gagman66

Kate, The new broadcast master of Photo-play's 1996 restoration of PHANTOM TCM premiered last night, looked much improved. Almost all the Ghosting effect we had before on TCM, and the Milestone Ultimate Edition DVD from 2003, that had trialed the actors was now gone. THE PHANTOM is not really one of my favorites, but it was good to see a nicely restored Silent like this in Prime-time. It's just unfortunate, that we are not really seeing the 1925 version, but the much Altered 1929-re-release. Considerably weakened from the original cut of the film. Complaints about projection speed are unfounded. The projection speed was nearly perfect by 1925 Standards, of the 1929 version. Definitely not 18 frames per-second. More like 22. Was it just me, or didn't HUNCHBACK also look much better than it did just last month? I didn't watch much of the broadcast in October, but I ended up seeing the whole thing last night, and really enjoyed it.

Film_Fatale, The new broadcast master of Photo-play's PHANTOM TCM premiered last night, looked much improved. Almost all the the Ghosting we had before that trialed the actors was now gone. THE PHANTOM is not really one of my favorites, but it was good to see a nicely restored Silent like this in Prime-time. It's just unfortunate, that we are not really seeing the 1925 version, but the much Altered 1929-re-release. Considerably weakened from the original cut of the film. Complaints about projection speed are unfounded. The projection speed was nearly perfect by 1925 Standards, of the 1929 version. Definitely not 18 frames per-second. More like 22. Was it just me, or didn't HUNCHBACK also look much better than it did just last month? I didn't watch much of the broadcast in October, but I ended up seeing the whole thing last night, and really enjoyed it.

Annie, A very nice list. Remember a new version of ORPHANS OF THE STORM is debuting for the first time ever in this Country, on Sunday Night. It is from Kevin Brownlow's Photo-play Productions and has the John Lanchbery Orchestral score. Really looking forward to this TCM Premier! Where did you see THE COSSACKS by the way? This has not been shown on TCM. Was it at a live screening? The film is in my Top 10 Silents. Looks like you haven't seen 7TH HEAVEN or STREET ANGEL?

The first thing Ray spoke of was his deep love for Lon Chaney. He saw THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME during it's first run back in 1923 when He was just 3 years old. PHANTOM scared him silly he said when He was five in 1925. He saw every film that Chaney made from HUNCHBACK on, and Lon was his idol, and greatest influence. When Lon died in 1930, it shook him. Ray recognized for the first time the fact of his own mortality.

Aaron, Ed, Check this out. It is a clip from the Photo-play Productions version of Marion's THE PATSY that we never get to see in the United States. The score is by Maud Nelissen. I wish there was more of it here. Also a link to her Website. http://www.maudnelissen.com/Patsy.html'>http://www.maudnelissen.com/Patsy.html'>http://www.maudnelissen.com/Patsy.html'>http://www.maudnelissen.com/Patsy.html http://www.maudnelissen.com

Ed, What is the film? You haven't mentioned a title?

Johanna, Say, some really nice photos here. Thanks for posting them! Here are a couple of Bessie Love, and also Delores Del Rio in a Cat Suit! Bessie is just fun, fun, fun, and Delores MEEEEOOOWWW!!! *Bessie Love, At Lunch Break* *Bessie Love, Why Not I Say?* *Young Mary Astor* *Delores Del Rio, In Purrrr-fect Form!* By the way, don't forget the brand new broadcast masters of THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA in Prime-time tomorrow night, and ORPHANS OF THE STORM on Sunday night this week either. I am definitely looking forward to these from Kevin Brownlow's Photo-play Productions! My thanks to Charles Tabesh for making all this happen! TCM could have settled on the Image or Kino versions of ORPHANS, but instead went they above and beyond to snag the Photo-play one! I think that says allot! While running off a new transfer of PHANTOM demonstrates that TCM really cares about giving it's viewers top flight quality presentations of these classics!

Lynn, No, none of those films have been released on DVD in the States either with Davis scores. I assume they were on Laser-disc overseas though too? There were many others on Laser-disc of course. THE FOUR HORSEMEN OF THE APOCALYPSE , GREED, THE BIG PARADE, OLD HEIDELBERG, A WOMAN OF AFFAIRS, THE CROWD, Etc. Plus SHOW PEOPLE on VHS. There was a Laser-disc of SHOW PEOPLE, but it had the Vintage Axt-Mendoza score that TCM currently runs. Do you still want some DVD's???

