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Lost Films Found (1 Viewer)

Chris55

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chris
Now that the Technicolor "Mamba" (1930), "Hat Check Girl" (1932), "The Lottery Bride" (1930 with full Technicolor ending) and the Technicolor version of "Mysterious Island" (1929) have been found and restored, it would be nice if the general public were able to watch these films., especially as they are all in the public domain. It seems like we are never going to be able to purchase these wonderful lost and found film versions, even though I have kept a keen lookout for them. Seems pointless to me that they have gone to all the trouble to save these movies, only to be put in some vault somewhere, never seeing the light of day. I know there are many of you out there that feel the same and would love to buy these classic rarities. Any thoughts on the matter from anyone ?
 

jim_falconer

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I would love to see “Three Girls Lost” and “Girls Demand Excitement” from 1931 released one day soon. A few years ago, there was a FOX insider on this site who mentioned it was on their schedule to be released to physical media. However, that unfortunately never came to pass.
 

Bert Greene

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I think the formerly-lost "Mamba" (1930) is the only one that's truly in the public domain, and there was some scuttlebutt about Kino Classics putting it out. Hope it indeed happens, as it's a film I've particularly wanted to see. Didn't know "The Lottery Bride" (1930) went through a new restoration. Kino released the film years ago. Being one of those 'Art Cinema' productions released through United Artists, could the rights now be with Milestone Films? The latter seems to have the rights to some of those. Maybe all of them, for all I know.

I'd heard about the color print of "The Mysterious Island" (1929) being found overseas, but didn't know anything had been done with it. It'll surely be under Warners' if we get it. The Fox item, "Hat Check Girl" (1932) has the grim reality of now being under Disney's umbrella, which doesn't bode well. Ditto that new restoration of "Transatlantic" (1931), a really terrific film, very fluidly directed by William K. Howard. Sure would love to see that one officially released. But we're really sunk with Fox items the way things now stand.
 

Beckford

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There was talk about a restoration and possible home video release of the Technicolor musical "Dancing Pirate"(1935) a few years ago. Even a very high quality excerpt on YouTube. But nothing seems to have come of it. Also - with all the 3D restorations that have come out on Bluray - why is there still no disc for the film that kicked off the whole 50's 3D craze, "Bwana Devil"? I always liked it.
 

Chris55

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chris
I think the formerly-lost "Mamba" (1930) is the only one that's truly in the public domain, and there was some scuttlebutt about Kino Classics putting it out. Hope it indeed happens, as it's a film I've particularly wanted to see. Didn't know "The Lottery Bride" (1930) went through a new restoration. Kino released the film years ago. Being one of those 'Art Cinema' productions released through United Artists, could the rights now be with Milestone Films? The latter seems to have the rights to some of those. Maybe all of them, for all I know.

I'd heard about the color print of "The Mysterious Island" (1929) being found overseas, but didn't know anything had been done with it. It'll surely be under Warners' if we get it. The Fox item, "Hat Check Girl" (1932) has the grim reality of now being under Disney's umbrella, which doesn't bode well. Ditto that new restoration of "Transatlantic" (1931), a really terrific film, very fluidly directed by William K. Howard. Sure would love to see that one officially released. But we're really sunk with Fox items the way things now stand.
"The Lottery Bride" is only available , on DVD, in it's 67 minute b/w version, without the 13 minute Technicolor finale, which surely would be worth adding to the movie, now that they have it. Apparently the full version was shown on TCM, but I haven't seen it. Don't know much about the copyrights of a movie, but with those being so old, would have thought, unless the copyright was renewed, that they would all fall into the public domain status.

Yes, the "Mysterious Island" Technicolor copy was found around 2014 and has since been completely restored. Pity about all those unreleased Fox movies now being owned by the Disney company, which has always spasmodically released it's own vintage stuff over the years and then only for a short period of time. Let's hope they change their views with having the huge Fox and TCF library now.
 
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JamesSmith

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How would you define "lost?" A film that has totally lost its footage? A film that has never had a video or VHS release?
Not trying to be rude, but I am curious.

--jthree
 

Chris55

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How would you define "lost?" A film that has totally lost its footage? A film that has never had a video or VHS release?
Not trying to be rude, but I am curious.

--jthree
I would define "lost" as movies, or segments of, that were thought not to exist anymore, at least in their entirety or only in b/w or not at all, and have now been found in their entirety. All the films mentioned were at least under one of these headings and have never been released to the public, with the possible exception of a TV broadcast.
 
