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 350+ 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
THE TRAP
Rank Organisation Home Movies (Selected Scenes)
Walton 8 Films
Title: The Trap (1966)
Catalogue # A892
400 Feet Black Grasso (Italy) reel
Leader film fitted, although a short length.
NO film clip fitted
Colour
Sound (Mono)
Run time: approximately 16 minutes
A fur trapper takes a mute girl as his unwilling wife to live with him in his remote cabin in the woods

COSMETIC CONDITION:
USED
CLEAN
The original cardboard box is in pretty good condition, a bit tired looking I guess but holding together.
The reel is not cracked or damaged
NO personal writing on the film reel or the outer cardboard box
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.
Film stock on the reel, including the sprocket holes, appears to be physically undamaged
I ran this film through the projector for approximately the first five minutes, to observe the picture and check that the sound quality.
Upon viewing, I was immediately hit by all the Blues! The river in the opening scene was actually a nice Blue but then as the film progressed I noticed that the film was mainly Blues & Reds, with little show by the Greens. Now I have nothing against a Blue-Red movie (it actually looks a lot better than all Red) but it was a bit disconcerting to see the lake scenes (when the trapper is first offered the girl) and the water is Purple! Not Blue. Nice scenery but those lack of Greens mean that the trees look Brownish, like a bush fire had just been through. Still not a bad picture, just that the colours are a bit out of whack.
The sound is fine, clear and easy to understand and at a good level – no issues here.
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 representation nor the ability to portray contrast properly. The screen shots I now take are while I have paused the frame in an effort to get an improved image. This means the picture has less light (dimmer) and it is often difficult to pause the film in the correct place so that the picture doesn’t look too blurry. The photographs are only a very rough guide for what to expect but in reality the film is better than showing in the photographs … if anything, at least you can see that the films have actually been run through the projector.