Lynn, Rodney Sauer made the same argument. But with respect, what you say, and He said doesn't make any sense? There is only one film that I know of on DVD in the UK with a Carl Davis score that hasn't been released in the States. That being Buster Keaton's OUR HOSPITALITY. Furthermore PHANTOM OF THE OPERA has been released in the America with the Davis score, but not at all in Europe, which is really hard to believe, yet true. Far as I know films like THE EAGLE, INTOLERANCE, and THE THIEF OF BAGDAD among others with his scores, have never been released on DVD in Britain. All were on Laser-disc in this country years ago.

Ed, Don't worry I will dubb some scores. I wonder if he has a better copy of THE FAIR CO-ED that what we already have? Did you mention King Vidor's PROUD FLESH (1925) with Eleanor Boardman? I'm sending a bunch of the films I have worked on with dubbed scores to Robert Israel today!

Kate, It would be wonderful if there were clips from THE BIG PARADE featured in the TCM Media Room. I was shocked to discover that there aren't any? It's unlikely that there will be until the new broadcast master is ready to go, and has seen it's TCM premier. I just can't understand it? In addition to the breaking news about WINGS, Nitrateville is reporting a major DVD event in the works for THE BIG PARADE. However, the Thames Silents version, and thusly the Carl Davis score, could be nixed out? I sure hope not. I would find that rather inexplicable! I mean for years it was the only version available (assuming you could find it), now they are just going to chuck it altogether? They do mention the 1931 re-issue though, which is supposedly quite a bit shorter. I have long been calling for a collection of all three versions. I take this all with a grain of salt until I see something official announced anyway. http://nitrateville.com/viewtopic.php?t=2390 http://nitrateville.com/viewtopic.php?t=1884 And here is a link with a bunch of information of the Photo-play ORPHANS OF THE STORM. The score is by John Lanchbery. You have heard him score THE BIRTH OF A NATION, and THE IRON HORSE among others in the past. This version is actually from 2001, not 2004. In 2004 Photo-play released it's restoration of THE CAT AND THE CANARY. That must have been where I got this mixed up. But it will be a brand new broadcast master, apparently processed just in the last few months or so. So will THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA on Thursday night. That is really big news as fas as I'm concerned! TCM could have settled on the Image or Kino versions of ORPHANS but instead they went above and beyond to snag the Photo-play one! I think that says allot! Also running off a new transfer of PHANTOM illustrates that TCM really cares about giving it's viewers top flight quality presentations! My Thanks to "TCM programmer" Charles Tabesh again, for making this happen! http://www.photoplay.co.uk/indiv%20film%20pages/ind%20film%20page%20Orphans%20of%20the%20storm.html

ugaarte, Sure hope that you get to see LILAC TIME on Sunday. With any luck there will be a nice crowd, and it will be a very good print too. Don't forget the brand new broadcast masters of THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA in Prime-time on Thursday night, and ORPHANS OF THE STORM on Sunday night this week either. I am definitely looking forward to these from Kevin Brownlow's Photo-play Productions! My thanks to Charles Tabesh for making all this happen! TCM could have settled on the Image or Kino versions of ORPHANS, but went they above and beyond to snag the Photo-play one! I think that says allot! While running off a new transfer of PHANTOM shows that TCM really cares about giving it's viewers top flight quality presentations! No Colleen here, but these are some photos that I worked on recently of her First National Studios rival Corinne Griffith. Also a couple of Bessie Love, and Delores Del Rio in a Cat Suit! *Corinne Griffith, White Rose* *Corinne Griffith, Nimble Fingers* *Corinne Griffith With H. B. Warner* *Bessie Love, At Lunch Break* *Bessie Love, Why Not I Say?* *Young Mary Astor* *Delores Del Rio, In Purrrr-fect Form!*

Film_Fatale, Well, I plan to get all the new releases eventually. My goodness there is allot coming out all at about the same time though. Facing another surgery on Monday, I don't have much money right now. I ordered the Fairbanks set from Flicker Alley, and I want the Borzage-Murna Collection in the worst way. I will probably have to wait on that for awhile. My Pay-pal account is about empty at the moment.