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Camps

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Seems pointless to me that they have gone to all the trouble to save these movies, only to be put in some vault somewhere, never seeing the light of day. I know there are many of you out there that feel the same and would love to buy these classic rarities. Any thoughts on the matter from anyone ?
AMEN! I've been beefing about this practice on various boards for a while.
 

Chris55

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AMEN! I've been beefing about this practice on various boards for a while.
It seems that no matter how many people complain about this problem, the big companies still don't release them and I do wonder why, as so many people love vintage movies and would buy them as one can see by the number of write-ups about various ones.
 

RBailey

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Another example is Universal's restoration of the 1932 Tom Tyler serial, JUNGLE MYSTERY. A beautiful print was shown at the Cinecon Film Festival a few years back and I've been hoping it will be released for home viewing. VCI has been releasing some beautiful Blu-rays of early Universal serials (Pirate Treasure, Phantom of the Air, Gordon of Ghost City, etc.). Hoping this title will make the cut.
 

RBailey

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There was talk about a restoration and possible home video release of the Technicolor musical "Dancing Pirate"(1935) a few years ago. Even a very high quality excerpt on YouTube. But nothing seems to have come of it. Also - with all the 3D restorations that have come out on Bluray - why is there still no disc for the film that kicked off the whole 50's 3D craze, "Bwana Devil"? I always liked it.
Amazon has an entry for a restored version of DANCING PIRATE from The Film Detective that is coming soon.

EDIT: That other site has a press release saying it's coming on February 22 next year.
 

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Chris55

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Another example is Universal's restoration of the 1932 Tom Tyler serial, JUNGLE MYSTERY. A beautiful print was shown at the Cinecon Film Festival a few years back and I've been hoping it will be released for home viewing. VCI has been releasing some beautiful Blu-rays of early Universal serials (Pirate Treasure, Phantom of the Air, Gordon of Ghost City, etc.). Hoping this title will make the cut.
Yes, love Tom Tyler westerns and action films and vintage cinema serials. Vintage cinema really fascinates me and always has, and it is great that a lot of that is being beautifully restored..
 

Chris55

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Amazon has an entry for a restored version of DANCING PIRATE from The Film Detective that is coming soon.

EDIT: That other site has a press release saying it's coming on February 22 next year.
This copy is not a restored 3 -strip Technicolor version of that movie, but a two-strip Cinecolor version of it and, while watchable, is not the best print.
 

Bert Greene

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Another example is Universal's restoration of the 1932 Tom Tyler serial, JUNGLE MYSTERY. A beautiful print was shown at the Cinecon Film Festival a few years back and I've been hoping it will be released for home viewing. VCI has been releasing some beautiful Blu-rays of early Universal serials (Pirate Treasure, Phantom of the Air, Gordon of Ghost City, etc.). Hoping this title will make the cut.

I'm champing at the bit, hoping VCI delivers "The Jungle Mystery" (1932-Univ) on blu-ray. I was tempted to make the trek for the first time in 20 years to the Cinecon, just for its screening. The first screening the serial had anywhere since way back in the 1930s. VCI also claims complete copies of several other long-considered 'lost' Universal serials, like "Heroes of the Flames" (1931) starring Tim McCoy in a rare non-western outing. Plus, "The Airmail Mystery" (1932) with husband-and-wife James Flavin and Lucile Browne. Would be a real kick seeing longtime character actor Flavin as a heroic lead. Browne is also in the intriguing-sounding "Danger Island" (1931), which VCI also has, and serves up Walter Miller, whom I assume does the black-hat duties. I can never get enough Walter Miller villainy. Love that guy. But all this is also assuming the elements VCI acquired are not problematic. When all this news about the serial rights and completeness of prints came out, I don't know if all the antique elements had been fully analyzed. Hope so.

As for the early color efforts, the one film I'd perhaps most like to see make it to blu is not necessarily a 'lost' item, as it does get occasional festival screenings, is "Follow Thru" (1930-Par). Unlike most other early musical-comedy films shot in color, this one served up some nice outdoor filmed sequences, primarily at a golf resort. Although some of the comedy is pretty dopey (yes, Jack Haley, I'm talking about you), I think visually the film would really pop on blu-ray.

