- Joined
- Feb 8, 1999
- Messages
- 16,763
- Real Name
- Robert Harris
Any self-respecting cinephile can rattle off the names of the great filmmakers of the last century. They're all there at the tip of one's tongue, ready for discussion.
But what if someone were to ask what your favorite Oscar Micheaux production happened to be?
Or how you felt about Herbert Jeffrey's performance in a simple B western, The Bronze Buckaroo (1939), directed by Richard C. Kahn?
Now, thanks to a very brave move on the part of Kino Lorber, with the cooperation of multiple archives, including The LoC, MOMA, GEH and UCLA, you can educate yourself and have an opinion.
This wonderful five-disc set was not created for its entertainment value. I presume most sales will be to libraries, universities and toward film study, which means that anyone with a true interest in film history should seriously consider supporting the release, even if that means requesting that your local library acquire a copy.
You'll find no numerical ratings at the end of this few words, as that's not what's of importance here.
Some of the offerings are extracts, many show rather artistic nitrate decomp, splices, missing footage, inclusive of entire reels, scratches...
Included are shorts, documentary footage revealing the era in which they were created, and entire feature films.
Over the past century, these are not films that had studio support, not that studio support helped silent product in most situations, and only found preservation funding through the work of domestic and international archives, and collectors.
We are actually lucky that what has survived is available, as some of it comes down the fate.
By the way, Oscar Micheaux was one of the most famous black filmmakers (1884-1951). He began as a true hyphenate, in 1919, producing, directing and writing, with The Homesteader. Over the next three decades, he would create over forty films, some of which are included in this release, many preserved from original 35mm elements.
While there may be several boxed sets arriving in 2016 that act as education tools, and make films that might otherwise have been unavailable, potential Blu-ray acquisitions, this will remain of extreme importance.
Next up? Yiddish cinema?
As to Herb Jeffries, who passed away in May of 2014, just short of his 101st birthday, he was one of those actors who showed a totally positive image for blacks, during the Stepin Fetchit era. Although he identified himself as black, he was born of a white mother, and a father of mixed ancestry. He was a baritone, and one of the great singing cowboys.
There's a great deal to be learned from this set, which also comes with a beautifully produced 76 page book.
Very Highly Recommended
RAH
But what if someone were to ask what your favorite Oscar Micheaux production happened to be?
Or how you felt about Herbert Jeffrey's performance in a simple B western, The Bronze Buckaroo (1939), directed by Richard C. Kahn?
Now, thanks to a very brave move on the part of Kino Lorber, with the cooperation of multiple archives, including The LoC, MOMA, GEH and UCLA, you can educate yourself and have an opinion.
This wonderful five-disc set was not created for its entertainment value. I presume most sales will be to libraries, universities and toward film study, which means that anyone with a true interest in film history should seriously consider supporting the release, even if that means requesting that your local library acquire a copy.
You'll find no numerical ratings at the end of this few words, as that's not what's of importance here.
Some of the offerings are extracts, many show rather artistic nitrate decomp, splices, missing footage, inclusive of entire reels, scratches...
Included are shorts, documentary footage revealing the era in which they were created, and entire feature films.
Over the past century, these are not films that had studio support, not that studio support helped silent product in most situations, and only found preservation funding through the work of domestic and international archives, and collectors.
We are actually lucky that what has survived is available, as some of it comes down the fate.
By the way, Oscar Micheaux was one of the most famous black filmmakers (1884-1951). He began as a true hyphenate, in 1919, producing, directing and writing, with The Homesteader. Over the next three decades, he would create over forty films, some of which are included in this release, many preserved from original 35mm elements.
While there may be several boxed sets arriving in 2016 that act as education tools, and make films that might otherwise have been unavailable, potential Blu-ray acquisitions, this will remain of extreme importance.
Next up? Yiddish cinema?
As to Herb Jeffries, who passed away in May of 2014, just short of his 101st birthday, he was one of those actors who showed a totally positive image for blacks, during the Stepin Fetchit era. Although he identified himself as black, he was born of a white mother, and a father of mixed ancestry. He was a baritone, and one of the great singing cowboys.
There's a great deal to be learned from this set, which also comes with a beautifully produced 76 page book.
Very Highly Recommended
RAH
