Where can I buy the actual Video tape of the 1964 NFL Championship
game between the Cleveland Browns and Baltimore Colts?  NFL films only
has a compilation highlight tape.

Mike -- 

I saw that game on a B-W TV set in Cleveland Heights.  You wouldn't
settle for old memories, would you?

The Browns have the 1964 Media Guide online:
http://www.clevelandbrowns.com/history/results/pdf/1964.pdf

But neither the Browns, nor the Canton Football Hall-of-Fame, nor ESPN
Classic have the actual film available.  I even checked the ESPN
Classic schedule for the next two months and they don't have it coming
up in the next 60 days.

However, there's one other possible source that doesn't have it today
-- but may have it in the future.  I'll keep you apprised.

In the meantime -- Go Browns!

Omnivorous-GA

Mike --

Early games were filmed instead of videotape, so they were on
celluloid and will deteriorate, especially if exposed to heat, light
or humidity.  It's well-known that many Hollywood films were not
stored properly; network films of news or sporting events weren't
appreciated for their future value either, so were not archived well.

Only in 1963 did NFL Films began to acquire the rights to films. 
However, few complete game films exist before 1970, according to Doak
Lewis, of Rare Sportsfilms, Naperville, IL.  According to a fellow GA
researcher, mwalcoff, there are bootleg copies of games as early as
1958, but many later games (including SuperBowl II) have been lost to
history.

BUT DON'T DESPAIR!  Rare Sportsfilms has a 1964 video called "Prelude
To A Championship" (1964 Cleveland Browns) for $29.95.  According to
Mr. Lewis it includes "substantial portions" of the championship game.
 For some strange reason, it's not listed on their website:
http://www.raresportsfilms.com/

Actually, I asked Mr. Lewis about it and he said "Aw, if you don't see
something you should just pick up the phone and call us."  That number
is (630) 527-8890.

Google search strategy:
*  using Google to search NFL, Football Hall-of-Fame, ESPN and
Cleveland Browns sites
*  looking through the ESPN Classic calendar to see if the game would
come up
*  search terms: Browns + Colts + 1964
*  calling Mr. Lewis and asking about the 1964 game.  

Best regards,

Omnivorous-GA