John Gilbert question

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drednm
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John Gilbert question

Post by drednm » Tue Jan 05, 2010 9:54 am

With Kino coming out with two Talmadge sister DVD sets this spring, I was curious.

Has anyone ever heard how Flicker Alley did with the John Gilbert set?

I know Grapeveine broke records with its release of Pola Negri's Sappho.
Ed Lorusso
DVD Producer/Writer/Historian
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Richard P. May
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Post by Richard P. May » Tue Jan 05, 2010 5:23 pm

That's interesting about SAPPHO.
In about 1986, shortly after Turner took over the MGM library, together with our film library manager, I went to our rented nitrate vaults to see what was there. Among other interesting relics was a complete tinted print of SAPPHO. It was on its way to nitrate decomposition, and fairly smelly.
We made arrangements to turn it over to the UCLA Film Archives, and I understood that they had used this print as a source for preservation.
Why it was in the MGM vault I don't know, but they might have considered it for a remake at one time, and borrowed a print which was never returned to its source.
It would be interesting to know what is the source of the current DVD.
Dick May

dr.giraud
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Post by dr.giraud » Tue Jan 05, 2010 5:37 pm

Goldwyn released SAPPHO in the U.S. as MAD LOVE in 1923. (Great lobby cards from this turn up on eBay now and then.) Maybe this print got transferred to MGM in the merger?
dr. giraud

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