I've just had in "Fantasia" titles and opening sequence, where the orchestra warms up and the conductor explains what the audience is about to see. It's about 100' colour sound in excellent condition, but as I've never had a copy before, I was wondering how rare it was, any thoughts, it looks like it could be a Derann print (quality is very good), any feedback would help.

As I understand Barry, various clips were released over a period of time by Derek, as you know, the clips were announced on his listings,
now how many sequences in total were done, it would mean a trawl through the mags, or maybe Keith Wilton would be the man to ask, as he used to review them. I know that the German company Piccolo used to release excerpts too. I often wonder if it was a "white box" job, as why the full feature wasn't released in one go eludes me.

Hugh,

I've just been told that a Cleethorpes dealer released this a few years back, I wonder how many were sold though?

I wouldn't know Barry, I do remember the Cleethorpes dealer making the claim that his prints of "Sinbad" didn't have watermarks,
which they did, because they came from Derek and I bought one through the Cleethorpes dealer. Didn't Derann do all sound recording at this time, so they would have "had a hand in it" as it were.

Hello Barry

This is extremely rare and is a great way to put at the start of all the sections of Fantasia that was released on super 8 as far as I was aware it was from Derann and it was made available in the mid 1990's I certainly got mine from Derann and the quality is superb

That certainly rings true David, I can remember in conversation with the "C" dealer, and he wouldn't sell his stuff through DFS, because
he would have to pay commission to Derek, so it sounds as though it was more than likely one from them. I know that any sound recordings on "C"s releases were done at Derann.

Dave,

Well I had it on 'expert' advice, it was definatly the dealer I mentioned, Derann might have stocked them as well of course.

Another little mystery, the one that bugs me is why this film would be split up into various lengths and sold piecemeal, collectors
had complained of lab splices in the middle of their regular prints, ( which to be fair, should have been reflected in the price ) how many splices would be in this feature when all joined up, laughable, which defeats the argument on respliced leads & tails on features
that have been joined up.

Hello Hugh

as far as a know that Derann didn't have the Disney deal at the time with this title so it was brought out in separate sections as the famous "white box specials" it was the same for dumbo that this came out in full length before the deal because it was 2 x 600ft and then when the Disney deal came along Derek had to bring out Dumbo but he knew it wouldn't sell as it had already came out but couldn't say anything.

Hi David, keep flying the flag, its the one known as the "Jolly Roger", just shows how there are more hooks involved in
this hobby than in a fishing tackle box.

As Dave says, fantasia was of course, never released. Only Fantasia 2000.

So from that point of view, these excerpts, even when joined together, hold high appeal to anyone who is an avid Disney fan and collector.

Its exactly this kind of behaviour though that cost Derek his deal with Columbia Films.

Thats exactly right there Hugh, that's why there were only around 10-20 prints of the Close Encounters feature, Columbia were not amused when it was released before there full approval, we also had a catalogue advertising Thunderbirds as a 600 foot cut down. This was also stopped by Columbia. That was a shame.

I'm not a saint by any means, but to do this kind of thing, especially with the Disney lot, is pushing your luck, if they had known about it,
Derann would have been closed years before it did and Derek would have been in serious shit. I don't know if anyone on here remembers,
but when Disney first started releasing the little 200' clips with sound, usually there were two parts, the previous reel was withdrawn,
this is the kind of thinking you're playing with. I remember in conversation with him, he'd just talked me into "Jurassic Park" purchase,
he admitted that he wasn't a Disney fan, as I'd asked him outright, he liked his musicals, but not so keen on Disney, didn't make any difference, he certainly delivered the goods to a lot of keen collectors. So Derek did sail close to the wind on more than one occasion
with his releasing companies. Bad enough when you purchased any of the Columbia shorts, just as the end title finished, threats of depravity and death, plus huge fines and stuff if you even thought of copying this film. Same with DVD, you've already been compared to a car thief, a pick pocket and now a film pirate, then the fines, good job its a widescreen telly, to get all the zero's on.

I haven't run my FANTASIA feature lately but the fact is that,disregarding the italian prints which were discussed at large in the other forum some time back,most all the segments appeared as "white box" in Derann's second hand lists. Two are slightly shortened (Rite of Spring is one) and most are without Deems Taylor's introductions although one has it in French (!). Credits and intro were issued by C. Prevously, only The Sorcerer's Apprentice, (Disney, complete),Dance of the Hours and Pastoral Symphony ,(both from Piccolo,both shortened) were issued officially. So, the complete feature can be assembled from the white box releases and the Disney release of "Sorcerer", running about 110 minutes,ten minutes short of the original's 120.