NitrateVille.com

...is now posted.

Of particular note regarding silents is the premiere, I think, of The White Sister on 31 May (midnight ET on 1 June, technically). The theme of the month is Hispanic images in film or something along those lines, and we get to see the rare 1922 film Big Stakes (with J.B. Warner and Elinor Fair) at 11.45 ET on the 5th. Also of note is a Capra marathon of his early films on the 18th, including 3 with Ralph Graves! Looks like a respectable schedule overall.

-Harold

http://www.tcm.com/schedule/month/?cid=&oid=5/1/2009

3 Sunday
12:00 AM Mysterious Lady, The (1928)
In this silent film, an Austrian officer unwittingly falls in love with a Russian spy. Cast: Greta Garbo, Conrad Nagel, Gustav von Seyffertitz. Dir: Fred Niblo. BW-90 mins, TV-PG

4 Monday
6:00 AM Pilgrim, The (1923)
In this silent film, an escaped convict poses as the new pastor of a small-town church. Cast: Charles Chaplin, Edna Purviance, Syd Chaplin. Dir: Charles Chaplin. BW-40 mins, TV-G

5 Tuesday
8:00 PM Ramona (1910)
In this silent short, a rancher's daughter runs off with a Native. Cast: Mary Pickford, Henry B. Walthall, Francis J. Grandon. Dir: D.W. Griffith. C-17 mins,
8:30 PM Mark of Zorro, The (1920)
In this silent film, a Mexican Robin Hood harasses corrupt Spanish invaders. Cast: Douglas Fairbanks, Marguerite de la Motte, Noah Beery. Dir: Fred Niblo. BW-90 mins, TV-G
10:00 PM Old San Francisco (1927)
In this silent film, an Asian villain menaces a family of aristocratic Spanish settlers. Cast: Dolores Costello, Warner Oland, Anna May Wong. Dir: Alan Crosland. BW-89 mins, TV-G
11:45 PM Big Stakes (1922)
An American cowboy and a Mexican lawman clash over a beautiful woman. Cast: J.B. Warner, Elinor Fair, Les Bates. Dir: Clifford S. Elfelt. BW-61 mins,


10 Sunday
12:00 AM Cheat, The (1915)
In this silent film, a society woman makes a costly bargian to pay off her debts. Cast: Sessue Hayakawa, Fannie Ward, Jack Dean. Dir: Cecil B. DeMille. C-59 mins, TV-PG
1:00 AM Dragon Painter, The (1919)
In this silent film, an artist obsesses over a beautiful woman he believes has been turned into a dragon. Cast: Sessue Hayakawa, Toyo Fujita, Edward Peil, Sr. Dir: William Worthington. BW-53 mins, TV-PG

17 Sunday
12:30 AM Othello (1922)
In this silent film, a famed general is led astray by jealousy and an evil underling. Cast: Emil Jannings, Lya De Putti, Werner Krauss. Dir: Dimitri Buchowetzki. BW-80 mins, TV-PG

24 Sunday
12:00 AM Sailor-Made Man, A (1921)
In this silent film, a feckless young man joins the Navy to prove himself worthy of the girl he loves. Cast: Harold Lloyd, Mildred Davis, Noah Young. Dir: Fred C. Newmeyer. BW-47 mins, TV-G
1:00 AM Shoulder Arms (1918)
In this silent film, a private fresh out of boot camp accepts a daring mission behind enemy lines. Cast: Charles Chaplin, Edna Purviance, Syd Chaplin. Dir: Charles Chaplin. BW-36 mins, TV-G

25 Monday
2:15 AM Big Parade, The (1925)
In this silent film, a young innocent enlists for World War I service but soon learns the horrors of war. Cast: John Gilbert, Renee Adoree, Karl Dane. Dir: King Vidor. BW-126 mins, TV-G

31 Sunday
12:00 AM White Sister, The (1923)
Thinking her lover was killed in the war, a young woman becomes a nun. Cast: Lillian Gish, Ronald Colman, Gail Kane. Dir: Henry King. BW-143 mins,

Harold Aherne wrote:...is now posted. and we get to see the rare 1922 film Big Stakes (with J.B. Warner and Elinor Fair) at 11.45 ET on the 5th.

-Harold

I'm producing Big Stakes for TCM and thanks to the LOC, the video master is absolutely gorgeously tinted and toned. I just got it in yesterday. Also, Ramona, the 1910 Pickford will be playing that night.

THE WHITE SISTER is supposed to be all nicely restored, right?

WaverBoy wrote:THE WHITE SISTER is supposed to be all nicely restored, right?