Film_Fatale, It's wonderful to have a new restoration of WAY DOWN EAST (1920). Previous DVD versions were of Sub-par Image quality.Though the negative was lost in 1937, so I am not sure how far they can go in re-mastering without it? Apparently, the MOMA has a very good and complete print, so that is most encouraging. While I will miss the vintage Hugo Risenfeld scoring track of the 1928 re-issue that Image Entertainment used, I'm sure that Rodney Sauer's Mont Alto Motion Picture Orchestra's new score will be quite good in it's own right. A disappointing no show here is THE SORROWS OF SATAN (1927). Correct me if I am wrong here, but one very important film that is missing from this set is HEARTS OF THE WORLD (1918) with both Lillian and Dorothy Gish. Another film that is definitely among Griffith's finest work is ISN'T LIFE WONDERFUL (1924). This saw a Laser-disc release years ago with an excellent Robert Israel score, but I don't think it has been issued on DVD yet? Finally, I might add that I really love THE BATTLE OF THE SEXES (1928). Just a stellar cast, and to me it shows Griffith could handle light comedy quite well. Personally, I think it's among his best films.

Scottman, SEVENTH HEAVEN, STREET ANGEL, Etc? They are all mostly forgotten, until somebody see's the films again. The same thing could be said about allot of movies from the 50's, 60's and even the 70's. 95% of WINGS votes came after people saw it recently on TCM. Harold Lloyd being named Star of The Month back in March of 2003, was huge towards getting his films on DVD, and created all kinds of new fans. Same with Kay Francis a few months ago. Maybe even Carole Lombard last month. I just talked to Rodney Sauer. He says that the Carl Davis scores are to expensive for almost any American DVD release? What does that mean? We were talking about that Kevin Brownlow mentioned that Photo-play recently restored THE EAGLE from the original camera negative. If there was a possibility of a new release from Kino with the Davis score or not? He at least acknowledged that it was more likely due to Valentino, then it would be with a film like THE GODLESS GIRL, that they might use the Carl Davis score. And that THE EAGLE was a good Canidate not having had a recent release. Just heard from Robert Israel again tonight, a few minutes ago! Did you see what I said about new broadcast masters for both PHANTOM, and ORPHANS to premier this week? Obviously not a surprise for ORPHANS since this version has not been seen before in the States, but unexpected for PHANTOM, and I feel this is tremendous news!

Scottman, Thanks much for voting. Forgotten? Well, what do you expect when the movie hasn't run on TCM in over 4 years now? WINGS got most of it's votes after recent broadcast's, of an old version. So the numbers don't mean a dang thing in my view. I have people asking me why TCM never shows THE BIG PARADE almost every week! According to Nitrateville, a DVD actually is in the works for both films next year. Although this is certainly not the first time we have heard this. The bad news where THE BIG PARADE is concerned, is no mention of the Thames version of any kind. Though they talked about including the 1931 re-issue. THE CROWD was also being mentioned.

*Corinne Griffith, White Rose* *Corinne Griffith, Nimble Fingers* *Corinne Griffith With H. B. Warner*

Some mighty Big News! According to deadroll on Nitrateville both THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA and ORPHANS OF THE STORM will have brand new broadcast masters from Photo-play Productions debuting on TCM next week! I assume that means just what is implied, "Brand New Transfers, and Region 2 to Region 1 conversions"? On the downside, I don't know who deadroll is, so he may not even know what he is talking about? Let's hope that He does. Here is the link. http://nitrateville.com/viewtopic.php?t=2390 In addition, there is possible blockbuster news regarding WINGS on DVD. According to more sources on Nitrateville, Paramount is reportedly working on a fresh digital transfer as we speak! So it could actually be forthcoming in 2009. I have no idea though if they have any interest in the Carl Davis score or not? Mr. Davis scores are apparently very expensive. But this afterall is WINGS, and a major video label, so we can only hope it will be included. http://nitrateville.com/viewtopic.php?t=1884 If both 7TH HEAVEN and WINGS beat THE BIG PARADE to an official DVD release that is very hard to believe. On the other hand the Acadamy restoratrion of WINGS was in 2002. THE BIG PARADE restoration wasn't completed until 2004. 7TH HEAVEN was restored in 2001, and a DVD has set on the shelf for the past 4 years un-released. So none of this happened over night.

Are you talking about on TCM? I have recently seen THE LAST WARNING, and it is great. The overall condition is quite good. SEVEN FOOTPRINTS OF SATAN though is in awful shape. Read the LILAC TIME thread. It appears that Paramount is finally getting ready to release WINGS? This week we are getting new broadcast masters of both THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, and ORPHANS OF THE STORM from Photo-play Productions. Any Ghosting problems with PHANTOM that there once were on the NTSC Master should now be eliminated!

