Lost Silents?

[Natalie Webb]

There are so many lost films, it is such a shame that many of these unique pieces of art have been lost! I am always reading about a lost film that sounds so good and wish that I could see it. What lost silents would you most like to see? Here's my top 3:

 

1. The Big Little Person (1919) so sad that I will probably never see this one, it sounds so interesting.

 

2. Uncharted Seas (1921) I would love to see it. Who knows, maybe it will turn up somewhere like Beyond the Rocks (1922) did .

 

3. The Glimpses of the Moon (1923)

 

What are some that you would love to be discovered?

[film lover 293]

(1)--"London After Midnight" (1927)--With Lon Chaney Sr., directed by Tod Browning.  I've seen the version that is stills from the production; now if the film would be discovered and shown.

 

(2)--"Yolanda" (1924)--Marion Davies film I've never heard whether it was available to view or not.  I certainly would like to see it.

[Natalie Webb]

film lover 293, London After Midnight (1927) sounds intriguing, I'd like to see that one too. It's nice when they are able to use stills to piece them together, but it's also very sad that you cannot see the whole thing as it was meant to be, and it makes you want to see the movie even more. I saw The Young Rajah (1922) in the version made with stills and the surviving film, but I wanted so badly to see the entire thing, especially at the beginning and where the guy falls out of the window, you just can't recreate that in stills. I did feel very lucky to see it even in that way though, and I'm glad that there was some surviving footage, its in better shape than some of these with no known footage. Wouldn't it be great if they found a big stash of these somewhere and they were in great condition, and all these movies we've been wanting to see were finally available? That'd be so great... I know what I'll be dreaming of tonight 

[Jlewis]

Theda Bara in Cleopatra (1917) is another everybody is digging for. About four minutes survive... I think. In the 1930s, Fox, Paramount and Warner (with their First National and Vitagraph material) often made short subjects that used clips from silent films before a few vault fires later that decade and beyond took their toll. Some impressive footage from Paramount's The Miracle Man was showcased in the still surviving Movie Milestones (1935) although the complete feature is now gone. Apparently most of Theda's films were still around as late as 1937 or so when Fox suddenly lost a lot of material.

[drednm]

(1)--"London After Midnight" (1927)--With Lon Chaney Sr., directed by Tod Browning.  I've seen the version that is stills from the production; now if the film would be discovered and shown.

 

(2)--"Yolanda" (1924)--Marion Davies film I've never heard whether it was available to view or not.  I certainly would like to see it.

 

Yolanda certainly exists. I bought a copy from the Belgian film archive. The intertitles are in French and Dutch but the video quality is very good for an unrestored film. Mammoth castle sets and good story. Marion Davies is, of course, gorgeous in another dual role. I believe the only American archive to own a copy is MoMA and it has Czech intertitles. The film has never been seen in this country since its 1924 debut.

[Natalie Webb]

Theda Bara in Cleopatra (1917) is another everybody is digging for. About four minutes survive... I think. In the 1930s, Fox, Paramount and Warner (with their First National and Vitagraph material) often made short subjects that used clips from silent films before a few vault fires later that decade and beyond took their toll. Some impressive footage from Paramount's The Miracle Man was showcased in the still surviving Movie Milestones (1935) although the complete feature is now gone. Apparently most of Theda's films were still around as late as 1937 or so when Fox suddenly lost a lot of material.

 

Wow, isn't it a shame that more was not done to protect silent film? It just wasn't valued at that time, sometimes it was literally thrown out or burned. The fire in 1937 destroyed many as well. I have to admit, I haven't seen much of Theda Bara's work, but I have heard a lot about her. The original "Vamp" actress. I hear she wore some very interesting costumes in Cleopatra; it's a shame not much of that movie survived.

[TopBilled]

Wow, isn't it a shame that more was not done to protect silent film? It just wasn't valued at that time, sometimes it was literally thrown out or burned. The fire in 1937 destroyed many as well. I have to admit, I haven't seen much of Theda Bara's work, but I have heard a lot about her. The original "Vamp" actress. I hear she wore some very interesting costumes in Cleopatra; it's a shame not much of that movie survived.

 

A good analogy is this--

 

We've all gone through boxes in the attic or stuff collecting dust on a shelf in the garage-- deciding to toss items out, not realizing they might still have value. It happens. But yes, if only we could go back in time and save those films.

[Natalie Webb]

A good analogy is this--

 

We've all gone through boxes in the attic or stuff collecting dust on a shelf in the garage-- deciding to toss items out, not realizing they might still have value. It happens. But yes, if only we could go back in time and save those films.

