gagman66

Everyone, Originally scheduled to take place back in January, I have just learned that Mont Alto Motion Picture Orchestra will be recording their new score for King Vidor's long lost BARDELYS THE MAGNIFICENT (1926) starting this week. They performed it live at the Kansas Silent Film Festival over the weekend. No update on the other John Gilbert feature MONTE CRISTO (1922) though. Mont Alto is not scoring this movie, but it too will also be part of the 2 disc Flicker Alley DVD when it is released sometime later this year. Possibly by June or July, but it could slip into the Fall. Here is the latest news from Rodney Sauer. "Yikes! No need to panic. You already know that MONTE CRISTO is to be included as an "extra" since you complained about it last fall. The release date slipped because rights problems surfaced for a while, so other projects took priority on the release schedule until those could be resolved. (It was rights problems that led to the negative and all known release prints being destroyed back in the 1930s, fortunately this time the issues weren't so serious.) Mont Alto is recording the score starting Wednesday, and we plan to have it finished by mid-March; though some of the music is more difficult than I had anticipated. I'll try to get some clips up when they're done. The score was very well received in Topeka (with a standing ovation for the combined film/music presentation), and one person familiar with the film told me that the new music lifts the film considerably. I've been told that the English titles (the text of which was luckily preserved at USC) are a big improvement over the French titles in the source material (which dropped the considerable sly humor in translation). As for the missing reel, I don't find that it hurts the film much at all, as it has been very competently bridged by still photos and all of the intertitles. The choreography of the other fight scenes in the film is so well done that it would have been nice to see the bar brawl, but since it happens that a reel is missing, I consider it a good thing it's that one instead of a more important reel later on. When a release date is scheduled it will be announced -- it's not that anyone's trying to keep it secret, so please be patient. It hasn't been decided. Current plans are for it still to be released in 2009." _________________ Rodney Sauer The Mont Alto Motion Picture Orchestra www.mont-alto.com "Let the Music do the Talking!"

Jorge, Wow! The stills are just awesome! Anything with Jacqueline Logan in it is worth looking for! Wish I could see this one too! Right now I would settle for THE BLOODSHIP since it's been recently restored. You really did allot of research. And for all we know Roberto might have even had a copy???

The link I was attempting to post did not work. How can we find out who holds that rights to this feature? Oh no, get ready for yet another DVD release of THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA! This one is called "The Supreme Collector's Edition!" Wanted to mention that browsing on Youtube I caught sight of the Unmasking scene in Two-strip Technicolor! Where on earth did this come from? I thought that the sequence only survived in Black and White, or with Tints?

Jill, Thanks much for the still captures. You have got me excited about this movie now. Although I must confess that I have about a dozen or more foreign Silents here that I have never watched.

Scottman, The big concern was that there appeared to be only one 35 Millimeter print of the Photoplay version around. Hopefully, that is not accurate? Sorry that the link was not working before. It is now though. So you can go back and take a look. Ther BFI is releasing different versions of SEVENTH HEAVEN, and LUCKY STAR in May. With any luck LUCKY STAR will have a greatly improved score over the version in the Murna-Borzage set. And just maybe we will finally see the missing 15 minutes from the MoMA Road Show print of SEVENTH HEAVEN. Which is also supposed to be in much better condition too. http://www.amazon.co.uk/Seventh-Heaven-DVD-Frank-Borzage/dp/B001TQROBC/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1235669554&sr=1-2 http://www.amazon.co.uk/Lucky-Star-DVD-Frank-Borzage/dp/B001TQROB2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1235669554&sr=1-1

Scottman, I agree that this is by far the finest version, and Carl Davis score is superior. Unfortunately, the last I heard the Thames/Photoplay print of THIEF was not in the best of shape. Maybe something has since been done, but there was another screening just a few months ago in New York where the print was described as being "somewhat battered looking" It is from the early 80's, and has been screened many times over the years. Here is one of two threads on Nitrateville. I will try to find the other one. http://nitrateville.com/viewtopic.php?t=2496 I have a newer Laser-disc transfer of this though I got from Kyle that blows away the previous two that I had before. To bad they can't get this version re-mastered and on TCM? Far as I know THE IRON MASK print from Photoplay which was produced in 1999 has never been on TCM either?

Jill, Thanks. I might order a copy along with the new FAUST.

Fred, I have a very good print of CALL HER SAVAGE with Gilbert Roland on my slave-drive right now. This is probably Clara Bow's best talkie. I don't remember it airing that night, but maybe it did? Scottman, I never knew that THE WILD PARTY ever saw an official release? Are your sure? Maybe it was only on VHS, but not DVD?

