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Are there any archives that sell DVD copies of a public domain movie transfers with no donor restrictions and allow you experiment with it? I want to try tinting one or two public domain silent movies using a psychedelic color palette, including one that was not originally tinted.

How about the LoC?

Indeed. They even have a web page with their rates right here. The video/tape transfer file rate applies when the title you're requesting has already been digitized, so you may not have to pay the higher film transfer rate for the subjects you're looking for.

Ben

Have you tried archive.org?

I checked with LOC a few months back about a film and it was almost $800 so be prepared.....

There are tons of PD films available on DVD from the National Film Preservation Foundation.

Regarding LoC, even if it's a public domain film you want and are willing to play the price, you still might not be able to get it. I made a recent attempt to get a short 1913 film, and the reply from LoC stated the film "belongs to the Paul Killiam Collection which was purchased by Worldview Entertainment. Written permission from Worldview Entertainment is required to obtain a copy of this film", I wrote several letters/emails asking Worldview Entertainment for that written permission, but never received any reply.

That's what OP meant by "no donor restriction."

Thanks for the information, all who replied.
I'd like to add Eastman House to the list, though they do have a few restrictions.
If anyone else can add to the list, feel free.

I do business with the LOC in obtaining PD films for transfers and they are great to deal with.You also might want to try UCLA, as I heard they do transfers as well.One archive that doesn't do transfers of their film holdings is MoMA, for which is a real shame since they have a great collection.Does the Eastman house do video transfers as well?Would love to know.

Of course you could also simply buy PD films that came out on 'official' DVD.

UCLA and GEH do not sell films from their archives, at least as far as I have ever experienced.

I recently asked someone at UCLA (once again) about The Barker and got the same old song and dance about copyrights on a film older than my mother, a film that will never get a DVD/Blu release, a film that will (likely) never be shown on TCM. Enjoy those rights, boys!

George Eastman House does offer "archival film prints"
http://www.eastmanhouse.org/media/pdf/a ... m.list.pdf" target="_blank

Sounded too good to be true.... and it WAS! The prints listed on the GEH page are for institutional rental... no sales.

Maybe so, but festivals that screen 35mm archival prints can certainly screen these titles.

Yes but they do not sell archive films.

drednm wrote:UCLA and GEH do not sell films from their archives, at least as far as I have ever experienced.

I recently asked someone at UCLA (once again) about The Barker and got the same old song and dance about copyrights on a film older than my mother, a film that will never get a DVD/Blu release, a film that will (likely) never be shown on TCM. Enjoy those rights, boys!

If you want to work about getting the law changed, be my guest. I don't like it either. But it's hardly "the same old song and dance" for major institutions to remind you that there are laws regarding copyright, and that they are subject to those laws.

Actually the GEH list referenced had some interesting films like Constance Talmadge's Breakfast Before Sunrise and Gloria Swanson's Her Husband's Trademark and For Better, for Worse. Have these ever been trotted out and shown at any venues?

And Rodney, yes it is the same old song and dance even if it's a legal one.

Breakfast at Sunrise (1928) was shown at Cinecon in 2001. I remember because it was my first Cinecon. Apparently it had also been shown there sometime in the 1990s, because people complained that it was a repeat.

Good to know someone blew off the mummy dust at some point... This Talmadge film is in the Cohen Group catalog but beyonf that, no info on its condition or any future plans....

Breakfast at Sunrise is screening at the Silent Movie Theater on September 4th.

http://www.cinefamily.org/films/the-sil ... mille-1926