This very well regarded Super 8mm distributor started trading on 5thJanuary 1978 according to Companies House and like Powell Films there were based in a very prestigious part of the UK namely 39 Windsor End, Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire nearby to the posh Stoke Poges Golf course.
The company was formed by an affable gentleman by the name of Ralph Gill and the premises in Beaconsfield was a lot larger than most of the southern film distributors at the time and boasted of a large hire film library too.
Like Derann Ralph had a contract with EMI Films UK and went on to release some best selling feature films in abridged 72-minute versions on 4 x 400ft spools such as,
Tales of Beatrix Potter-1971; Up Pompeii-Frankie Howard-1971; Hell Drivers-Stanley Baker-1957; Odd Man Out-James Mason-1947; The 39 Steps-Robert Donat-1935; The League of Gentlemen-Jack Hawkins-1960.
Most of the above were released in condensed 400ft 18 minute cut down versions which were usually very well edited to give some of the highlights of the films.
They also pioneered the release of a longer double album that they called the 600 series that gave the buyer over 30 minutes of screen time and also helped the editor to construct a more coherent storyline. Films released in this format included, Assault on Precinct 13-John Carpenter-1976; Soft Beds Hard Battles-Peter Sellers-1974; The Belstone Fox-Eric Porter-1973; Odd Man Out-James Mason-1947; Evergreen-Jessie Matthews-1934; The Wicked Lady-Margaret Lockwood-1945; Golden Rendezvous-Richard Harris-1977.
However the all time popular title for them was ‘Watership Down’ which was released as part of their 600 series in both mono and a stereo version that was recorded by Ralph Gill himself in the shop!
Some wag drew over the poster at Paramount HQ with the words. You’ve seen the film, read the book, now eat the stew!!
Ralph also put on the occasional very popular Saturday morning show at the nearby Chiltern Cinema located in Beaconsfield town Centre. They eventually went over fully to Video in the early eighties and Derann took over the rights to re-print some of the more popular titles such as ‘Watership Down ‘ and ‘Assault on Precinct 13’ on low fade film stock.
Sadly there foray into the short lived video boom including filming weddings didn’t go well and the company went into liquidation on 4THDecember 1991.
© Mark Williams 2019
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