Fred, Hey, I'm glad that you brought this up. THE WILD PARTY was shown on TCM in May of 1999. Part of an all evening tribute to Clara Bow. I don't know if it has aired since? Maybe TCM just rented a print from Paramount, or Universal who ever holds the current rights, just for that one broadcast? This was just after I first started getting TCM.

I like the 1947 GOOD NEWS, and I have it on DVD. This movie was based on the 1927 Broadway Musical, and was actually a remake of the earlier 1930 MGM version. I have seen the 1930 one too with Bessie Love and Penny Singleton. But only from an old tape made during TCM's first or second year on the air. Would love to see TCM run this again sometime Since the Technicolor finale is lost it just never is shown. Yes the Hairsyles are mostly all wrong in the film. At least for the girls. Though not so bad for the boys.

ugaarte, The girl with the crutch is Fay Wray as Mitzi. Lillian Gish is not in THE WEDDING MARCH. However, Zasu Pitts is, and looking very much like Lillian. That sounds very strange but it is true. I was going to delete this clip and re-post, as it freezes up a number of times. It shouldn't be doing this. Incidentally, I didn't realize that I had your E-mail address, but I guess that I do? I will send you an E-mail over the weekend. I just posted a bunch of clips from various films on GAOH. So you can go and watch them if you wish? Did you find the links to the Photoplay version of WINGS? Jill, I have not seen A THROW OF THE DICE. The print looks stunning.

Ed, Jill, Everyone, Here is a quote from Nancy Lorraine on Nitrateville: "LITTLE OLD NEW YORK was just shown at Pordenone last October. It was a 35mm print from the Library of Congress." Nancy

Jeffrey: Thank you for sharing the links to both Kiki and The Wedding March. Norma Talmadge in the powder puff scene is hilarious, and is that George K. Arthur as Adolphe the valet? The art direction and set design is fabulous~Ronald Colmans apartment could only exist in a silent film. The scene from The Wedding March is stunning, it reminds me of similar lovely scenes in Camille, The Godless Girl and The Garden Of Eden. I especially enjoy the chance to see Fay Wray in one of her silent roles. Karin, Yes, that is George K. Arthur yet again. He seemed to pop up all over the place, and for just about every studio. Much like Ernest Torrence did. I would love to see some of the films that He made with Karl Dane at MGM when they were paired together as a comedy team. The gigantic oversize Powder-puff is a Running-gag in KIKI.

Johanna, Did you find the Technicolor one though? The black and white clip from THE WEDDING MARCH. was futher up the page. The Technicolor scene is only about 3 minutes long but it looks wonderful. Don't overlook Clarence Brown's KIKI (1926) with Norma Talmadge, and Ronald Coleman either. This is a very funny film! I posted seven clips. The Douris corporation who restored this film in 2004-2005, along with a couple Constance Talmadge features HER NIGHT OF ROMANCE (1924), and HER SISTER FROM PARIS has been trying to sell the idea of DVD releases to various companies now for a couple years or so. Hopfully somebody eventually picks up these movies. All of them have Ronald Coleman, so that ought to be something of a selling point in their favor. Another Constance Talmadge feature long considered lost called EAST IS WEST is being restored right now.

Johanna, The Photos are wonderful! Especially that one with the Four Leaf Clovers! And with St. Patty's Day just around the corner too. Thanks much! Err, guess that I can't coun? They are Three Leaf Clovers. But the photo still looks really sweet. Here is a picture of Janet Gaynor in what looks almost like "Peter Pan Sleeves" that I don't think I have posted before?

Johanna, Don't worry about it. Again I have not seen THE BELOVED ROGUE in sometime. Did you check out the links to the clips for the Photoplay WINGS? You will find them a little ways down the page in the Silent's Gallery thread. Also the Technicolor sequence from THE WEDDING MARCH. No luck in getting yet another airing of OLD SAN FRANCISCO switched to TIDE OF THE EMPIRE istead am afraid. However, I would almost be willing to bet that the guest host for the Spanish festival in May has never seen the movie, or They probably would have selected it themselves?

I'm sorry, another correction. The Library of Congress has the restored 35 millimeter print of Valentino's MOUSIER BEAUCAIRE, not MoMA.

Jill, I don't honestly know if Warner' s has a print of LITTLE OLD NEW YORK or not? I will look into it and try to find out. The Real Marion Davies Documentary from 2000, could be misleading in that regard. BEAUTY'S WORTH and some of the others though Cosmopolitan Productions, were actually released by Paramount. I will check on LONY, as I have forgotten who the distributor was. Most likely the best print is at George Eastman House, or UCLA? Hmmm. Looks like LITTLE OLD NEW YORK was a Goldwyn release. I believe that King Vidor's HIS HOUR was as well? Although the distribution might have later been turned over to MGM in it's first year? Wouldn't mind seeing QUALITY STREET in a nice print with a good score either. The Image release just didn't cut it. And as far as I can recall even that version has never been run on TCM?