The print is excelent; a version has been available online (with a permanent TCM logo on the top right side of the screen and French subtitles) for a few years already.

From what I understand, THE MARK OF ZORRO may be the new digitally-cleaned-up transfer with Mont Alto's new score. TCM were planning to license that at some point.

Whoops, another double post. Sorry.

I sure hope that TCM will promote THE WHITE SISTER as a premier. Some of their more recent premier's they never even said a thing in the introduction's that the film was being broadcast for the first time. Such as the Photoplay versions of ORPHANS OF THE STORM, and THE GODLESS GIRL. And it would be wonderful if we could get the brand new restoration of THE MARK OF ZORRO, too.

I don't think I have seen the Pickford short? How unfortunate that the 1928 RAMONA with Delores Del Rio, a huge hit back in the day, with that great song, is considered lost. We might have even seen it selected?

Can't say I am overly enthused with the late. late airing of THE BIG PARADE. Especially after a 4 year hiatus. But at least it is being broadcast. Again, I believe the new restoration will debut in Prime-time once the project is completed for broadcast. I have been assured that it actually is in the works. Chuck Tabesh confirmed this on Monday.

OK, Didn't OLD SAN FRANCISCO run on TCM during last years "Race In Hollywood, Asian Images In Film Festival?" I'm pretty sure that it did. Now it is being shown for the second straight year as part of the Spanish one? I personally like this movie very much, and love Delores Costello. However, a much better choice in my view for the Spanish festival would be Allan Dwan's TIDE OF THE EMPIRE (1929) with Renee Adoree, And Tom Keene. George Fawcett, and William Collier Junior. It has just as much historical context, and the movie hasn't aired in many years on TCM. I would love to see it again. My copy was obtained second hand, and was recorded clear back in 1997 I believe. Didn't have TCM until May of 1999. I do not recall it being shown. I think I saw THE TRAIL OF '98 in 2000 or 2001, but not TIDE OF THE EMPIRE.

I am pretty sure that TIDE OF THE EMPIRE hasn't been on at all since at least that long? Probably not since 1999? The guest host whoever it is this year, should watch this film and see if it doesn't make sense to at least consider making a change? Especially, given that OLD SAN FRANCISCO was part of last years festival?

How about putting this to the vote? Who else here would rather see TIDE OF THE EMPIRE, which some of you have might never seen, instead of OLD SAN FRANCISCO, that many of you have? I might add that TIDE OF THE EMPIRE is a very good movie, and a highly entertaining film, with a terrific Metro-tone score. The print is just beautiful. Even if the final reel is missing. This is probably one of my favorite late 20's Silents. What's more it has Renee Adoree in a top billed Starring role. One of the few, and probably the last of her career at MGM where she was listed first on the Marquee? :

If we let TCM know about this, maybe we can get the films changed? It's worth a try. It worked with Chaney's THE BLACKBIRD, and even got us an American TCM premier that we likely would not have seen at all otherwise.

How about putting this to the vote? Who else here would rather see TIDE OF THE EMPIRE, which some of you have might never seen, instead of OLD SAN FRANCISCO, that many of you have?

I can't help but think that encouraging them NOT to show something, even if it's to show something else, probably is a bad idea. I'm all for encouraging them to show Tide of the Empire, if they already have it; and there's always another month to schedule something in. But they can certainly show Old San Francisco again, too.

But then I've been trying to get The Stranger's Return shown for a decade now, and that never happens.

Now, if you want to suggest they show something instead of their next showing of Stalag 17...

(nothing against Stalag 17, but it sure turns up a lot)

Or "North by Northwest" or "Third Man" or "Philadelphia Story"

Gagman 66 wrote: I don't think I have seen the Pickford short? How unfortunate that the 1928 RAMONA with Delores Del Rio, a huge hit back in the day, with that great song, is considered lost. We might have even seen it selected?

I'm not sure if anyone has confirmed this (maybe Elif knows?) but Ramona from 1928 is believed to exist in the Czech archive. Seethis AMS thread from 2002 for more info.

-Harold

Hey, there is still time to possibly make this happen people. We need to rally together. Maybe it will work? Don't want to press my luck with TCM programmer, or make him feel that I am making a habit out of asking for schedule switches here. But this is a special case, given OLD SAN FRANCISCO was part of last years festival. I don't know who the guest host is going to be for the festival? If I could persuade him/her to perhaps watch TIDE OF THE EMPIRE and see what He/she thinks, It might prove allot better fit for the festival anyway? I sure believe it to be.