 

Indeed, they couldn't have understood at the time how precious that film was, a very good analogy. Now, if only I'd go through boxes in my attic and find some Theda Bara film 

[TopBilled]

Indeed, they couldn't have understood at the time how precious that film was, a very good analogy. Now, if only I'd go through boxes in my attic and find some Theda Bara film  

 

Yes, please check your attic as soon as possible. Theda's fans are waiting. LOL

[Natalie Webb]

Indeed, they couldn't have understood at the time how precious that film was, a very good analogy. Now, if only I'd go through boxes in my attic and find some Theda Bara film 

Although you never know, I heard someone found Nazimova's Solome wig in a trunk in an old storage shed.

[Natalie Webb]

Yes, please check your attic as soon as possible. Theda's fans are waiting. LOL

 

I can't even imagine, I hear about people finding signed Valentino photos, Alla Nazimova's blouse and costumes, important footage, etc. and all I have in my attic is some insulation and an old fish tank. How do you have that kind of stuff in your attic/storage shed and not know it? 

[TopBilled]

I can't even imagine, I hear about people finding signed Valentino photos, Alla Nazimova's blouse and costumes, important footage, etc. and all I have in my attic is some insulation and an old fish tank. How do you have that kind of stuff in your attic/storage shed and not know it? 

 

Probably because someone passed away and the children or grandchildren didn't know what had been collected and put into storage. 

[Natalie Webb]

So, TopBilled, any missing/lost films you'd like to find in your attic?

[Natalie Webb]

Probably because someone passed away and the children or grandchildren didn't know what had been collected and put into storage. 

 

Very true, I think that's how the Salome wig and costumes were left sitting in that storage shed; someone moved away or died and left the stuff. 

[TopBilled]

So, TopBilled, any missing/lost films you'd like to find in your attic?

 

BEHOLD MY WIFE! (1920)

BLUEBEARD'S 8TH WIFE (1923) with Gloria Swanson

THE CALLAHANS AND THE MURPHYS (1927) with Marie Dressler & Polly Moran

 

THE GIRL OF THE GOLDEN WEST (1930) a talkie with Ann Harding.

JEALOUSY (1929) a talkie with Jeanne Eagels

 

And I'd like it if someone found a copy of a precode that was destroyed called CONVENTION CITY.

[Natalie Webb]

BEHOLD MY WIFE! (1920)

BLUEBEARD'S 8TH WIFE (1923) with Gloria Swanson

THE CALLAHANS AND THE MURPHYS (1927) with Marie Dressler & Polly Moran

 

THE GIRL OF THE GOLDEN WEST (1930) a talkie with Ann Harding.

JEALOUSY (1929) a talkie with Jeanne Eagels

 

And I'd like it if someone found a copy of a precode that was destroyed called CONVENTION CITY.

 

BLUEBEARD'S 8TH WIFE is also one that I would like to see, I love Gloria Swanson, she is captivating to watch, I love her movies. 

[TopBilled]

BLUEBEARD'S 8TH WIFE is also one that I would like to see, I love Gloria Swanson, she is captivating to watch, I love her movies. 

 

Yes, so do I. She has a unique screen presence.

[drednm]

Madame Sans-Gene (1925) is the film Swanson searched for for years. She thought is was her best film. A French archivist (lost his name for the moment) found a copy but it was lost during WW II. Swanson's The Humming Bird (1924) survives in rough shape at Library of Congress but Paramount won't do anything with in.  Zaza (1923) exists at Eastman House (I saw it there) but nothing is being done to get it on DVD (Paramount again). Most of the rest of her starring films for Paramount are lost.

[drednm]

This is one of the best resources for finding the status of a silent feature film.

 

http://memory.loc.gov/diglib/ihas/html/silentfilms/silentfilms-home.html

[Natalie Webb]

This is one of the best resources for finding the status of a silent feature film.

 

http://memory.loc.gov/diglib/ihas/html/silentfilms/silentfilms-home.html

 

That's cool, I've been playing around with it, typing in movie titles and seeing what it says 

I love what it says on the home page:

 

"During that time filmmakers established the language of cinema, the motion pictures they created reached a height of artistic sophistication" 

 

I love that, it says that perfectly. In the era of silent film, they established the language of cinema. Artistic sophistication describes those beautiful works of art perfectly.

[gagman66]

There are tons of lost films I would love to see found. Here are just a few. Trouble is there are many lost films that actually have been found, but have not been restored yet. Others have been restored but aren't generally available to the public.

