What is NOT in the National Film Registry

[casablancalover2]

http://www.loc.gov/film/NFRposs.html

 

Above is a link to the National Film Registry site's of movies not yet on the Film Preservation Board Registry.

 

What I did not realize is they start the process for determining movies _fresh_ every year. The deadline this year is September 28.

 

You may nominate a film to the Librarian of Congress at a email link on the website below:

 

http://www.loc.gov/film/vote.html

 

*Among those _not_ on the registry as yet:*

 

Partial list:

 

Bill of Divorcement, A (1932)

Blonde Venus (1932)

Sign of the Cross (1932)

Lost Horizon (1937)

Old Mill, The (1937) -Disney cartoon

Four Daughters (1938) -See that, Lori3..

Drums Along the Mohawk (1939)

Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1939)

The Letter (1940)

Rebecca (1940)

Holiday Inn (1942)

The Man Who Came to Dinner (1942)

Random Harvest (1942)

Pride of the Yankees, The (1942)

Since You Went Away (1944)

To Have and Have Not (1944)

Strange Love of Martha Ivers, The (1946)

Yearling, The (1946)

Gentleman?s Agreement (1947)

Ghost and Mrs. Muir, The (1947)

I Remember Mama (1948)

Key Largo (1948)

Battleground (1949)

She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (1949)

Born Yesterday (1950)

Father of the Bride (1950)

Quiet Man, The (1952)

Bad Day at Black Rock (1955)

Mister Roberts (1955)

To Catch a Thief (1955)

Man in the Gray Flannel Suit (1956)

Funny Face (1957)

Old Yeller (1957)

Elmer Gantry (1960)

Inherit the Wind (1960)

Spartacus (1960)

 

Maybe they aren't all personal favorites of mine, but they are iconic to our film history and I for one was stunned to see the list.

 

Many more listed than I put here. Check it out and tell me your surprises.

 

Edited by: casablancalover2 on Sep 13, 2012 3:27 PM

 

Edited by: casablancalover2 on Sep 13, 2012 3:34 PM

Nomination process details.

[FredCDobbs]

Hi. I went to your first link and looked on several different pages. I read something that said not every film that is on the Registry list is restored. In other words some or many are NOT restored.

 

So, maybe you can tell us exactly what the Registry is. Does it have an annual budget that is funded by Congress? When a film is "in the National Film Registry", what does that mean? Do they have copies of all the films in the Registry? If so, then where are they stored? Can people view the films? What does the "Film Registry" actually mean? Are they Registered by title in a book that has a long list of titles, like a Hotel registry book? Or do they have copies of all the films on the list?

[Lori3]

Yes casablancalover2 I see that regarding Four Daughters. I and I am sure many others here appreciate you providing us with this information.

 

I am going to post the link on some websites, JG Facebook page, along with his daughter's FB page and other places where I know fans of his post.

 

 

 

 

Thank you again.

 

Lori

 

 

[RMeingast]

> {quote:title=FredCDobbs wrote:}{quote}Hi. I went to your first link and looked on several different pages. I read something that said not every film that is on the Registry list is restored. In other words some or many are NOT restored.

>

> So, maybe you can tell us exactly what the Registry is. Does it have an annual budget that is funded by Congress? When a film is "in the National Film Registry", what does that mean? Do they have copies of all the films in the Registry? If so, then where are they stored? Can people view the films? What does the "Film Registry" actually mean? Are they Registered by title in a book that has a long list of titles, like a Hotel registry book? Or do they have copies of all the films on the list?

 

 

 

Did you read this page: http://www.loc.gov/film/filmabou.html

 

There is another organization connected to the National Film Registry that actually deals with films called the National Film Preservation Foundation:

 

http://www.filmpreservation.org/about

 

Wiki summarizes the Registry here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Film_Registry

[casablancalover2]

Thank you for your links, RM. It takes a paragraph to explain, but I thought it was for film what the Library of Congress is to books.

 

To which I say,

 

Animal House?

 

The Bad and the Beautiful

 

are on the list?

[Lori3]

Actually casablancalover 2. I took a second look at the list of films you posted and I am stunned too.

There are many classic, essentials and important films on that list that should be saved and restored and cherished.

 

Again, thank you for posting this.

 

 

Lori

[casablancalover2]

*The Nutty Professor* made the preservation list?

 

Yet, *The Great Escape* (1963) *Jason and the Argonauts* (1963) are not..

 

I am scratching my head..

[FredCDobbs]

Why don't they just buy $50 worth of blank DVD disks and record TCM every day? That would save them about a million dollars a year, and it would preserve many more than just 25 movies a year.

[lzcutter]

From filmsite.org:

 

In 1988, the Library of Congress passed the National Film Preservation Act, and thus established the National Film Preservation Board. The law authorizes the Librarian of Congress to select and preserve up to 25 films each year to add to the National Film Registry.