The other problem is that TCM may not have TIDE OF THE EMPIRE in the format that they currently use for broadcast? Undoubtedly they don't have. It's about time that they did though. Much easier said than done. I'm sure. The film is long overdue for another air-date! The print is simply gorgeous very sharp and clear, with a bare minumum of artifacts! One of the best perserved of the MGM Silent's, excluding the missing final reel. Oh, how I love this movie! I have waited in vain for it to pop back up on the schedule. Any schedule month after month, and it never has. So frustrating. By contrast, OLD SAN FRANCISCO is one of TCM's most frequently run Silent films.

Here is a link to a version of the beautiful "Josephita" song from the movie. The character was originally planned for Joan Crawford. But the feature was made with Renee Adoree. I just can't imagine Joan in the part to be truthful. Where as ROSE MARIE was intended for Renee, and made with Joan. Strange. The still of the leading man in the film is clearly not the very handsome Tom Keene. I will have to look up who it is, as I have forgotten. I used to know.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8IHfqZwZOD4

Harold,

How is that? I would be elated to learn that the 1928 RAMONA survives! Sure hope that you are correct? If it does exist, has anyone actually seen it? I mean has it been screened anyplace? I would think this would be considered quite a find? Why am I now just hearing about it? The information shouldn't be this obscure.

What about THE BAD ONE, and THE LOVES OF CARMEN??? I know it's listed on the TCM Movie Data Base, but so are a number of other "Lost Silents". I've seen THE RED DANCE, but only in a really cruddy print. Does the Movie-Tone track survive? The film had another good theme song. I have forgotten the name of it, but there is a recording in My Music File someplace. I will see if I can find it.

BAD ONE and LOVES OF CARMEN both survive. I've seen a 16mm print of BAD ONE, and many years ago, a NYC channel had a multi-week series of formerly lost films called "Lost and Found". LOVES OF CARMEN was one of them.

<shrug> I don't KNOW that Ramona exists, I'm just reporting what has been stated by reliable sources. The fact of an archive holding a particular title is rarely newsworthy unless the film has already received a considerable build-up, like Beyond the Rocks or some Chaney pictures. And anyway, Ramona the song is probably more famous than Ramona the movie!

As for Tide of Empire, there are a number of 1928-31 MGM films that never get aired anymore, and you have to wonder if some copyright issue has reared its head that wasn't present when TCM was first launched. Someone on the TCM boards once claimed that as the reason why The Trial of Mary Dugan was not currently being aired. It's unusual that In Gay Madrid, Call of the North, The Great Meadow and others would be allowed to sit on the shelf so long after they had aired already.

-Harold

As for Tide of Empire, there are a number of 1928-31 MGM films that never get aired anymore, and you have to wonder if some copyright issue has reared its head that wasn't present when TCM was first launched. Someone on the TCM boards once claimed that as the reason why The Trial of Mary Dugan was not currently being aired. It's unusual that Chasing Rainbows, In Gay Madrid, Call of the North, The Great Meadow and others would be allowed to sit on the shelf so long after they had aired already.

Harold,

Phooey! This has nothing to do with old copyright issues. It has to do with the films not being ready for broadcast in the format that they now use at TCM. I'm sure that probably included THE BIG PARADE until now. Another reason this hasn't been shown since May of 2004. They switched over to some other system in 2005. Everything is on two giant master hard-drives of some sort. Or at least so I have been told. They used to air some form of industrial Video-tape when broadcasting, everyone did, but not anymore.

Besides TIDE OF THE EMPIRE, I would love to see THE TRAIL OF '98, SPEEDWAY, WEARY RIVER, NOAH'S ARK, THE VIKING, Etc. None of them have been converted to the new format, or at least loaded into the drives. They have to matinence those sometime. I mean I defragment an average of 3 times a day! No wonder TCM was having so many glitches a few months back. If you recall, they did run THE DIVINE LADY last year with Corinne Griffith, for the Marie Dressler festival. So that proves that they can dig these movies that rarely get aired out of mothballs.

Danny Burk said,
BAD ONE and LOVES OF CARMEN both survive. I've seen a 16mm print of BAD ONE, and many years ago, a NYC channel had a multi-week series of formerly lost films called "Lost and Found". LOVES OF CARMEN was one of them.

Wow! That is great news too! Thanks for letting us know. Are there any 35 Millimeter prints? So where these films lost at one time? Do you know? Sounds as if they were?

Gagman 66 wrote: Wow! That is great news too! Thanks for letting us know. Are there any 35 Millimeter prints? So where these films lost at one time? Do you know? Sounds as if they were?

