Derek Simmonds of course, Ralph Gill at PM Films, Dave West at Davelyn on the Isle Of Wight, and Keith Perry and Barry Wiles. A small shop, a very small shop like Regent did not have space for the amount of stock(video) required, and 8mm had become basically a competitive mail order business. Regent, and Phoenix, closed around 1982. Regent Films at started in Bolton,, and moved to Blackpool when Les Siddall and his wife moved to Blackpool. The first shop in Blackpool was in the centre of town, possibly 'Regent Street'...I'll have to check that. I've still got lots of catalogues and other stuff, so if anyone has any questions, just ask.

I hear that Bill Davison died in the 1980s...I wanted to ask him whether any former members of the Dewsbury Amateur Cine Society were still around...I'sorting through lots of 9.5 material and have found a 9.5 copy of a short made by them, on 9.5, and will eventually pass it on probably to the Yorkshire Film Archive. I'd be grateful for any information.

Nice to have more film royalty here!
Welcome Steve, I am certain many can learn a great deal from yourself regarding releases etc etc.

The day has begun brighter already!
Thank you and well done Steve for joining us all here. I hope you visit the site regularly and enjoy your time with us all here.

I was a frequent visitor myself of Jubilee films as a kid of the 70's. I bought my very first sound film there in fact before I even had the projector to screen it with. Ha ha.

I'm really only interested in Super 8mm film but we do have one or two people here that are interested in 9.5mm so hopefully they may be able to answer your question Steve.
The main man I know on such matters is surely a collector you know yourself, Mr Lee Mannering.
He joined us briefly here once but sadly is no longer a member here but I believe he still is over at film tech forum if you wanted to ask Lee your question Steve.
I doubt there would be much he wouldn't know on 9.5mm
He was/ is a very keen collector.

Welcome to the Forum Steve. I used to buy from Regent films , Niles, Blackhawk. Wish I had kept both my catalogues. The best print I had from Mountain was 'Flying Deuces' L&H; I have 2 digital copies, and they don't match this print.

Hi Steve, greetings, what a history you bring with you, Phoenix Films, yes remember them, Spaghetti Westerns 400's from Italy.
Regarding Bill Davison, he was still alive in '93/94 when I purchased the better part of his collection. I'd read Tony Churchers
article in the '92 Film For The Collector mag, and was searching out a print, mentioned it to Tony that he inspired me, he was chuffed. I'd only moved into this place, when Bill's list of films arrived,
with a print of "Casablanca", I still have his prints, he used to put a card slip case over them covered in black plastic and a still from the film or poster, very attractive they are too, but take it from me, Bill was well and truly alive and kicking in 1993. I have no idea where he is now, but he did live in Selby, Yorkshire.

Welcome Steve from a member who lives "across the pond."

Welcome Steve. We look forward to your topics and posts.
I bought some films from Regent Films but I don't recall dealing with you.
I remember your adverts though.