 

The films in the National Film Registry represent a stunning range of American filmmaking - including Hollywood features, documentaries, avant-garde and amateur productions, experimental films, films of regional interest, ethnic, animated and short film subjects -- all

deserving recognition, preservation and access by future generations.

 

As of 2011, there were 575 films selected. The films that are selected must meet two criteria:

1. they must be culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant

2. they must be at least ten years old

3. The selection takes place after the Librarian of Congress reviews public suggestions and consults with film experts and the 40 members (and alternates) of the National Film Preservation Board.

 

 

According to Librarian of Congress Dr. James H. Billington:

 

"taken together, the...films in the National Film Registry represent a stunning range of American filmmaking ? including Hollywood features, documentaries, avant-garde and amateur productions, films of regional interest, ethnic, animated, and short film subjects -- all deserving recognition, preservation and access by future generations." He also observed that "the films we choose are not necessarily either the 'best' American films ever made or the most famous. But they are films that continue to have cultural, historical or aesthetic significance -- and in many cases represent countless other films also deserving of recognition."

 

For each title named to the Registry, the Library of Congress works to ensure that the film is preserved for all time, either through the Library's massive motion picture preservation program at Dayton, Ohio, or through collaborative ventures with other archives, motion pictures studios, and independent film makers. The Library of Congress contains the largest collection of film and television in the world, from the earliest surviving copyrighted motion picture to the latest feature releases.

 

 

The list of films on the registry is quite long . So here's the link (you might be pleasantly surprised to see some films on the list):

 

http://www.filmsite.org/filmreg.html

 

Edited by: lzcutter on Sep 13, 2012 6:18 PM

[FredCDobbs]

Thank you for the information.

[FredCDobbs]

If the Library of Congress still has a copy of every copyrighted film ever made, as the article claims, then that must require a gigantic storage vault that would include all the copyrighted films from all the studios and all the private companies that ever made any drama or industrial or educational or newsreel films in 35 mm or 16 mm from all the private producers and companies that made films in the US and every foreign film that obtained a US copyright.

 

So where are all the studios' "lost" films of the 1920s and '30s? If that statement is true, the Library of Congress must have at least one copy of them. I wonder why we never hear anything at all about the film storage vaults of the Library of Congress? I wonder if the Library of Congress ever threw away any old films or if they ever lost any nitrate films due to decay? We never hear anything about this. Surely some of your film archive film friend experts might know something about this.

 

If the LoC claims they have a copy of all copyrighted films ever made in the US, then lets see their list and lets see some copies of the films that the studios no longer have.

 

What is your opinion about this? The reason I'm a little skeptical about their claims is because I was in the news business for 40 years, and I caught a lot of government people making false claims about what they had, what they did, and how great they are. And most media just accept their claims without question. Many reporters will question Congressmen and Presidents, but they never think to question workers and department heads of all the government agencies. That's how that guy at the National Archives was able to steal rare recorded material that members of the public donated to the National Archives. He was sentenced to only one year in jail, although he was stealing rare National Archives recordings from his own department and selling them on Ebay.

[lzcutter]

> So where are all the studios' "lost" films of the 1920s and '30s?

 

FredC,

 

Despite what the article claims, the LOC does not have a copy of every film produced here in the US. They have a number of paper prints but paper prints from the 1920s and 1930s but those aren't the same as negatives or film prints.

 

The LOC has a very large film facility in Culpepper, VA (thanks in large part to David Packard) . That facility also has a state of the art nitrate storage facility. The films recovered from Dawson, Alaska may be held there, I can't remember for sure (the joys of getting old).

 

The Culpepper facility was highlighted about two years ago on both *60 Minutes* and History's *Modern Marvels*.

 

It was at the LOC that the full version of *Baby Face* was found in a mis-marked can about eight or nine years ago.

 

Here's the link to the Culpepper facility:

 

http://www.loc.gov/avconservation/

[FredCDobbs]

Thank you for the information. So, they DO NOT have copies of every copyrighted film ever made.

[lzcutter]

FredC,

 

No, they don't have a copy of every American film ever produced.

 

 

But, it does have the largest collection of film and television in the world, from the earliest surviving copyrighted motion picture to the latest feature releases but that in no way implies they have every copy of every film produced.

[Lori3]

Thank you too Izcutter for the information, very interesting. Just to throw something else in regarding the saving and restoring of films.

 

The "Film Noir Foundation" is into and is very committed to saving the "film noir" films of the past. FNF states they are "dedicated to rescuing and restoring America's Noir Heritage"

 

In their most recent e-magazine "Noir City" there are numerous articles on the film "The Breaking Point" 1950, and the how this foundation was responsible for the "restoration" of the film.

