DANCE OF LIFE (Par/'29)

vitaphone · Post by **vitaphone** » Mon Sep 14, 2015 6:56 pm

For a friend who is working on a documentary on eccentric dance, I recall someone posted once seeing a beautiful print of DANCE OF LIFE starring Hal Skelly. What is available on line and on DVD is pretty poor quality. Can anyone advise who screened the nice 35mm print, and possibly its source? I believe it was at a festival in last few years.

Thanks in advance for your help!

David Alp · Post by **David Alp** » Mon Sep 14, 2015 7:34 pm

Here you go...

viewtopic.php?f=4&t=20661" target="_blank" target="_blank

FilmGauge
Posts: 45
Joined: Tue Apr 29, 2008 7:43 pm
Location: Connecticut
Re: The Dance of Life (1929)
Post Sat Aug 01, 2015 7:42 pm

Quote:

A nitrate print of THE DANCE OF LIFE was shown at the Museum of Modern Art in NYC back in 1980. It was absolutely gorgeous to watch. Their print, like the TV prints, is missing the Technicolor reel; that reel apparently survives at the Library of Congress.

entredeuxguerres · Post by **entredeuxguerres** » Mon Sep 14, 2015 9:19 pm

David Alp wrote:...A nitrate print of THE DANCE OF LIFE was shown at the Museum of Modern Art in NYC back in 1980.

That was a few years ago? Well, that's pretty much the way I think about it, actually; the same year I bought my Land Cruiser, which (somewhat the worse for wear, but still reliable) I'm driving daily.

The DVD I've had for several years looks somewhat like a good 16mm print--on the "soft" side definitely, but not at all what I'd call "pretty poor." (Unless your standard of comparison is a 4K restoration.)

vitaphone · Post by **vitaphone** » Tue Sep 15, 2015 4:27 am

Thanks so much!!!

earlytalkiebuffRob · Post by **earlytalkiebuffRob** » Tue Sep 15, 2015 3:05 pm

One is lucky to have access to it at all. My copy is far from perfect, but I'm not griping. Back in 1974, the NFT mounted a Cromwell season, but there were quite a few gaps (TOM SAWYER [1930], etc), and I think DANCE OF LIFE was one of these - will have to check.

I recall the year as that was when I joined the BFI, and though Cromwell was a vague name to me at the time, his films weren't. Cromwell came over for the retrospective, and turned up for some of the screenings for a brief chat between shows. He did this for THE PRISONER OF ZENDA, which was one of my choices that month. A very nice bonus!

It could have resulted in a To Be Or Not To Be moment as I was concerned as to missing my last train home but didn't want to incur the good gentleman's wrath...

FilmGauge · Post by **FilmGauge** » Tue Sep 15, 2015 6:42 pm

vitaphone wrote:For a friend who is working on a documentary on eccentric dance, I recall someone posted once seeing a beautiful print of DANCE OF LIFE starring Hal Skelly. What is available on line and on DVD is pretty poor quality. Can anyone advise who screened the nice 35mm print, and possibly its source? I believe it was at a festival in last few years.

Thanks in advance for your help!

That nitrate print was screened at MOMA as part of the 1980 Cinecon (not a few years ago). I'm sure there are questions as to its survival after 35 years, and if it is around, it is probably inaccessible. Good luck!

entredeuxguerres · Post by **entredeuxguerres** » Tue Sep 15, 2015 9:05 pm

FilmGauge wrote:...if it is around, it is probably inaccessible.

Wish I had a farthing for every picture to which that statement applied.

DANCE OF LIFE (Par/'29)

DANCE OF LIFE (Par/'29)

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