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 STRANGER WORE A GUN
Columbia Pictures Home Movies (Selected Scenes)
Title: The Stranger Wore A Gun (1953)
Catalogue # Unknown
400 Feet Smokey Clear TUSCAN (Australia) reel
Leader fitted but without a film clip
The owner must have run out of cases for his films, this one has been sitting in a FUJI film can for all these years. These are two part tin cases and seal really nicely.
Colour
Sound (Mono)
Run time: approximately 16 minutes
American Western about Randolph Scott who heads out to Arizona and takes up with George Macready. Both watch and plot as Joan Weldon and her father, ship gold via the stagecoach line – a robbery is afoot!

COSMETIC CONDITION:
USED
CLEAN
The reel is not cracked or damaged
A manually typed label is attached to one side of the can and a handwritten label attached to the reel
NO personal writing on the film reel or 8527 can
Film stock, including the sprocket holes, appears to be physically undamaged ** with a leader film fitted but there is no film clip fitted.
** Please read my comments about this leader film below
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 looks to be clean and in good condition, sprocket holes are not damaged although I am not sure about the leader film section. I fed the film into the projector and played as normal but upon rewinding, the leader jammed in the film path and I don’t think the sprockets of the leader film are “quite right” – I have seen this before with very old leader films. The actual motion picture film is fine though.
I ran the film through the projector for approximately the first five minutes, to observe the picture and check that the sound quality.
Another “reasonable film”, sure the Reds and Pinks feature the most but there are plenty of Browns due to the presence of the Greens, sadly though I could not see any signs of any Blues remaining. The picture remains quite watchable albeit saved by the presence of the Greens showing in some of the landscape, the sky and generally softening the Pink/Red overall hue.
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. I am trying to take screen shots while the projector is paus