Forgotten Women (1931) - Vitaphone discs
Posted: Sat May 05, 2018 4:55 pm
Just wanted to post this so the info would be out there if anyone is looking for it eventually.
I recently won at auction a complete set of Vitaphone discs for the minor Monogram pre-Code, "Forgotten Women" from 1931.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0021882/?ref_=nv_sr_3
It's my understanding from previous posts at Nitrateville that the film was thought to be lost, then a print was discovered and released on DVD by Alpha Video. The print is missing the opening title, so I think this is the reissue version from the late 1930s. You can see it via this YouTube upload:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9mF5k_wPmMY
I was curious if anything might have been cut in the circulating print, when compared to the original Vitaphone discs from 1931, distributed to sound-on-disc theaters for this sound-on-film production.
I transferred the discs this weekend and ran them with a rough sync to the print on YouTube. No scenes were cut from the print as compared to the video version. At the end of two reels and the beginning of another, there's a line or two of inconsequential dialogue missing, probably lost as the print was abused over the years. Additionally, the end music and title have been "tacked on" to this print from another film and the original end title music is on the discs.
However, I might have found one censor cut in the film (or perhaps cut if the print was used for tv showings). At the end of reel 6, just before the big climax in reel 7, Rex Bell is talking with his editor and the newspaper and resigns. In the surviving print, the editor says, "You can't do that!" and there's a jump cut to Rex rushing out of the office.
On the original 1931 disc, Rex responds to his editor saying "The hell I can't!" before rushing out.
Unfortunately, on my set of discs, reel 6 has a chunk out that is damaged in that part of the disc, so it's difficult to play this part without skipping.
So, anyway, if this ever comes up, here's the info if anyone needs it.
I recently won at auction a complete set of Vitaphone discs for the minor Monogram pre-Code, "Forgotten Women" from 1931.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0021882/?ref_=nv_sr_3
It's my understanding from previous posts at Nitrateville that the film was thought to be lost, then a print was discovered and released on DVD by Alpha Video. The print is missing the opening title, so I think this is the reissue version from the late 1930s. You can see it via this YouTube upload:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9mF5k_wPmMY
I was curious if anything might have been cut in the circulating print, when compared to the original Vitaphone discs from 1931, distributed to sound-on-disc theaters for this sound-on-film production.
I transferred the discs this weekend and ran them with a rough sync to the print on YouTube. No scenes were cut from the print as compared to the video version. At the end of two reels and the beginning of another, there's a line or two of inconsequential dialogue missing, probably lost as the print was abused over the years. Additionally, the end music and title have been "tacked on" to this print from another film and the original end title music is on the discs.
However, I might have found one censor cut in the film (or perhaps cut if the print was used for tv showings). At the end of reel 6, just before the big climax in reel 7, Rex Bell is talking with his editor and the newspaper and resigns. In the surviving print, the editor says, "You can't do that!" and there's a jump cut to Rex rushing out of the office.
On the original 1931 disc, Rex responds to his editor saying "The hell I can't!" before rushing out.
Unfortunately, on my set of discs, reel 6 has a chunk out that is damaged in that part of the disc, so it's difficult to play this part without skipping.
So, anyway, if this ever comes up, here's the info if anyone needs it.