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The question isn't one in the abstract but rather intended to be more practical in nature. Perhaps the question should be rephrased:

What films would you like to see preserved for which you know elements exist in an American film archive?

If you can add some justification to your comments (i.e. "it is the only Al Joy technicolor short in existence.") it would be helpful.

Thanks,
Rob

My list will be tilted in favour of UCLA, since they've posted the most comprehensive (and easily available) data on the materials they have and their preservation status.

*The Making of O'Malley (First National, 1925). UCLA has (had?) one nitrate reel of this Milton Sills-Dorothy Mackaill film; deterioration was noted in 1990.

*The Checkered Flag (Banner Productions, 1926), a racing drama with Elaine Hammerstein and Wallace MacDonald. 3 of its 6 reels have already been discarded because of decay, but it's better to save something than nothing.

*The Tender Hour (First National, 1927), a Billie Dove/Ben Lyon picture for which UCLA has complete nitrate.

*Back to God's Country (Universal, 1927), with Renée Adorée. UCLA's 16mm has had the 2nd reel preserved, but R1 is said to be in very poor condition.

They have some sound material for which only nitrate is indicated in their holdings, but the studios themselves could have preservation prints.

*Mr. Lemon of Orange (Fox, 1931) with El Brendel & Fifi D'Orsay
*Skyline (Fox, 1931) with Hardie Albright, Thomas Meighan, Dorothy Jordan
*Handle with Care (Fox, 1932) with James Dunn, Boots Mallory, El Brendel
*Arizona to Broadway (Fox, 1933) with James Dunn & Joan Bennett
*The Daring Young Man (Fox, 1935) with James Dunn, Mae Clarke, Neil Hamilton

I included the above mostly because I like Messrs. Dunn and Meighan (how could you have guessed? ) and the early sound Fox pictures in general. One James Dunn film for which UCLA has only nitrate, 1931's Sob Sister , was recently preserved by Fox and run at the Film Forum last May.

The Vitaphone operatic films could also be a good project. Also, The Dance of Life appears to have *some* Technicolor material at UCLA--perhaps this could be placed back in the film.

-Harold

All surviving Clara Bow silents, especially GET YOUR MAN (1927). The print I've seen is in pretty bad shape. Reels 2 and 3 are missing (ouch!) and there's some bad nitrate decomp in spots. This is an extremely enjoyable film even in such rotten condition, and makes me very sad that, sure enough, the info at the Silent Era website says:

"Incomplete print exists; the print is in active decomposition."

I really hope there are better elements in an archive (or someone's attic) somewhere...

Here is a complete list of all the restorable 1926-30 one reel Vitaphone shorts. Both disk and film elements exists. We continue to chip away on these in partnership with UCLA, LOC, WB and private collectors. But all need restoration and re-matching to be seen and heard again:

