Do they make kids handheld movie projector toys anymore?

July 20, 2009 2:31 PM

Do they make kids handheld movie projector toys anymore?

I don't quite remember the form factor and "projector" is not actually correct, but as a lad in the 70's I had this toy that you could put 8mm film cartridges of some sort into. It wasn't actually a projector because you had to look inside an eyepiece to see the cartoon, I mainly remember Disney cartoon loops of a minute or so. . Can't remember what the light source was, if it was a lamp, ambient light or what.

In any case, failing memory aside, is there anything like this on the market today, esp. for kids?

posted by jeremias to technology (6 comments total)

If you're talking about the same thing I remember from the 90s, then they still exist. I saw some (in Walmart, or someplace like that)...easy to miss...just like they still have Tamagotchis in some stores, but you have to look for them.
I hope you find one! I wish I still had mine.
posted by lhude sing cuccu at 2:51 PM on July 20

Oh yes! This was my favorite toy growing up, it's by Fisher Price. There were a few different models but maybe this is the one you had.
posted by MaryDellamorte at 3:15 PM on July 20

And it looks like you can buy them on Ebay.
posted by MaryDellamorte at 3:15 PM on July 20

I had that Fisher Price Movie Viewer that MaryDellamorte links too--still have it in fact. It has yellow cartridges, is handcranked, and the light source is a little prism-shaped window on one side, meaning you need to turn that side toward an external light source in order to see well. It has a focus wheel as well.
posted by padraigin at 3:52 PM on July 20

Yep, that's it. Hmm, the "Movie Viewer", so logical. I wonder if there are any updated versions as lhude sing cuccu alluded to . . .
posted by jeremias at 5:30 PM on July 20

And yes - they still make similar toys.

My son got a "Bakugon" viewer last year. There were additional cartridges you could buy and you could see the movie (yes, if you turned the crank fast enough, it was "animated") in the viewfinder, or project it onto something (in a dark room).

(Lasted about 2 weeks until it broke...)
posted by jkaczor at 7:06 PM on July 20