Any sign of greater silent film availablity on VHS/DVD in Europe?

[lambchopnixon]

There'e a great gulf between in the U.S. North American system where so many of the silent classics are available and Europe where so few are. Is anyone trying to put right the disparity? It ought to put the people in the relevant positions to shame.

[Russ]

Yes I would agree far to little is available of this great and much underrated media.



If any is available it only tends to be the comedy artistes Chaplin, Keaton etc but sadly no Fatty Arbuckle.

The only silent classic I've managed to pick up given due regard and treatment has been Lang's masterpiece Metropolis.



I would be interested to hear of any others

[darrenandtrish]

I have the same problem in Australia,I have been looking for some Australian Silent Films only to be told no copies exist,one of the problems is that the old films were made obsolete by talkies so some were thrown in the garbage,some were burnt,some were made into shoepolish, some were left in the store rooms of the picture theatres to be found by collectors .

When there were only four copies of some films like there were in Australia they are lost forever,I forgot one ,they deteriate, they were made from an unstable compound that broke down over time .

one of my favourite silent movies is "THE SENTIMENTAL BLOKE" (c1919) an Australian classic, I like it because of the unique Sydney accent.

see my avatar.

At the moment I am looking for Silent films made at Shoreham Beach Sussex, any help would be appreciated.



Darren

[torinfan]

There is a story with some information below regarding the preservation of silent films previously thought to be lost. They are with the LOC but perhaps in the near future they will find release on disc.



Re: [AMIA-L] Frozen Films



Perhaps the most bizarre film find in the history of film preservation

occurred in the Canadian Yukon. In 1978, when an excavation for a new

recreation center was begun in Dawson City, a bulldozer came up with a

shovelful of reels of nitrate film. Dawson City used to be the end of the

distribution line for many films, and the titles were stored at the local

library until 1929 when the flammable nitrate was used as landfill in a

condemned swimming pool. Stored for 50 years under the permafrost of the

Yukon, the films turned out to be extremely well preserved, although sadly,

many reels that had survived the years unscathed were damaged in thawing

and show water marking on the edges. Included in this amazing treasure

trove were films by Pearl White, Harold Lloyd, Douglas Fairbanks...and Lon

Chaney. Chaney made three films for Red Feather/Universal productions in

1916 and two of these were found amongst the frozen reels. The five-reel

melodrama THE PLACE BEYOND THE WINDS was missing reel 1 but was otherwise

complete. Reels 1 and 4 were missing from IF MY COUNTRY SHOULD CALL, also

originally a five-reeler, but enough was there to follow the story and

catch a glimpse of Chaney in a small role. These films are now housed at

the Library of Congress.



.................................................. ...........



Dawson City was usually the last city on the route to where films travelled across the states. They had to wind up somewhere. Personally I think it's fascinating how many were well kept over the years. Despite the dangers of nitrate film, the LOC does maintain them. It'd be great if they will find their way to disc for better and safer preservation.