I doubt that THE BAD ONE had been lost, as the 16mm print that I've seen was probably a TV print originally. I don't know for a fact that it exists in 35mm, but I'd be surprised if it doesn't. It's been years, but if I remember correctly, the title appropriately describes the film too.

The "Lost and Found" titles had all been lost, then recovered and preserved by MOMA, who provided prints for the airings. I'd guess that MOMA has them in 35mm. In addition to LOVES OF CARMEN, the group included SOULS FOR SALE, STARK LOVE, HAIL THE WOMAN, ANNA CHRISTIE '23, ROMANCE OF HAPPY VALLEY, and perhaps one or two others that don't come to mind at the moment. I'd say it was mid-late '70s at the time of the screenings. Blanche Sweet was present for an interview with the series host, Richard Schickle, to talk about finding her lost film (she was responsible for tracking it down and recovering it, I believe from a Russian archive).

Danny,

Thanks, that is all very interesting. SOULS FOR SALE has been on TCM with a very good score by a past YFCC winner. Can't think of his name right now, but He also scored Billy Haines THE SMART SET, and did a really fine job. Is it Marcus Sjowell? Yes, I think that's the guy? Anyway grab that dude to score HER WILD OAT, and THE FAIR CO-ED. Or How about BROWN OF HARVARD? Hard to believe that has never been on TCM at all. Anyone know if they are actually getting Vince Giordano and the Nighthawks to rescore the content of missing Vita-phone disc's to SYNTHETIC SIN? Most of the disc's survive, but not all of them.

Hey, I have seen the '23 ANNA CHRISTIE with Blanche Sweet. It used to be on Real Player I believe? That's were I saw it. Don't have Real Player anymore. Haven't for awhile. Would really like to see STARK LOVE (1927) sometime. It had a live screening somplace back in 2007. I have an article saved here I think. Another Paramount owned film that rarely ever sees the light of day. Blast it!

Err, what is HAIL THE WOMAN by the way? That title does not ring any bells? Who is in it and what is it about?

Some captures from the TCM France Presentation of Henry King's THE WHITE SISTER (1923).

Gagman 66 wrote: Another reason this hasn't been shown since May of 2004. They switched over to some other system in 2005. Everything is on two giant master hard-drives of some sort. Or at least so I have been told. They used to air some form of industrial Video-tape when broadcasting, everyone did, but not anymore.

Many tv stations and cable networks are using servers to air commercials and programming. The station I work at does. You don't have to convert movies to any format, just play them on a machine and digitze them into the server. If it's a two hour film, it'll take two hours to get it into the server. If the film has already been digitized, it could take less time to get it in the server. My guess is if they are not airing certain titles, it's because either there's no music track, they consider it a bad transfer or maybe they just don't think they'll get enough viewers for that film. TCM seems to be ok running silents when there's a good marketing hook for it, but I don't think they run them much otherwise except at 3am. They used to be much better before WB took over.

Jim Reid wrote:

Gagman 66 wrote: Another reason this hasn't been shown since May of 2004. They switched over to some other system in 2005. Everything is on two giant master hard-drives of some sort. Or at least so I have been told. They used to air some form of industrial Video-tape when broadcasting, everyone did, but not anymore.

Many tv stations and cable networks are using servers to air commercials and programming. The station I work at does. You don't have to convert movies to any format, just play them on a machine and digitze them into the server. If it's a two hour film, it'll take two hours to get it into the server. If the film has already been digitized, it could take less time to get it in the server. My guess is if they are not airing certain titles, it's because either there's no music track, they consider it a bad transfer or maybe they just don't think they'll get enough viewers for that film. TCM seems to be ok running silents when there's a good marketing hook for it, but I don't think they run them much otherwise except at 3am. They used to be much better before WB took over.

I'm hoping that Filmoteca is back on the air soon. They do feature obscure silents on occasions like that unidentified SAMSON AND DELILAH and the equally unidentified JOSEPH SOLD BY HIS BRETHREN, which I didn't post online.

Jim Reid wrote:

Gagman 66 wrote: Another reason this hasn't been shown since May of 2004. They switched over to some other system in 2005. Everything is on two giant master hard-drives of some sort. Or at least so I have been told. They used to air some form of industrial Video-tape when broadcasting, everyone did, but not anymore.

Many tv stations and cable networks are using servers to air commercials and programming. The station I work at does. You don't have to convert movies to any format, just play them on a machine and digitze them into the server. If it's a two hour film, it'll take two hours to get it into the server. If the film has already been digitized, it could take less time to get it in the server. My guess is if they are not airing certain titles, it's because either there's no music track, they consider it a bad transfer or maybe they just don't think they'll get enough viewers for that film. TCM seems to be ok running silents when there's a good marketing hook for it, but I don't think they run them much otherwise except at 3am. They used to be much better before WB took over.

