1958 competitive comparison filmstrip

[Philippe M. Ruel]

Hello

I own some Cadillac filmstrips of the 1950s that I'd like to share.
I recently was able to convert many films and corresponding 33 rpm LPs to digital pictures and sound, I'm now trying to put everything together into movies.

My first try is a 1958 filmstrip called "competitive comparison" between the 1958 Cadillac DeVille and its opponents : 1958 Lincoln Premiere and 1958 Chrysler Imperial. It was intended to be used in Cadillac dealership sellers' information.

The resulting file is heavy (around 36 MB), I cannot post it on this forum. I uploaded it on a server and you may download it : http://dl.free.fr/cowFe5Juh
. Download may take several minutes, the file is a 11-minute video in .wmv format with 640*480 pixel definition.
The original document was in color ; unfortunately only the magenta coat subsists on the film I have, so I converted it to black & white.

I guess there is no more copyright on this material as some similar videos are found on YouTube. Should someone tell me there is a copyright, I will delete the link.

Please let me know if you like it, I will keep on posting new links to such filmstrips.

[Steve Lachowetz (No. 25332)]

Wow, nice job!  Would you mind if I put a copy of it up on my site?

Steve

[Bill Hedge CLC 14424]

Love it!  Interesting comments about Lincoln's inferior unibody construction!  I wish I would have seen this video about a week sooner.  It would have been interesting to look at the Lincoln in more detail.  I just attended a Lincoln region meet a week ago.

Thanks for posting this video!

Bill Hedge

[Mike Josephic CLC #3877]

Philippe:

Great job and thanks for posting! 

Are you able to do this conversion from the old film to digital
on your own or do you have it done by a professional shop?

I'm looking forward to seeing more of your work!  Do you perhaps
have anything coming about 1955?  I hope so since that's my year!

Mike

[Philippe M. Ruel]

Thanks for your comments

@Steve : yes you may use it, please mention it comes from CLC forum.

@Bill : do you plan to attend any Chrysler meet soon ? I'm now working on the Cadillac/Imperial comparison filmstrip .

@Mike : I've been longing for years for hardware, time and software to do this job myself. I have explored many possiblities (scan, projection screen snapshot, direct film snapshot) and finally did it a few weeks ago. I photographed the 35 mm films using a light table, a good digital camera, a good lens (enlarger lens with macro rings), installed on a nothing-shall-move homemade device. The main issue was, reproducing one picture is easy, reproducing series of 50 to 100 pictures with constant standards is another thing.
I'm afraid I don't have anything from 1955, most of this stuff is 1956-1958. I got it from Yann Saunders about 10 years ago.

I will post a second link later in the evening or early tomorrow (it's after 11 PM here).

[Philippe M. Ruel]

The 1958 Cadillac vs. 1958 Chrysler Imperial comparison filmstrip may now be downloaded here : http://dl.free.fr/oMv6LqgYP

[Philippe M. Ruel]

My third filmstrip video is finished, it is available for download here : http://dl.free.fr/m3dvgMUTW

The first 2-3 minutes are instructive but somehow boring. Then it leads you to an exciting tour through Cadillac plants in 1957 - enjoy

[dadscad]

All three were GREAT!

Thank you for putting all of this together.

David

[Philippe M. Ruel]

Fourth filmstrip video, here : http://dl.free.fr/v6FXA3LC2

Here is a "selling lesson" about how to sell a brand new 1956 Cadillac. This one is part 1 - how to locate and contact your prospect, as Cadillac prospects are supposed to be busier than others .
Part 2 (the sale itself) should be online tomorrow.

[Philippe M. Ruel]

Part 2 (the sale itself) should be online tomorrow.

Here it is : http://dl.free.fr/fOtchWHK0

[Quentin Hall]

The buyer was obviously a shrewd businessman able to foresee the future.  "How many plastic parts on a Cadillac ?" Didn't know whether to laugh . . . or cry.

[Philippe M. Ruel]

You're right, I noticed it too, let's blame the person's activity (plastic industry manager) for this.

Here is another one, teaching how to trade a brand new 1957 Coupe De Ville for a used '55 Cadillac or Imperial - and get as much "dimes and nickels" as possible from this : http://dl.free.fr/v5uJjaac7

[Steve Lachowetz (No. 25332)]

Philippe,

What a great job!  Keep them coming.

Steve

[Philippe M. Ruel]

Here is another one, telling sellers at dealerships how to overrule most common objections in buying a 1957 Cadillac : http://dl.free.fr/o2RjWF6YB


You will note the perfidious allusion to 1930s Airflow's infamous design, that seems to have doomed Chrysler for more than 20 years.