 

1. FLAMING YOUTH (1923) - Colleen Moore, Milton Sills

 

2. THE BATTLE CRY OF PEACE (1916) - Thomas Ince

 

3. LITTLE WOMEN (1919)

 

4. THE QUEEN OF SHEBA (1921) Betty Blythe

 

5. THE GREAT MOMENT (1921) Swanson, Sills.

 

6. HUMAN WRECKAGE (1923) Bessie Love

 

7. SO BIG (1924) Colleen Moore, Ben Lyon

 

8.  KISS ME AGAIN (1925) Ernst Lubitsch Marie Prevost, Clara Bow

 

9. THE THUNDERING HERD (1925) Jack Holt, Billie Dove

 

10 TOWER OF LIES (1925) Lon Chaney, Norma Shearer, William Haines

 

11. SYNCOPATING SUE (1926). Corinne Griffith

 

12. THE BOY FRIEND (1926) Marceline Day

 

13. THE ROUGH RIDERS (1927) Victor Fleming. Charles Farrell, Mary Astor

 

14. THE WIZARD (1927) Virginia Valli, Edmund Lowe

 

15. GATEWAY OF THE MOON (1928) Dolores Del Rio, Walter Pidgeon

 

16. LADIES OF THE MOB (1928) Clara Bow, Richard Arlen

 

17. MASKS OF THE DEVIL (1928). John Gilbert, Alma Rubens

 

18. 4 DEVILS F. W. Murnau. Janet Gaynor, Mary Duncan

 

19. CHRISTINA (1929) Janet Gaynor

 

20. THE CASE OF LENA SMITH Josef' Von Sternberg. Esther Ralston

[Natalie Webb]

There are tons of lost films I would love to see found. Here are just a few. Trouble is there are many lost films that actually have been found, but have not been restored yet. Others have been restored but aren't generally available to the public.

 

1. FLAMING YOUTH (1923) - Colleen Moore, Milton Sills

 

2. THE BATTLE CRY OF PEACE (1916) - Thomas Ince

 

3. LITTLE WOMEN (1919)

 

4. THE QUEEN OF SHEBA (1921) Betty Blythe

 

5. THE GREAT MOMENT (1921) Swanson, Sills.

 

6. HUMAN WRECKAGE (1923) Bessie Love

 

7. SO BIG (1924) Colleen Moore, Ben Lyon

 

8.  KISS ME AGAIN (1925) Ernst Lubitsch Marie Prevost, Clara Bow

 

9. THE THUNDERING HERD (1925) Jack Holt, Billie Dove

 

10 TOWER OF LIES (1925) Lon Chaney, Norma Shearer, William Haines

 

11. SYNCOPATING SUE (1926). Corinne Griffith

 

12. THE BOY FRIEND (1926) Marceline Day

 

13. THE ROUGH RIDERS (1927) Victor Fleming. Charles Farrell, Mary Astor

 

14. THE WIZARD (1927) Virginia Valli, Edmund Lowe

 

15. GATEWAY OF THE MOON (1928) Dolores Del Rio, Walter Pidgeon

 

16. LADIES OF THE MOB (1928) Clara Bow, Richard Arlen

 

17. MASKS OF THE DEVIL (1928). John Gilbert, Alma Rubens

 

18. 4 DEVILS F. W. Murnau. Janet Gaynor, Mary Duncan

 

19. CHRISTINA (1929) Janet Gaynor

 

20. THE CASE OF LENA SMITH Josef' Von Sternberg. Esther Ralston

 

I see a few Clara Bow movies on that list, Ladies of the Mob (1928) and Kiss Me Again (1925). From what I've seen, Clara is wonderful to watch on screen, a really talented and likable actress. I'd love to see more of her work, its a shame those two are lost. 

[Natalie Webb]

Madame Peacock (1920) is one I'd like to see; I first read that it was lost, then that it did exist, and now I'm not sure what became of that film. If it's still out there, I'd love to see it. Alla Nazimova, Rex Cherryman, and John Steppling are three actors I'd love to see. I saw Nazimova and Cherryman together in Camille, but I've not seen John Steppling, I've only read about him. I'm curious, he sounds like a very interesting person, I'd love to see him in a movie.

[HomesoulM]

The Great Gatsby the film because only the trailer remains. 

[Ray Laban]

I would love to see some of the lost films from the prime of Clara Bow's career: "The Runaway" (1926) with William Powell, "Rough House Rosie" (1927), "Red Hair" (1928), "Ladies of the Mob" (1928), "The Fleet's In" (1928), & "Three Weekends" (1928).