Jill, Whoops, I am so sorry. I believe I was addressing Johanna in this case. Please do not take it to heart. She is a huge Conrad Vedit fan.

Karin, Well, according to Harold Aherne on Nitrateville, it appears that RAMONA (1928) may actually survive, stashed away in a Czech archive someplace? If so, that is certainly good to learn, but it hasn't been restored. I don't really know if anyone ever gets to see it or not? Few things are as frustrating as a long lost film being found, and no one ever is able to or rarely able to view it? Such as is the case with King Vidor's HIS HOUR (1924). Very frustrating. I can't really say much about Aileen Pringle. I don't believe that I have ever seen her before in anything? But Renee Adoree had a unique special magic about her on screen that makes a person an instant fan. Eleanor Boardman was always good, and I like her and Renee both better than I do Garbo. I inquiered about TIN GODS (1926), and found out some months ago that a 35 millimeter print existed for many years at Yale University. However, it was allowed to deteriorate and is no longer believed to be there? Yale had it up until about 1978 or so. Sure hope that there is another surviving print someplace else, but I have found no evidence to date. That is other than the fact that the movie is listed in the TCM-Movie Data Base. Unfortunately, I think there are a number of other lost Silents that are also listed there. Rather confusing.

Nothing to do with old copyright issues I don't believe. Actually it has to do with the films not being ready for broadcast in the format that they now use at TCM. I'm sure that probably included THE BIG PARADE until now. Another reason this hasn't been shown since May of 2004. At last on the May schedule again, even if it isn't the brand new restoration many have long been waiting on. They switched over to some other system in 2005. Everything is on two giant master hard-drives of some sort. Or at least so I have been told. They used to air some form of industrial Video-tape when broadcasting, everyone did, but not anymore. I already mentioned this in some other threads. I am pretty sure that Allan Dwan's TIDE OF THE EMPIRE with Renee Adoree, Tom Keene, George Fawcett, and William Collier Junior hasn't been on at all since at least 2000 or 2001? Probably not since 1999? And my copy is from 1997 obtained second hand. Oh, how I love this movie! I have waited in vain for it to pop back up on the schedule. Any schedule month after month, and it never has. So frustrating. By contrast, OLD SAN FRANCISCO is one of TCM's most frequently run Silent films. The guest host whoever it is this year for the Annual "Race In Hollywood Festival", this year focusing on the Spanish should watch TIDE OF THE EMPIRE if nesscary and see if it doesn't make sense to at least consider making a change? Especially, given that OLD SAN FRANCISCO was part of last years event? That ought to at least potentially make a difference? Correct? So, how about putting this to the vote here? Who else here would rather see TIDE OF THE EMPIRE, which most of you have might never seen, instead of OLD SAN FRANCISCO, that many of you have? I might add that TIDE OF THE EMPIRE is a very good movie, and a highly entertaining film, with a terrific Metro-tone score. The print is just beautiful. Even if the final reel is missing. This is probably one of my favorite late 20's Silents. What's more it has Renee Adoree in a top billed Starring role. One of the few, and probably the last of her career at MGM where she was listed first on the Marquee? : Not trying to make a pest of myself, but If we let TCM know about this maybe we can get the films changed? It's worth a try. It worked with Chaney's THE BLACKBIRD, and even got us an American TCM premier that we likely would not have seen at all otherwise. Besides TIDE OF THE EMPIRE, in the future I would love to see THE TRAIL OF '98, SPEEDWAY, WEARY RIVER, NOAH'S ARK, THE VIKING (in Technicolor), Etc. How about the 1930 version of GOOD NEWS with Bessie Love? The sad fact is, none of them have been converted to the new format, or at least loaded into the drives. They have to matinence those sometime. I mean I defragment an average of 3 times a day! No wonder TCM was having so many glitches a few months back. If you recall, they did run THE DIVINE LADY last year with Corinne Griffith, for the Marie Dressler festival. That hadn't aired since '97 either. In my mind, that pretty much proves that they can dig these movies that rarely get aired out of mothballs.

I guess so, but by and large my scores are frequently better. Maybe not always the best sound quality, since they are all old recordings. But I try every scene over and over again until I find music that works well. In October I sent a few of my compiled scores to Robert Israel to see what He thought about my selections. He liked them. I have dubbed about 11 features so far. SMOULDERING FIRES is one of the titles I sent him. A great film and it deserves a proper release. Keviun Brownlow told us that their are two surviving 35 millimeter prints, and both look very different. One is elaboratly tinted and toned. Which is the way the film was originally released. I never really watched THE YANKEE CLIPPER. So it will be basically new to me. Though I would have rather seen a nice print of THE ROAD TO YESTERDAY. David Shepard said last March that they had a very nice fine grain positive of the film. That was great to hear, but when are we going to get to see it??? I'm not real big on THE WEDDING MARCH either, but Carl Davis music definitely made a huge difference. Except for the Technicolor scene, even the Photoplay print isn't in that great a shape. Most sequences are just not real sharp. It might look much improved if we were to see this in a fresh broadcast master on TCM though sometime? I don't know? The new broadcast master of ORPHANS OF THE STORM sure looked nice back in November.

