BACKGROUND INFO:
I am not a ‘film enthusiast’ and my past working life has revolved around electronics (many fields including communications, industrial and audio) and “The Arts”, more specifically, creative arts such as handcrafted fine china, ceramics and landscape artworks.
An associate has asked me to help find new owners for HIS large collection of photographic and film items … this is yet another one of those items. I am frequently asked “THE QUESTION”
So how many films do you have, Russ?
My response is … boxes and boxes of them, perhaps 250+ films are now left for me to look through … plus a few projectors
Another question I am often asked “Can I come and have a browse through the films?” Sorry, but the answer has to be a flat NO!
ALL film stock is safely away in my storage units, nice n cool and out of harms way, each day (or so) I will retrieve a few films, take a look (and smell!) at each film … absolutely NO ONE can just casually “browse” the collection. My associate wouldn’t like that and neither do I.
There is a lot of detail on this page plus even more HERE … I strongly suggest anyone who is interested in this film to read everything carefully, including looking at the link. To not do so is at your own peril!
Vinegar Syndrome “smell test” = Negative
BABES IN TOYLAND
Hal Roach Studios
Title: Babes In Toyland (also known as March Of The Wooden Soldiers) 1934
Catalogue # Unknown
400 Feet Clear KELVIN (Australia) reel
White leader film is fitted but no film clip
Film is within a SCHNEIDER (Germany) two part case, labelled with White paper which has typewriter created text.
Black & White
Sound (Mono)
Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy play Stannie Dum and Ollie Dee, who attempt to save Widow Peeps shoe-shaped home from the evil Silas Barnaby

COSMETIC CONDITION:
USED
CLEAN
The reel is not cracked or damaged
The SCHNEIDER two part case is in very good condition, clean with no obvious physical damage such as cracks etc.
Although the case has simple identification, the KELVIN reel does not – no identification markings at all.
NO personal writing on the case or film reel
TESTING:
Test machine: ELMO 1200ST
The projector film path has been completely cleaned prior to running this film through the machine. I now have a “running sheet”, my maintenance schedule if you like – I record when each maintenance is performed because I am running a lot of films through the machine.
I ran the 400′ reel through the projector for approximately the first five minutes only, to observe the picture and check that the sound quality.
The contrast (and BW colouring) is fine, Greys ~ Blacks with perhaps just the slightest hing of a Yellowish tinge but nothing dramatic.
The sound is also fine, good level and clear.
SPECIAL NOTE: I felt I needed to add this little note … whilst viewing the film on the screen, it actually looks “reasonable” but it has become apparent to me that my antiquated digital camera (very old, one of the very first ‘point n shoot’ models!) just isn’t up to the task in regard to colour or Black & White representation (it is good at the Red end of the spectrum but poor in the Blues and tends to give Monochrome pictures a Reddish tinge as well) nor does it have the ability to portray contrast properly, it loses the plot if the screen is too bright. The screen shots I take have been made with the film on pause (so the projector lamp is much dimmer) but I felt this method gave better representative photographs. The photographs are only a very rough guide for what to expect but in reality the film is not as bad as in the photographs. At least you can see that the film has actually been run through the projector!
This film is now stored in a cool, low humidity environment while it awaits a new projector to bring it back to life again!