Library Knows Film Buffs Love Bidder-Sweet Endings

More than 500 films, from how-to’s to silent classics, will be auctioned off through Aug. 16 at the Fullerton Public Library, which is selling its 16-millimeter collection.

The collection is being sold because it’s too expensive to maintain, library officials said. A single new 16-millimeter print costs from $300 to $600; scores of videotapes can be purchased for that amount.

Among the titles for sale:

* The 1922 German film “Nosferatu,” the first screen telling of Bram Stoker’s Dracula story.

* “Pool Sharks,” W. C. Fields’ first film, a 13-minute silent made in 1915.

* Laurel and Hardy’s 1928 “Two Tars,” about two sailors who cause a traffic jam.

* Buster Keaton’s “Cops,” a 20-minute comedy about a man who accidentally disrupts a parade. The 1922 action classic has aerial chase scenes in downtown Los Angeles.

* “Becoming American,” a 1983 documentary of a Hmong family immigrating to the United States.

Other titles include: “Weaving,” “India: an Introduction,” “The Harp Seal,” “Welcome to Golf” and “Managing Stress.”

The starting bid on short films is $1; films from 10 to 24 minutes long start at $2; anything longer starts at $3. Bidding is open, so bidders will know what has been offered for each and can top it.

Bid forms and a complete list of the films are available at the audiovisual desk of the library at 353 W. Commonwealth Ave. Or call the desk at (714) 738-6330 to ask about specific titles and the condition of the films.