I sure hope that TCM will promote THE WHITE SISTER as a premier. Some of their more recent Silent premier's they never even said a thing in the introduction's that the film was being broadcast for the first time. Such as the Photoplay versions of ORPHANS OF THE STORM, and THE GODLESS GIRL. And it would be wonderful if we could get the brand new restoration of THE MARK OF ZORRO, too. I don't think I have seen the Pickford short? The 1910 version of RAMONA. How unfortunate that the 1928 feature RAMONA with Delores Del Rio, a huge hit back in the day, with that great song, is considered lost. We might have even seen it selected? Can't say I am overly enthused with the late. late airing of THE BIG PARADE. Especially after a 4 year hiatus. But at least it is being broadcast. Again, I believe the new restoration will debut in Prime-time once the project is completed for broadcast. I have been assured that it actually is in the works. Chuck Tabesh confirmed this on Monday. So wonderful news! OK, here is where matters get even more interesting. Didn't OLD SAN FRANCISCO run on TCM during last years "Race In Hollywood, Asian Images In Film Festival?" I'm pretty sure that it did. Now it is being shown for the second straight year as part of the Spanish one? I personally like this movie very much, and love Delores Costello. However, a much better choice in my view for the Spanish festival would be Allan Dwan's TIDE OF THE EMPIRE (1929) with Renee Adoree, And Tom Keene. George Fawcett, and William Collier Junior. It has just as much historical context, and the movie hasn't aired in many years on TCM. I would love to see it again. My copy was obtained second hand, and was recorded clear back in 1997 I believe. Didn't have TCM until May of 1999. I do not recall it being shown at any time. I think I saw THE TRAIL OF '98 in 2000 or 2001, but not TIDE OF THE EMPIRE. I am pretty sure that TIDE OF THE EMPIRE hasn't been on at all since at least that long? Probably not since 1999? The guest host whoever it is this year, should watch this film and see if it doesn't make sense to at least consider making a change? Especially, given that OLD SAN FRANCISCO was part of last years festival? How about putting this to the vote? Who else here would rather see TIDE OF THE EMPIRE, which some of you have might never seen, instead of OLD SAN FRANCISCO, that many of you have? I might add that TIDE OF THE EMPIRE is a very good movie, and a highly entertaining film, with a terrific Metro-tone score. The print is just beautiful. Even if the final reel is missing. This is probably one of my favorite late 20's Silents. What's more it has Renee Adoree in a top billed Starring role. One of the few, and probably the last of her career at MGM where she was listed first on the Marquee? : If we let TCM know about this, maybe we can get the films changed? It's worth a try. It worked with Chaney's THE BLACKBIRD, and even got us an American TCM premier that we likely would not have seen at all otherwise.

No, at least not officially. I have a copy on DVD-R from a now defunct outfit (I think) called FORGOTTEN FILMS. A very nice quality print. Though most of their releases did not look anywhere near as good as this one did. Grapevine Video also has a version on DVD-R, not nearly as sharp of a transfer. UNKNOWN VIDEO has some early Marion Davies features on DVD-R. They are good prints too. ZANDER THE GREAT is a fine print. So is BEAUTY'S WORTH. WHEN KNIGHTHOOD WAS IN FLOWER, doesn't look that great though. Only have half of JANICE MEREIDITH, though the film survives in-tact I think? Didn't they just run LITTLE OLD NEW YORK at the Kansas Silent Film Festival? Were you there? I believe it is actually a 1922 film, not 1923, but I might be getting confused with "KNIGHTHOOD"? I just can't understand why at least a few of Marion's "Public Domain" features, as opposed to though's owned by Warner's are not on DVD in restored prints from company's like Kino, Image, Milestone, or maybe Flicker Alley? Same thing with Colleen Moore, Constance Talmadge, and Marie Prevost.

Jill, Here is the second clip I just finished uploading of the Photoplay Productions version of THE WEDDING MARCH. Fay Wray is just super gorgeous in this movie. And who would have ever pictured Von Stroheim casting himself as a John Gilbert type lover? Somehow it works? To bad that THE HONEYMOON is lost. Would love to have seen how this all turns out? And was that really Zasu Pitts, or Lillian Gish? I would never have known her at all? http://goldenageofhollywood.ning.com/video/the-wedding-march-1928shower