Need some help identifying old Kodak reversal film

[Alowisney]

I picked up a box of miscellaneous darkroom stuff from a local thrift store and it came with two Watson bulk film loaders. One is loaded with film that is obviously black and white and had part of a box taped to the outside listing it as Tri-X Pan and a date of September 1973. The other is more mysterious. It has this hand written label:

DSC09646 by Alowisney, on Flickr

Here's what the film actually looks like:

DSC09649 by Alowisney, on Flickr

Any idea what it might be? Any chance that it could still be shot?

 

[sevo]

I've never seen anything quite as red as that - for technical reasons, even film with a relatively colourful emulsion side ought to have a dark backing with only a moderate tint. This rather looks as if that antihalation backing had partially faded or decayed, and the even more fragile sensitizers and colour couplers won't have fared much better.

Have you tried to unroll some of it? The bit sticking out there for 40 years may have suffered worse than the film still on the bulk roll. But if all of it is like that, I am somewhat sceptical that there is still a visible colour image to be got from it, regardless of what you do. If any, black and white processing might still be possible.

In any case, it will be E-4 (the Kodak reversal process of that period) film, and there are only a couple of specialists that can still process it - having just a few rolls processed (and you will have to waste a roll or two to determine the speed and colour cast) might cost you more than a entire bulk roll of fresh E-6 film and its processing.

 

[Alowisney]

Thanks! I was wondering if E-6 would even be the proper process for film from that time period. I pulled some more from the roll and it's completely clear and all that same color red.

 

[sevo]

Of course, "reversal" is a vague phrase. It might not be colour film at all, but a black and white (reversal) duplicate print film - a red backing would be reasonable on ortho film. If so, all that dye should wash away in water leaving a clear (or if undeveloped and -fixed, milky white) film, and the film will be very low speed, and intended for black and white reversal processing.

 

[thereabouts]

I've no idea about this, other than it reminded me that I saw some red film for sale at this site, which looks similar:

http://filmphotographyproject.com/store/35mm-bw-kodak-positive-microfilm-limited

and perhaps this also, although it's a slightly different shade perhaps?

http://filmphotographyproject.com/store/35mm-bw-kodak-vintage-1981-expired-kodalith-ortho