Jim,

Almost all the films I have mentioned already have vintage scores. And it doesn't seem to be all that difficult to get these movies ready to go as you described it with the two servers either? So what is the big deal about getting them on the air again? In the case of the 1929 SHOW BOAT, with Laura La Plante, some of the Vita-phone disc's are, or at least were missing, so I can understand the problem as relates to that title. Also LA BOHEME looked mighty rough when I saw it a few years back. The only time I have ever seen it. That definitely could stand a Fresh transfer. Simply not the case with most of the others though at all.

THE VIKING should definitely be in a decent rotation as the film is in Two-Color Technicolor. Probably the first MGM release that was filmed entirely in Technicolor? That makes it as quite a landmark production. The transfers of both this film, and TIDE OF THE EMPIRE are very good quality. NOAH'S ARK is a nice sharp print too. SPEEDWAY looks pretty darn good. So does DESERT NIGHTS. WEARY RIVER is OK too.

They did run OLD HEIDELBERG a couple years ago, but that isn't shown a whole lot. Yes, there is another title that could stand some re-mastering. Likewise, Garbo's THE SINGLE STANDARD, which I forgot about, and personally I think it is her best Silent too. WILD ORCHIDS is a little soft, but is a clean print. What do you know TELL IT TO THE MARINES is back on the schedule in April, for the first time since probably 2005?

You ignored the part about the marketing hook and the fact that they might not think they'll get many viewers, which is why they mostly run established titles, with marketable stars. They may sneak in an obscure title at three in the morning, but I wouldn't get too worked up about seeing most of those titles on there in the near future.

And let's not forget all the things we have seen: Gance, and last year's Asian festival, and the Teddington films, and on and on. No, they may not have shown every MGM title you can name, but they're always digging up stuff (who noticed that they suddenly showed Seven Days to Noon, the Boulting Brothers' early 50s nuke thriller which hasn't been seen in the US for decades that I know of?) Borzage's No Greater Glory is on my TiVo right now, maybe I'll watch it tonight. TCM remains a treasure, let's not look at this as a glass half empty.

I am sure that the people behind the scenes at TCM would love to show all the weird stuff that Nitratevillains would love to see, but, it should be noted that even in the months where I wouldn't expect to see anything new to me -- 31 Days of Oscar -- there are two or three films a films that I have not seen before. I've set my DVR for the first two days after Oscar, and I've got four pictures. Then too, TCM participates in the Free Movies on Demand channel (channel 1008 for Time-Warner of New York) and there are usually one or two items there that I can look at.

Yes, we'd like to see fewer of the war horses and more of the dogs and ponies, but it's the war horses that get people to watch TCM and some of them stay for the next show too.

Bob

Jim,

As for not attracting an audience? Well, A week rarely goes by on the TCM forum where someone isn't complaining that the rest of Garbo's MGM Silent's are not on DVD, and rarely shown on TCM. The same thing with Marion Davies, William Haines, John Gilbert, Ramon Novarro, Norma Shearer, and others.

Almost left out Lon Chaney. Probably the most in demand other than Garbo. There is one of his MGM Silents that TCM hasn't run at least in this country since 1995 or so. That would be WHERE EAST IS EAST (1929) with Lupe Velez, and Lloyd Hughes.

As for last months debut of Frank Borzage's NO GREATER GLORY. TCM actually paid for the crisp new 35 millimeter transfer themselves from Columbia. This was in the works for a long time. I knew about last July. A similar situation with Pickford's SECRETS which premiered in December. It was wonderful to see such sharp, clean prints of those long neglected films. Some of the Kay Francis movies might have been new prints too. Not aired before.

how did i miss Secrets? phooey!

louie,

SECRETS looked great, and the majority of the film was really good. I loved the Theme music. An underrated effort for Frank Borzage. Pretty darn nice movie for Mary's final film too. It's sad that she never made another picture. I still haven't seen the original Silent version with Norma Talmadge yet.

Gagman 66 wrote:louie,

SECRETS looked great, and the majority of the film was really good. I loved the Theme music. An underrated effort for Frank Borzage. Pretty darn nice movie for Mary's final film too. It's sad that she never made another picture. I still haven't seen the original Silent version with Norma Talmadge yet.

Jeffrey:

There is a good version online of SECRETS, but it is dubbed.