Updated July 17, 2010

#279 Ephraim Zimbalist & Harold Bauer Duet (violin/ piano) 1926
#2142 The Monastery Quartet in "In A Monastery Cellar" 1927
#2553 The Klein Brothers in "Jest Moments" (comedy team) 1927
#418 Miss Pauline Alpert in ‘What Price Piano?’ 1927
#420 The Rollickers (close harmony pop group) 1927
#423 Margaret McKee 1927
#425 Rex Schepp Famous banjo player 1927
#434 Fleeson & Baxter 1927
#435 Fleeson & Baxter 1927
#436 John Barclay, Impersonator 1927
#483 The Revelers (pop singing quartet) 1927
#490 Moscow Art Ensemble in "A Russian Wedding Celebration" 1927
#492 Johnny Marvin 1927
#503 Utica Jubilee Singers (black gospel group) 1927
#524 Rosa Raisa 1927
#544 The Four Aristocrats (top harmony group) 1927
#571 The Four Aristocrats (top harmony group) 1927
#2147 Sally Fields, America’s Greatest Comedy Entertaininer
1927
#2233 Hobart Bosworth in ‘A Man of Peace’ 1927
#2235 Gladys Brockwell in "Hollywood Bound" (playlet) 1928
#2265 Brown & Whitaker in "A Laugh Or Two" (comedy team) 1928
#2273 Harry Conley in "The Book Worm" (comedy skit) 1928
#2278 Montague Love in "Character Studies" 1928
#2279 Irene Rich in ‘The Beast’ 1927
#2280 The Imperial Russian Cossacks 1927
#2290 ‘Papa’s Vacation’ with William Demarest 1927
#2296 Billy & Elsa Newell (comedy team) 1928
#2299 Xavier Cugat and his Gigolos 1928
#2693 Larry Ceballos Crystal Cave Revue 1928
#2732 Dora Maughan & Co. in "Song Impressions" 1928
#2736 The Croonaders in "Melodious Moments" (singers) 1928
#2741 Marlowe & Jordan 1928
#2755 Timblin & Raymond (comedy team) 1928
#2758 Ulis & Clarke (comedy team) 1928
#715 The Original Hillbillies 1928 (incomplete film)
#3280 DIck Henderson in "At The Church Festival" 1929
#3300 "Head of the Family" with Little Billy 1929
#707 Mexican Tipica Orchestra 1929
#712 Jim and Betty Morgan in ‘Songs as You Like Them‘ 1929
#750/751 Willie & Eugene Howard in ‘My People‘ 1929
#760 Raymond Hitchcock in ‘An Evening At Home
With Hitchy’ 1929
#761 Sessue Hayakawa in ‘The Man Who Laughed Last’
(first reel of 2 only) 1929
#763 Harry Horlick and his A&P Gypsies 1929
#793 Carolina Seguera, The Cuban Nightengale with
Don Alberto & His Argentines 1929
#803 " Sympathy" w/ Hobart Cavanaugh 1929
#815 Charles C. Peterson - Billiard Champion 1929
#824 Dooley & Sales in "Dooley"s The Name" (comedy team) 1929
#837 Riva Reyes, The Piquant Senorita (singer) 1929
#840 The Big Paraders 1929
#863 Nan Halperin, America’sFavorite Satirist 1929
#878 The Kiddies Kabaret 1929
#929 Summers and Hunt in "Some Pumpkins" 1929
#1045 "Fashion"s Mirror" musical fashion show 1930
#946 Jack McLallen and Sarah in ‘Oh Sarah!’ 1929
#965 "Gym Jams" with Lew Mayor (Juggler) 1930
#969 Chester Conklin in ‘The Master Sweeper’ 1930
#2554 Daphne Pollard in "Wanted - A Man" (comedienne) 1928
#2599 Thanksgiving Day comedy playlet 1928
#782 The Outlaw In Law henpecked husband skit w/Hobart Cavanugh 1929


Operatics & Classical shorts:

Beniamino Gigli in “Cavalleria Rusticana” 1927
Charles Hackett & Rosa Low in “Romeo et Juliette Tomb Scene” 1927
Gigli in selections from “Opera La Gioconda” 1927
Giuseppe De Luca singing “Largo al Factotum” 1927
John Charles Thomas in two selections 1927
Marion Talley, DeLuca, Gigli and Jeanne Gordon in quartette from “Rigoletto” 1927
Martinelli in “Celeste Aida” 1927
Martinelli in duet from Act IV of “La Juive” 1927
Martinelli in Selections from “Carmen” 1927
Rosa Raisa & Giacomo Rimini duet from “Trovatore” 1927
Schumann-Heink in three selections 1927
Schumann-Heink singing “By The Waters of the Minnetonka” & others 1927
Schumann-Heink singing “Danny Boy and others” 1927
Pasquale Amato in “A Neopolitan Romance” 1928
Charles Hackett in “Faust”, asst. by Chas. Baromeo 1929
Charles Hackett singing “Il Mio Tesoro Intanto” & “O Paradiso” 1929
Martinelli singing “M’Appari” from “Martha” 1929
Francis Alda singing “Ave Maria” 1930
Martinelli in “Prison Scene from ‘Faust’” 1930
Martinelli in Temple Scene from “Aida” 1930
Martinelli singing “Celeste Aida” 1930

vitaphone wrote:#761Sessue Hayakawa in ‘The Man Who Laughed Last’ (first reel of 2 only) 1929

Hayakawa's first talking appearance? This would be a candidate. I'm always interested to make my own judgement on the stars who were supposedly deemed unsuitable for sound, especially when they went on to have perfectly decent post-1930 careers.

That would also have to be a very early Xavier Cugat appearance, if not the earliest (to IMDB I go and yes, according to them, it is).

Regarding Clara Bow, her films PRIMROSE PATH, MY LADY OF WHIMS (only one complete nitrate survives, and it's going fast) and BLACK LIGHTNING (same) are in queued to being restored by UCLA.