 

 

http://www.filmnoirfoundation.org/home.html

 

Just thought I would post this because of the beautiful photo

of Gloria Graham.

 

Lori

 

 

[DownGoesFrazier]

dleted.

 

Edited by: finance on Sep 14, 2012 9:32 AM

[DownGoesFrazier]

Dr. Billington was a history professor of mine in college--maybe the most articulate professor I ever had..........What are the SPECIFIC criteria for selection for the registry, which may explain why some films are in, and some are not?

[lzcutter]

> What are the SPECIFIC criteria for selection for the registry, which may explain why some films are in, and some are not?

 

The films that are selected must meet two criteria:

1. they must be culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant

2. they must be at least ten years old

 

FYI, post-1970s films are endangered as well as the classics. The negative for *The Godfather* was fading, decaying and was continuing to deteriorate. It took the intervention of Spielberg, Coppola and others to put up the bucks to help save it and restore it.

[DownGoesFrazier]

That's it? No fine print?

[Lori3]

casablancalover2, I just read up the "Hot Topics" forum that someone was on a campaign for the film "The Quiet Man" which is fine it is a classic and wonderful film.

 

You noted in your post the following: "Once they see the list at the Film Preservation Board, there will be some who will [write|http://forums.tcm.com/thread.jspa?threadID=166401&tstart=0|Click to Continue > by Text-Enhance] the Librarian on the movie's behalf."

 

So say I put in a request(s) for a movie or two to placed in the Film Preservation Board, would I then need to also write why I think the movie should be on the list and how the movie meets the criteria that was noted in another post? I just really my question is who "writes the Librarian on the movie's behalf?

 

Just wondering so I can let some groups and / or people know, who I know, would want to support a few movies that I want to vote for.

 

Thank you

Lori

[filmregistry]

The criteria for selecting a film to the National Registry is indeed as listed above. It must be:

1) "Culturally, aesthetically or historically significant."

2) At least 10 years old.

 

Fine print? The criteria itself -- "culturally, aesthetically or historically significant" -- is subjective in nature. Each year's selections are determined, ultimately, by the Librarian of Congress with input from the National Film Preservation Board. Also, the titles selected historically have been produced or at least co-produced by an American company. After all, the Registry was established to safeguard our national motion picture patrimony.

 

That's about as fine as the print gets. Any more questions, feel free to contact me directly.

 

Donna Ross

National Film Registry

Library of Congress

dross@loc.gov

 

[filmregistry]

You are not required to submit justifications with your nominations for the National Film Registry, although they may be helpful. (FYI, statements such as "It's my favorite movie ever." "I've seen it 100 times." "It has a unique message." are NOT justifications) This is especially true for films that are outside of the mainstream.

 

Social media has proven an effective way to get the word out about the Registry in general and to garner support for specific films. Keep in mind, however, the number of nominations or "votes" a film receives does not guarantee its selection to the Registry. It does, however, indicate popular opinion which does play a part in the overall selection process.All nominations should be directed to dross@loc.gov.

 

Please feel free to direct your questions to me directly, and thanks for the buzz on the Registry.

 

Donna Ross

National Film Registry

Library of Congress

dross@loc.gov

[RMeingast]

> {quote:title=filmregistry wrote:}{quote}

> Please feel free to direct your questions to me directly, and thanks for the buzz on the Registry.

>

> Donna Ross

> National Film Registry

> Library of Congress

> dross@loc.gov

>

Thanks, Donna. As a Canadian, when I read that a film has been chosen to be preserved in the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress, is does mean something to me (if not to some Americans, unfortunately). The films are chosen because they are "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" to the United States, but that also applies to non-Americans too.

Nothing is perfect, but you do try your best.

Hopefully, Americans on the message board will get involved.

[Lori3]

Thank you so much filmregisty or Donna for providing this information. I will pass it on to the appropriate sites / or groups I am involved with.

 

I will pass on also what you wrote regarding proper justification for a film. There are two films I am thinking of that proper and appropriate justification can be made. At least that is my belief, but we will see.

 

You will be getting an e-mail from me in a day or two.

 

Again, thank you very much for the information you have provided us with. It is very helpful indeed.

 

Lori

[LonesomePolecat]

Mr Roberts is not on the list? Or the Diary of Anne Frank? Those to me are two of the great WWII movies of all time-- not only for their excellent cast, writing, filmmakingetc, but because they really personalize the war. Holy moley. I have a feeling the National Film Registry is going to get a sudden wave of nominations from TCM fans...

 

If our National Film Registry friend will come back, do we have to rank our 50 films in order of preference or just submit a list?

 

Edited by: LonesomePolecat on Sep 14, 2012 3:42 PM