CelluloidKid, Big, Big news! According to deadroll on Nitrateville both THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA and ORPHANS OF THE STORM will have brand new broadcast masters from Photo-play Productions debuting on TCM next week! I assume that means just what is implied, "Brand New Transfers, and Region 2 to Region 1 conversions"? On the downside, I don't know who deadroll is, so he may not even know what he is talking about? Let's hope that He does. Here is the link. http://nitrateville.com/viewtopic.php?t=2390 In addition, there is possible blockbuster news regarding WINGS on DVD. According to more sources on Nitrateville, Paramount is reportedly working on a fresh digital transfer as we speak! So it could actually be forthcoming in 2009. I have no idea though if they have any interest in the Carl Davis score or not? Mr. Davis scores are apparently very expensive. But this afterall is WINGS, and a major video label, so we can only hope it will be included. http://nitrateville.com/viewtopic.php?t=1884 If both 7TH HEAVEN and WINGS beat THE BIG PARADE to an official DVD release that is very hard to believe. On the other hand the Acadamy restoratrion of WINGS was in 2002. THE BIG PARADE restoration wasn't completed until 2004. 7TH HEAVEN was restored in 2001, and a DVD has set on the shelf for the past 4 years un-released. So none of this happened over night.

Wow! Check out this link. Sounds like a wonderful event. The Colleen Moore Blockbuster LILAC TIME (First National, 1928) with Gary Cooper has a special 80th Annivesary screening on Sunday, November 23rd, 2008 at 2:30 p.m. http://www.silentfilmchicago.com/SFSCevents.htm I wonder who is providing the print though and if it Is it 35 Millimeter? It doesn't say in this write-up? LILAC TIME is not Public-Domain, and Warner's still owns this movie. I would love to be able to see the film in a complete and quality 35 millimeter presentation! I have been calling for a complete restoration of this picture for years. My understanding is that there was quite a bit more of the Ariel footage in the European release. Yet for years, and years only mediocre truncated 16 Millimeter dupes have been accessible to the public. I have been trying to find out if the synchronized scoring track still survives? As LILAC TIME was not released before the Warner Brothers merger in 1928, it used a different audio process than Vita-phone, but it did have a recorded track, and of course boasted the haunting popular standard "JEANNINE I DREAM OF LILAC TIME". While I am excited about the completed restoration of HER WILD OAT (1927) which I haven't seen yet, and hope and pray that they will get to both SYNTHETIC SIN (1928), and WHY BE GOOD? (1929) as soon as possible. LILAC TIME deserves just as much consideration. As does IRENE (1926), since the 2-Strip Technicolor footage still survives! Who wouldn't want to see Colleen Moore's extraordinary dual-color eyes in Technicolor? How amazing would that be? Let's hope and pray that they do indeed get to WHY BE GOOD?, and SYNTHETIC SIN as soon as possible! Both are still listed as Nitrate only at UCLA! The project has already been put off for Two years. It was first reported in late 2006. The longer Warner's sits around twiddling their thumbs, the chances are that these recently recovered prints could still be lost. They have not been transferred to Safety-stock. nosound just checked on this two weeks ago. As I understand, all but a reel of sound disc's to SYNTHETIC SIN survives. WHY BE GOOD? though is in-tact. Purportedly Vince Giordano and the Nighthawks Orchestra were to re-create the missing portion of the SYNTHETIC SIN score. Meantime Colleen Moore' HER WILD OAT (1927) is fully restored, and with any luck will pop up on TCM pretty soon. They still need to record a score. I asked Rodney Sauer about this, and He said that He and Mont Alto would be delighted to be able to score HER WILD OAT, or Marion Davies THE FAIR CO-ED. So far they have not been approached though.

