While the City Sleeps (1928)

[Danny]

As a Lon Chaney fan, I try to keep up with any recent "finds" or anything else that I have never seen. What is the status of While the City Sleeps (1928)? I see that is "exists" somewhere, but is the whole film intact? Has it been shown on TCM? Any commercial release coming up?

Danny

[Harold Aherne]

A portion of reels 6-7 is missing, but the film otherwise exists:
http://www.lonchaney.org/filmography/152.html

It hasn't been on TCM except for clips in the "Thousand Faces" documentary from 2000. It would need a score (and perhaps a telecine, if the whole film hasn't been transferred) before Warner Archive tackled it.

-HA

[Panatrope1929]

The original Vitaphone soundtrack for "While The City Sleeps" has been found according to the Vitaphone Project website:

http://www.picking.com/vitaphone-database.html" target="_blank" target="_blank

[dalefullerfan2014]

I'm pretty sure it played a Cinecon sometime in the 1990's.
Randy
PS,
And the Roxie in San Francisco too around the same time.

[radiotelefonia]

The original Vitaphone soundtrack for "While The City Sleeps" has been found according to the Vitaphone Project website:

http://www.picking.com/vitaphone-database.html" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank

If they exist, they are not Vitaphone, but Victor records.

[CoffeeDan]

The original Vitaphone soundtrack for "While The City Sleeps" has been found according to the Vitaphone Project website:

http://www.picking.com/vitaphone-database.html" target="_blank

Be careful. Just because information on a certain film's soundtrack is in the Vitaphone database does not necessarily mean that discs have been found. Given the amount of information on WHILE THE CITY SLEEPS in the database (not a lot, except for the number of discs), I wouldn't bet that it has been found -- yet.

[Richard Finegan]

The movie was shown at Capitolfest 3 in Rome, NY on August 13, 2005. The program notes explained that the print was missing reel 7 (of 9) but that it is easy to follow the story even with the missing reel. And I found that to be true, watching it that day. But that's still the last time I've seen it. It would be nice to see it again. (And, perhaps needless to say, the print shown did not have the original music and sound effects track).

[dalefullerfan2014]

I saw it at Cinecon with live accompaniment(maybe Jon Mirsalis?) and thinking back I did see it at The Roxie in San Francisco with Robert Vaughn playing for it.
Randy

[earlytalkiebuffRob]

The movie was shown at Capitolfest 3 in Rome, NY on August 13, 2005. The program notes explained that the print was missing reel 7 (of 9) but that it is easy to follow the story even with the missing reel. And I found that to be true, watching it that day. But that's still the last time I've seen it. It would be nice to see it again. (And, perhaps needless to say, the print shown did not have the original music and sound effects track).

What was the print quality like. I watched it a couple of years ago, having read before that it was lost, and the copy was watchable, but not very good.

[dalefullerfan2014]

The print is fine.
Randy

[Jay Salsberg]

The original Vitaphone soundtrack for "While The City Sleeps" has been found according to the Vitaphone Project website:

http://www.picking.com/vitaphone-database.html" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank

Be careful. Just because information on a certain film's soundtrack is in the Vitaphone database does not necessarily mean that discs have been found. Given the amount of information on WHILE THE CITY SLEEPS in the database (not a lot, except for the number of discs), I wouldn't bet that it has been found -- yet.

The UCLA Film Archive has 8 sound disks for the film.

[CoffeeDan]

The original Vitaphone soundtrack for "While The City Sleeps" has been found according to the Vitaphone Project website:

http://www.picking.com/vitaphone-database.html" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank

Be careful. Just because information on a certain film's soundtrack is in the Vitaphone database does not necessarily mean that discs have been found. Given the amount of information on WHILE THE CITY SLEEPS in the database (not a lot, except for the number of discs), I wouldn't bet that it has been found -- yet.

The UCLA Film Archive has 8 sound disks for the film.

Thanks, Jay -- that's good to hear! All the database said (under Disc) was "1-8" with no other information, which -- as I said -- is not necessarily a sign that any physical discs have been found. Too bad they can't all be used yet -- but I keep hoping!

[colbyco82]

I wonder if there is any reason..outside of cost...that the soundtrack has not been remarried with the existing film for a TCM viewing or Warner Archive release.

[FrankFay]

The movie was shown at Capitolfest 3 in Rome, NY on August 13, 2005. The program notes explained that the print was missing reel 7 (of 9) but that it is easy to follow the story even with the missing reel. And I found that to be true, watching it that day. But that's still the last time I've seen it. It would be nice to see it again. (And, perhaps needless to say, the print shown did not have the original music and sound effects track).

All that would be needed is a quick title to summarize the missing footage, plus a reconstruction of one title that is damaged by decomposition and ends up being only a few frames

[vitaphone]

To clarify regarding the soundtrack disks, Our Viatphone Project soundtrack disk spreadsheet DOES show disks that have been found. The entire set is at UCLA. Also, it is fine to call them "Vitaphone" disks in the same way a copier might be called Xerox. Disks for WB/FN (Vitaphone) and MGM and other studios are identical technically and were. primarily pressed by Victor (later, Brunswick and Columbia also did some pressings.

[Jim Roots]

For those of you who have seen it, is it any good???? I mean as a FILM, not just a soundtrack and a missing reel!

Jim

[wich2]

Yes, Jim -

- very much so.

It's one of my favorite Chaney Sr. films.

-Craig

[Jim Roots]

Yes, Jim -

- very much so.

It's one of my favorite Chaney Sr. films.

-Craig

Thanks, Craig!

Fingers crossed that someone puts it out on DVD. Hello, Ben? Dreddy? Anyone???

Jim

[Danny Burk]

It's not going to get a private release unless it's a bootleg - Warners owns the copyright. I imagine they haven't released it because of the missing footage.

[Dave Pitts]

I got a VHS copy about twenty years ago on the 'gray market.' Good Chaney, good gangster film. The gray market print not only has missing footage but some strange-looking damage to some of the extant footage -- unlike any decomp I've ever seen. I can only describe it as a rough, wobbly blotch with scratchy edges that jumps onto the image from time to time -- I remember imagining that someone had scraped the film with a Brillo pad, because it looked that streaky. There were a couple of patches of this on my copy, and in places just about the entire screen image was wiped out.

[telical]

It's not going to get a private release unless it's a bootleg - Warners owns the copyright. I imagine they haven't released it because of the missing footage.

Maybe they can animate Chaney like they did with Peter Cushing in the last Star Wars.

[Donald Binks]

It's not going to get a private release unless it's a bootleg - Warners owns the copyright. I imagine they haven't released it because of the missing footage.

Maybe they can animate Chaney like they did with Peter Cushing in the last Star Wars.

I suppose "they" could if "they" can find someone to pay the enormous cost of doing it?

[telical]

It's not going to get a private release unless it's a bootleg - Warners owns the copyright. I imagine they haven't released it because of the missing footage.

Maybe they can animate Chaney like they did with Peter Cushing in the last Star Wars.

I suppose "they" could if "they" can find someone to pay the enormous cost of doing it?

As always, brilliant observation Donald

[The Blackbird]

Missing footage my eye, LAUGH CLOWN LAUGH and THE CAMERAMAN both have missing footage, and GREED has almost nothing but missing footage, and noticeably so in all cases, but they all got released ages ago. What we need is an eccentric millionaire to handle this. Perhaps WIl Wheaton or Pia Zadora?