I'd like to see those when done and assume most will be on home video.

PRIMROSE PATH, a great film to see only when tinted, is not a top priority because 6 or 7 various 35mm prints are in their hands (including mine) and none are decomposing.

There are so many other films I'd like to see preserved, and also get to actually SEE, but the list would be too long. lol

Frame close up of PRIMROSE.

Nice angle.

So far all the titles yearned for come from the twenties. I advocate for the teens. UCLA has had THE MOTHER OF THE RANCH on the bench for years. It's an early Dwan/Kerrigan film with a walk on by Wallace Read.
And if it's OK to add European archives to the question then the Amsterdam Filmmuseun, aka EYE, has a Harold Lockwood/May Allison film called THE MAN IN THE SOMBRERO.

Bor Enots wrote:What films would you like to see preserved for which you know elements exist in an American film archive?
Thanks,
Rob

http://lccn.loc.gov/93506405
Original nitrate photographed in Multicolor, but preserved long-ago only in b/w.

David

Harold,

Wow, I'm sure glad to learn that THE TENDER HOUR survives and is complete at least at the moment. That is great news. Any other Billie Dove and Corinne Griffith Silents that they might have would be welcome.

Everyone,

Since Speedy has already mentioned the Clara Bow films, I have to add anything with Colleen Moore that UCLA has would be my first choice. Jeff Cordori said that they were restoring ORCHIDS AND ERMINE in 35 Millimeter? Any update on this matter? Does THE HUNTRESS survive? We are talking about UCLA correct? They are supposed to have a print of LILAC TIME I've been told.

In addition, of course anything I haven't seen and don't know about with Renee Adoree. Vidor's WIFE OF THE CENTAUR if it's around.

Anything with two-strip technicolor!

Brianruns10 wrote:Anything with two-strip technicolor!

Even GOLDEN DAWN?

Too bad. No color elements survive on GOLDEN DAWN.
Gotta stick with B&W. Bad as it is, there are worse movies out there!

Richard P. May wrote:Too bad. No color elements survive on GOLDEN DAWN.
Gotta stick with B&W. Bad as it is, there are worse movies out there!

I am usually opposed to colorizing films...but I wonder if this would be a good opportunity to put colorization technology to good use...might be interesting to see if they can recreate the two strip technicolor look.

This is really fascinating, but some fellows in the UK devised a way to retrieve the color from black and white kinescopes of programs that were originally in color.

They discovered that when the kinescope camera utilized a color monitor, the BW film captured the chroma dots of the original. They were then able to devise a method of decoding these chroma dots, and separating them from the film grain, and actually restore the color. No colorization!

Here's a more indepth article:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/20 ... dad-s-army

Too bad this process doesn't work for BW dupes of Techincolor films...I've longed for the color version of "On With the Show!"[/url]

I agree with the Clara Bow and Colleen Moore choices. And how about a few Broncho Billy's or Francis X. Bushman dramas from the teens, some of the Jackie Coogan films, the early Douglas Fairbanks shorts, or Tom Mix shorts? Are there still Harold Lloyd shorts that need restoring? There are so many films I'd love to see.

When choosing films to be restored, what are the priorities? They have to be important films (like from an important director or it covers a social issue of the time); it has to have a major star or two (so that you can sell the DVD's); or maybe the deterioration is getting so bad, it has to be done now or never. Are those the main criteria?

So, a list like Harold's seems to me to be unlikely (sorry, don't mean to pick on you!). It's just most of those stars are nearly forgotten today, other than Joan Bennett (which is the only film from his list I would want to see). But I suppose, if the archive is thinking about preserving for future generations, as was mentioned in the "rant" discussion, then I would think it would mainly be newsreels and the social issues films that would be at top of the list. I found the other day that my 17 year old niece had never heard of Clark Gable before! So I suppose it won't be long before even the most major stars are largely forgotten.

Anyway, sorry if I got off track. What I think I would most like to see is the complete run of Griffith shorts on a huge DVD pack, as they were all shown at Pordenone. I think every library would buy a copy, so it should make some money at least.

vitaphone wrote:#2279 Irene Rich in ‘The Beast’ 1927

Definitely another that would get my vote. I'm interested in the actual nature of these `playlets' - were they written for the screen, or for the stage?

I have been meaning to sit down and watch the features that came with the recent release of the `The Jazz Singer' ... this has just prompted me!