We were discussing the various ways Icabod and other Derann releases were spooled differently at times over on the other forum recently.

This latest here of mine highlights the crazy and often different spooling policies that Derann carried out at times with these.

Take a look at these four reels of film here for example. While i am extremely pleased the film has arrived with me as it was released with all original parts totally uncut, it really makes no sense whatsoever why this one finished up on 4 x 600ft reels aside perhaps from the original negative joins??



Reel 3 is practically overflowing the 600ft reel, while reels one and four have between 300ft and 400ft on them???

The film only lasts 81 minutes so would easily fit on 3 x 600ft reels and no doubt others Derann sent out of this title, were placed on reels that way just like they chopped and changed with the Aladdin release on many occasions. One minute 4x600ft, next 3x 600ft??

Yes never did understand why they did that ,is it cut to the end of the nearest scene ?,or maybe just came back from labs like it and derann had to spool it that way .

It is a combination of both of what you say I'm guessing Nigel, but then again, there seems no consistency with these things.

I've had two of the same film before now with original tails placed in different sections of the film?

I was wondering with the Disney films at least it may have been the way Disney supplied the negatives, I doubt Derann or the labs would have been allowed to cut or join up the negative reels in any way, I think Disney supplied negatives to Derann rather than positives ?

I agree with what you are saying bill but they also did it on non disney titles aswell.

Next time I talk to Ged (ex Derann) I will ask him, I am sure he could shed some light on it.

And they weren't always the same Bill, like the Aladdin example I gave earlier.

Sometimes 3x 600ft sometimes 4x 600ft??

I Don't know how they went on with the lay away scheme with these, selling them by the reel?

I've got PREDATOR, which was released 4 x 600ft I think, and the last two spools fit onto one 800ft spool.

Didnt know that Derann changed spooling arrangements on the same film title.

So what will you do with this Andrew. Im guessing you will leave it on the 4x600 as you dont like cutting original leaders (neither do I BTW).

Graham S

Yes Graham, given its value, I'm afraid it will stay as is this one. It would have been nice to have seen it just once projected using one 1600ft spool though Graham.

As Andrew said,it is a combination of both,mainly the studios supplying different size reels. But I don't mind. If there are two successive reels with only 400 ft of film,I put them on a 800 ft one,...and gain two empty 600 ft ones, like I did with reels 1 and 2 of CALAMITY JANE. If you have the original cover,it is easily detached,sometimes being not glued on the (flimsy) box at all, and glued on the new one. If the reel with 400 ft is among two full 600 ft ones,I put the part on a 400 ft reel and,again, gain the 600 footer, and keep the film in the original box! Additionally,only the "newer" films, including the Disneys,were put in one box. Older ones, lile EL CID,THOSE MAGNIFICENT MEN.....etc were put in single reel boxes.

Or even a,combination of both like I've seen on many 4x 600ft boxed features.
You'd have 3 plain white card 600ft boxes inside an outer large box with the cover art on it.

Then you'd have the first number one reel, part one of the feature in its own single white card 600ft box with the cover art repeated again on it.

Then they would send the whole package out, bundled together by placing two elastic bands around the whole arrangement.

Pure magic. Just love these type of later bundled prints!