Karin, Wow, thanks for the fantastic still from LILAC TIME! Colleen's leading man in WHY BE GOOD?, was Neil Hamilton. In SYNTHETIC SIN it was Antonio Mereno. I have no idea who the guy in the poster is? I can try to find out for you. I don't think that it is Norman Kerry? Let's hope and pray that they do indeed get to WHY BE GOOD?, and SYNTHETIC SIN as soon as possible! Both are still listed as Nitrate only at UCLA! The project has already been put off for Two years. It was first reported in late 2006. The longer Warner's sits around twiddling their thumbs, the chances are that these recently recovered prints could still be lost. They have not been transferred to Safety-stock. nosound just checked on this two weeks ago. As I understand, all but a reel of sound disc's to SYNTHETIC SIN survives. WHY BE GOOD? though is in-tact. Purportedly Vince Giordano and the Nighthawks Orchestra were to re-create the missing portion of the SYNTHETIC SIN score. Meantime Colleen Moore' HER WILD OAT (1927) is fully restored, and with any luck will pop up on TCM pretty soon. They still need to record a score. I asked Rodney Sauer about this, and He said that He and Mont Alto would be delighted to be able to score HER WILD OAT, or Marion Davies THE FAIR CO-ED. So far they have not been approached though. It would be great to see Colleen's IRENE (1926) restored too. It was one of the biggest films of that year, and the Two-Strip Technicolor footage still survives complete. Big news, according to deadroll on Nitrateville both THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA and ORPHANS OF THE STORM will have brand new broadcast masters from Photo-play Productions debuting on TCM next week! I assume that means just what is implied, "Brand New Transfers, and Region 2 to Region 1 conversions"? On the downside I don't know who deadroll is, so he may not even know what he is talking about? Let's hope that He does. http://nitrateville.com/viewtopic.php?t=2390 In addition, there is possible blockbuster news regarding WINGS on DVD. According to more sources on Nitrateville, Paramount is reportedly working on a fresh digital transfer as we speak! So it could actually be forthcoming in 2009. I have no idea though if they have any interest in the Carl Davis score or not? Mr. Davis scores are apparently very expensive. But this afterall is WINGS, and a major video label, so we can only hope it will be included. http://nitrateville.com/viewtopic.php?t=1884 If both 7TH HEAVEN and WINGS beat THE BIG PARADE to an official DVD release that is very hard to believe. On the other hand the Acadamy restoratrion of WINGS was in 2002. THE BIG PARADE restoration wasn't completed until 2004. 7TH HEAVEN was restored in 2001, and a DVD has set on the shelf for the past 4 years un-released. So none of this happened over night.

CelluloidKid, I hate to be the barer of ill tidings here, but my Sister and my Niece positively loath this movie! They quite literally cringe every time it is on! On the plus side, my Sister loves anything of Dickens A Christmas Carol, that is her all-time favorite! She has to have every single version both live and animated that there is. I paid a small fortune a couple years back for the old CBS Animated version from 1969, that used to run on Thanksgiving every year up until about 1977. Anyone remember this? It hasn't been shown on Television in nearly three decades! Just disappeared! It took me years, years to find a copy!

Wow check out this link. Sounds like a wonderful event. The Colleen Moore Blockbuster LILAC TIME (First National, 1928) with Gary Cooper has a special 80th Annivesary screeing on Sunday, November 23rd, 2008 at 2:30 p.m. http://www.silentfilmchicago.com/SFSCevents.htm I wonder who is providing the print though and if it Is it 35 Millimeter? It doesn't say in this write-up? LILAC TIME is not Public-Domain, and Warner's still owns this movie. I would love to be able to see the film in a complete and quality 35 millimeter presentation! I have been calling for a complete restoration of this picture for years. My understanding is that there was quite a bit more of the Ariel footage in the European release. Yet for years, and years only mediocre truncated 16 Millimeter dupes have been accessible to the public. I have been trying to find out if the synchronized scoring track still survives? As LILAC TIME was not released before the Warner Brothers merger in 1928, it used a different audio process than Vita-phone, but it did have a recorded track, and of course boasted the haunting popular standard "JEANNINE I DREAM OF LILAC TIME". I am excited about the completed restoration of HER WILD OAT which I haven't seen yet, and hope and pray that they will get to both SYNTHETIC SIN, and WHY BE GOOD? as soon as possible. LILAC TIME clearly deserves just as much consideration. As does IRENE, since the 2-Strip Technicolor footage still survives! Who wouldn't want to see Colleen Moore's extraordinary dual-color eyes in Technicolor? How amazing would that be?

Please note, There is a list of the top 200 vote getters yes. However, you can vote for any film not on DVD that is in the Data Base. Of the 16,000 some films that are listed, less than 4% are on commecial DVD! Under 4%! Just type in THE BIG PARADE. Surprisingly there is more than one movie with this title! Obviously you select THE BIG PARADE (1925). Now look over on the right side of the main page about the movie. It says " Our records indicate this movie is not on home video." That is where you can vote. A Pop-up will appear. You will be asked to type your E-mail address in the box. If the pop-up is blocked, you may have to push "Ctrl" on your keyboard in order bring it up? Thanks much for voting my friend! Let me know if you have any trouble with this?