DANCEHALL (1929)

[entredeuxguerres]

So when TCM aired this film, there was no comment made about the out-of-sync sound?

None. TCM observes the policy of the N.Y. Times regarding "uncomfortable" facts: simply ignores them. For example, there's never a word of explanation when 16mm prints of rare films are shown, though mention of that circumstance would obviously deflect blame by viewers...even the kind of nitpickers alleged to reside in the eastern-most part of the country.

[boblipton]

So when TCM aired this film, there was no comment made about the out-of-sync sound?

None. TCM observes the policy of the N.Y. Times regarding "uncomfortable" facts: simply ignores them. For example, there's never a word of explanation when 16mm prints of rare films are shown, though mention of that circumstance would obviously deflect blame by viewers...even the kind of nitpickers alleged to reside in the eastern-most part of the country.

I don't recall many Down Easters around here. As for the reason there are some films available only in 16mm, the reason is that several films are available only in prints intended for tv packages, which were issued in 16mm. At one time, tv was thought the only viable market for many old movies and until the rise of HD, 35mm prints were more expensive and pointless for tv.

Bob

[entredeuxguerres]

I don't recall many Down Easters around here.
Bob

They keep their heads down.

[Harold Aherne]

None. TCM observes the policy of the N.Y. Times regarding "uncomfortable" facts: simply ignores them.

Not entirely true--on the handful of occasions they've run Chasing Rainbows and Good News, they've included a note at the beginning that advises viewers of the incomplete surviving prints. They've carried similar notices for Show Boat (part of soundtrack missing on TCM's print), Bright Lights (survives in B&W with its "Adventures in Africa" title), and the 1926 Elsie Janis Vitaphone short (first minute or so lost to nitrate decay and represented by a still image).

Based on information given on Warner Archive's Facebook page, some of the video masters for the RKO titles date from around 1982-83, before the library was even acquired by Turner (you'll sometimes notice the 1980s "Distributed by RKO Pictures" logo at the end of TCM's copies). Some films have simply been aired as-is without an upgrade over the years. C'est la vie.

-HA

[entredeuxguerres]

Not entirely true--on the handful of occasions they've run Chasing Rainbows and Good News, they've included a note at the beginning that advises viewers of the incomplete surviving prints.
-HA

Correct, had forgotten those...though the use of still photos to replace missing scenes would make that incompleteness pretty obvious even without the notice.

[Richard Finegan]

So what Olive Borden films survive?

Also,
HALF MARRIAGE (1929) - RKO feature
THE MILD WEST (1933) - Vitaphone short
THE INVENTORS (1934) - Educational short

Not sure about her VOICE OF HOLLYWOOD appearance (1929) - too much excavation involved to dig out all my old copies of that series to double-check. But I'm sure someone can inform us (LLoyd Hamilton was the host of the short).

[Richard M Roberts]

So what Olive Borden films survive?

Also,
HALF MARRIAGE (1929) - RKO feature
THE MILD WEST (1933) - Vitaphone short
THE INVENTORS (1934) - Educational short

Not sure about her VOICE OF HOLLYWOOD appearance (1929) - too much excavation involved to dig out all my old copies of that series to double-check. But I'm sure someone can inform us (LLoyd Hamilton was the host of the short).

Yeah, that exists too, I have a print of that.

I've always questioned the appearance in THE INVENTORS, has anyone actually spotted her in that and if so, exactly where is she? I've got a print of that too, and our Movie NIght group was never able to spot her.

RICHARD M ROBERTS

[Richard Finegan]

[quote="Richard M Roberts
I've always questioned the appearance in THE INVENTORS, has anyone actually spotted her in that and if so, exactly where is she? I've got a print of that too, and our Movie Night group was never able to spot her.

RICHARD M ROBERTS
[quote]

----------------------------------

Just watched it again, to refresh my memory.
Isn't she the teacher, "Miss Brown"?

[Richard M Roberts]

[quote="Richard M Roberts
I've always questioned the appearance in THE INVENTORS, has anyone actually spotted her in that and if so, exactly where is she? I've got a print of that too, and our Movie Night group was never able to spot her.

RICHARD M ROBERTS

----------------------------------

Just watched it again, to refresh my memory.
Isn't she the teacher, "Miss Brown"?

Looked at it again, yep, she is, and she's even credited, unlike what the imdb says. Brain fart I guess. Hadn;t looked at the short in probably twenty-five years. I think I'm mixing this up with another so-called appearance . Having a Senior Moment.


RICHARD M ROBERTS

[drednm]

[JFK]

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0019957/

Half Marriage was Murray’s first studio film .
He’s recalled (maybe) for his books, his Oscar honored animal film,
his Hollywood stage show, and his home movies...



Did –or should- his Vitaphone shorts survive?
(Murray on Hollywood:
"A place where you
spend more than you make
on things you don't need
to impress people you don't like")

[Richard Finegan]

Ken Murray:
Did –or should- his Vitaphone shorts survive?

Yes, the University of Wisconsin has 16mm prints of all of them (TV prints from the 1950's that were donated to them) and Warner Bros. may have 35mm material on them also. But I have never seen any of them on TV - not TNT, TCM or in any home video release, or even copies circulating among collectors.
I have especially been looking into these, as I've been trying for decades to find and see the one called DOCTOR CUPID (1937).

As far as "Should they survive" - of course! If anyone thinks they don't want to see Murray (or his pal Oswald) they just don't have to watch them! But it would be nice to finally get to see the shorts.

[Richard Finegan]

Does anyone have a copy of the 1933 Vitaphone short GOBS OF FUN featuring Olive Borden?

[earlytalkie]

Back in 1989, I taped this off of local channel 7, the ABC affiliate who ran the "Movietime USA" package late at night. This was a better-than-average print, with the original Radio Pictures logo in tact. Right away while viewing my tape I noticed the badly out-of-sync sound in one portion in particular. I seem to remember this being a conversation between Lake's character and his mother, and I noticed there were scenes where I heard the mother speaking while her lips were absolutely stationary, as if dialogue was "looped" over a closed-mouth. After playing back the sequence several times, I concluded that this was the way the film must have gone out to the theaters. Dreadful, yet, in the early-talkie days, this may have been overlooked as "just one of those things" that the proponents of silent film could use in an argument against talkies. I haven't had the tape for many years, having disposed of all my VHS in 2003 to convert to DVD. These are just my memories of watching Dance Hall all those years ago.

[maliejandra]

I only got through half of this film. Between Arthur Lake's whining and the synch issues, that half hour seemed like an hour and a half.