Boris Karloff- The Ghoul ( Network )

[dpgmel]

Just seen that in the New Year, Network are to release a digitally restored uncut version of this 1933 Boris Karloff film which also features Cedric Hardwicke and Ralph Richardson

[Lord Brett]

One of the Satellite channels has been showing this recently (might be The Paranormal Channel) and the picture quality is absolutely lovely. I'll certainly be buying this one - I had a copy on VHS when Rank released it on VHS years ago and the image was dreadful.



Was this once thought a lost film?

[Carmel]

I bought it on dvd about 3 years ago in a pound shop for a £1 along with House on haunted hill on a double dvd and the picture quality is excellent. Not sure why it couldn't be got when i found it easy enough?.

[Lord Brett]

The VHS release was yonks ago, probably early nineties, and as I recall made quite a thing of its former status as a lost film, probably to excuse the appaling image quality!

[batman]

I have a dvd which has a near perfect print of the film. I bought it off ebay and it is sourced from the excellent print that was recently discovered in Czechoslovakia.



This is the dvd in question .....

[dpgmel]

That's interesting Bats, as Network say their version is sourced form the discovered Prague print, so I wonder if there will in fact be any material difference ?

[batman]

It is an excellent print ..... I had a version released by Delta and it was awful, with scratches and jumps all over the place.



This is the Delta version ... avoid!





[ame="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/images/B00005YVXB/sr=1-2/qid=1229703161/ref=dp_image_0/278-0481668-8052439?ie=UTF8&n=283926&s=dvd&qid=1229703161&sr=1-2"][/ame]

[smudge]

THE GHOUL was indeed considered to be a lost film for quite some time. I always wondered why, as I had had it in my collection for years!



I seem to recall its 'discovery' was heralded with a transmission on BBC2; I may be wrong, but possibly in the same season (a few tears ago) in which they showed MY BROTHER'S KEEPER.



Smudge

[batman]

name='smudge']

I seem to recall its 'discovery' was heralded with a transmission on BBC2; I may be wrong, but possibly in the same season (a few tears ago) in which they showed MY BROTHER'S KEEPER.



Smudge

I think you're right .... it was seeing it then that prompted me to buy the Delta version.

[John Hodson]

I have the uncut R1 MGM (licensed from Granada, then Carlton) DVD and it's near perfect taken from a print found in UK vaults; quite beautiful. Odd that Network should be saying that it's the Czech version, I would have thought it would also be sourced from Granada (with whom they also have a licensing deal).



IMDB says: "For years this was regarded as a "lost film" with no prints or elements known to exist. A nitrate release print was discovered in the Czech National Archives in Prague. This print was a subtitled edited version that was in poor condition and contained numerous splices. Years later, a print of the uncut British version was finally discovered."



And this 2003 review adds:



Before this summer The Ghoul was considered a lost film for all practical purposes. There were VHS versions out of horrendous quality. The one I saw is preceded by disclaimers pleading that the only known source was a subtitled Czech print in horrible condition. The video transfer had been made by blowing up the top area of the image to lose the subs. Besides that, the sound was almost inaudible. I'll bet that the only people able to watch the whole show were readers that remembered the great stills from Famous Monsters of Filmland magazine. Forry Ackerman once grieved the film as lost forever.

The English company Carlton owns The Ghoul. With their license from the Goldwyn company, MGM got the video rights but no film elements, which is not as odd a circumstance as it sounds. MGM restorer James Owsley was asked if he could locate elements, which sounds like a new executive saying, "Gee, Fred, this extra-long Greed movie sounds good - go see what you can find!"

Owsley made routine contact with the British Film Institute, which had provided the great visual element for another MGM acquisition, The Thief of Bagdad. Much to his surprise, the BFI had an element in excellent shape, sitting there un-requested for almost 30 years, probably because of the film's public domain status.

A careful transfer and digital cleanup later, The Ghoul was ready for DVD.

[RAREFILMFINDER]

Just to add that the version Batman shows was freely available at around 68p wholesale just over two years ago and excellent quality.

The company 23rd century produced a vast range of titles which included some real bargains.



lenny