[Philippe M. Ruel]

Another one, about how to sell a 1957 Cadillac during summer 1957, when new models are about to come : http://dl.free.fr/jryr3N0Ik

It seems that the older seller's role is played by the same actor who played the buyer (Mr Carter, aka "Mr plastic") in a 1956 film.

[Philippe M. Ruel]

Here is one from 1957, called "It's everybody's job", showing how everyone depends on everyone in a dealership staff, and examining the used cars sales process.

Few photos, mostly drawings, make it a bit less interesting. Here : http://dl.free.fr/pxVV5F55f


I still have 5 filmstrips to digitalize, all from 1957. I'll upload them and post links here progressively.


I have, too, many filmstrips without the corresponding record, and records without films. If you have only records or films and upload them (like I did), I can download them and make videos that everyone can enjoy watching.
I can consider buying at fair prices, but that's not the purpose of this thread.

The filmstrips I have (missing corresponding record) are :
1956 "Quicksand"
1957 "Deadline"
1958 "The talk of the town"

The records I have (missing corresponding film)  are
1956 "Telling and selling the value story"
1958 "Cadillac calling"
1958 "Customized selling"
1958 "Motordom's masterpiece"
1957 "Let's put the show on the road"

[Walter Youshock]

Philip,

These are priceless!  Thanks for doing this. 

I have 2 strips and records from '57--"Let's Put the Show On The Road" and "Gold Is Where You Find It".  I'd be happy to send them to you so you can work your magic!

[Philippe M. Ruel]

Thanks Walter, I just "worked my magic"   this morning on  "Gold is where you find it" (see below).
Strangely enough I have the record and film canister of "Let's put the show on the road'", but I found out upon digitalization that the canister contains another film "Motordom's Masterpiece" for which I have the record.
So "Let's put the show on the road" is missing its film, I edited my former message. Would you be so kind to ship it to me in France ? Or can you upload digital snapshots of the pictures ?


Here are the last videos I did :

1957 "Gold is where you find it", or how to locate prospects. No photographs in this one, only drawings. http://dl.free.fr/n2akv4N1U

1957 "Most important fella" (what a seller should be to his customers, and how to achieve this),  a fine one with many pictures. http://dl.free.fr/nqyND770G

1957 "Prospects by the million" or how Cadillac customers have changed and grown in number since the 1930s. Nice pictures, including a 1933 convertible. http://dl.free.fr/qqYC25sG8

1957 "The competition sells Cadillac" is a comparative "test" with Lincoln and Imperial, like the 1958 one I posted first. Long film, the soundtrack takes both sides of the LP. http://dl.free.fr/qcSHlyt3F

1958 "Motordom's masterpiece", a 2-sided LP introducing the full 1958 Cadillac line. Includes details about air ride, new interiors, etc. A great one, although my LP is damaged, therefore a poor quality sound (many "cracks"). http://dl.free.fr/rCJh1VqTC

[veesixteen]

For those club members who occasionally consult the "Cadillac Database", please note that I created some years ago a section devoted to the kind of audio-visual merchandising materials used for many years by the Cadillac Motor Car Division and that Philippe is now gradually and skillfully "bringing back to life".

Here is the URL: http://www.cadillacdatabase.org/Dbas_txt/Flm_strp.htm.

Just a few days ago I congratulated Philippe on the FANTASTIC job he has done in creating these perfectly usable, digital reproductions of so many original 35mm loop films and related 33rpm audio commentaries from the amazing collection of "insider material" that helped Cadillac to successfully market to generations of owners, the cars we all admire today.

In the 80's and 90's, my son and I traded with Philippe the few films and records that I had acquired over the years, for some 1:8 scale exotic wood models of rare Cadillac cars created for Philippe by some skilled artisans from Africa's Ivory Coast (yes, Cadillacs and Cadillac trivia do come in so many forms and from so many places around the globe!). I know that Philippe has since been able to acquire more of these audio-visual artifacts and is always on the lookout for others. Please help him to help us and the Club to convert and save many more of these "treasures" for the instruction and enjoyment of all. 

Because it forms such an essential part of Cadillac history, Philippe's work deserves (needs!) to be included among the holdings of the club's Museum and Research Center. I would strongly recommend that Paul Ayres (in charge of the CLCMRC) and JC Franchitti (currently responsible for the "Cadillac Database") get together with Philippe to discuss under what conditions this material might be acquired and preserved for the Museum.

What say you all?   

[Walter Youshock]

I'd be more that happy to send you the filmstrip.  I won't try to do the digital photo thing.  There's nothing like the original.

Email me your address and I'll have it in the mail this week.