There's one very obscure early color b-western, shot in some kind of cheapjack process called Multicolor (of which I know absolutely nothing about), which seems to be long-lost, "Tex Takes a Holiday" (1932), a states-rights indie. It's probably an awful film. It sounds pretty bad. But I'd like to see it as it appears to be Wallace MacDonald's only star-cowboy role in a talkie. MacDonald had a spotty career in silents, headlining a few low-budget westerns and whatnot. With talkies arriving, he did a number of second-lead parts in other cowboy-stars productions, but that "Tex Takes a Holiday" was apparently his only starrer. MacDonald then became an extremely prolific producer at Columbia, churning out tons of rather solid, better-than-average b-films, including the brief "I Love a Mystery" series, and satisfying little westerns like "The Black Dakotas" (1954) and "The White Squaw" (1956). He also produced that fun little film about lady hoboes, "Girls of the Road" (1940), which is better than it sounds, and is an old favorite of mine.
 

cadavra

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mike schlesinger
I'm champing at the bit, hoping VCI delivers "The Jungle Mystery" (1932-Univ) on blu-ray. I was tempted to make the trek for the first time in 20 years to the Cinecon, just for its screening. The first screening the serial had anywhere since way back in the 1930s. VCI also claims complete copies of several other long-considered 'lost' Universal serials, like "Heroes of the Flames" (1931) starring Tim McCoy in a rare non-western outing. Plus, "The Airmail Mystery" (1932) with husband-and-wife James Flavin and Lucile Browne. Would be a real kick seeing longtime character actor Flavin as a heroic lead. Browne is also in the intriguing-sounding "Danger Island" (1931), which VCI also has, and serves up Walter Miller, whom I assume does the black-hat duties. I can never get enough Walter Miller villainy. Love that guy. But all this is also assuming the elements VCI acquired are not problematic. When all this news about the serial rights and completeness of prints came out, I don't know if all the antique elements had been fully analyzed. Hope so.

As for the early color efforts, the one film I'd perhaps most like to see make it to blu is not necessarily a 'lost' item, as it does get occasional festival screenings, is "Follow Thru" (1930-Par). Unlike most other early musical-comedy films shot in color, this one served up some nice outdoor filmed sequences, primarily at a golf resort. Although some of the comedy is pretty dopey (yes, Jack Haley, I'm talking about you), I think visually the film would really pop on blu-ray.

There's one very obscure early color b-western, shot in some kind of cheapjack process called Multicolor (of which I know absolutely nothing about), which seems to be long-lost, "Tex Takes a Holiday" (1932), a states-rights indie. It's probably an awful film. It sounds pretty bad. But I'd like to see it as it appears to be Wallace MacDonald's only star-cowboy role in a talkie. MacDonald had a spotty career in silents, headlining a few low-budget westerns and whatnot. With talkies arriving, he did a number of second-lead parts in other cowboy-stars productions, but that "Tex Takes a Holiday" was apparently his only starrer. MacDonald then became an extremely prolific producer at Columbia, churning out tons of rather solid, better-than-average b-films, including the brief "I Love a Mystery" series, and satisfying little westerns like "The Black Dakotas" (1954) and "The White Squaw" (1956). He also produced that fun little film about lady hoboes, "Girls of the Road" (1940), which is better than it sounds, and is an old favorite of mine.

I saw Universal's preservation print of FLAMES some years ago. It's pretty good, but its chief flaw is that nine of the 11 cliffhangers are someone trapped in a burning building. Not very imaginative!

FOLLOW THRU's rights reverted to the estates of the playwrights, so neither Paramount nor Universal owns it. But yes, it certainly deserves to be released!
 

Chris55

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chris
I saw Universal's preservation print of FLAMES some years ago. It's pretty good, but its chief flaw is that nine of the 11 cliffhangers are someone trapped in a burning building. Not very imaginative!

FOLLOW THRU's rights reverted to the estates of the playwrights, so neither Paramount nor Universal owns it. But yes, it certainly deserves to be released!
I saw Universal's preservation print of FLAMES some years ago. It's pretty good, but its chief flaw is that nine of the 11 cliffhangers are someone trapped in a burning building. Not very imaginative!

FOLLOW THRU's rights reverted to the estates of the playwrights, so neither Paramount nor Universal owns it. But yes, it certainly deserves to be released!
Yes, got to see a really good print . in Technicolor, of "Follow Thru" some time ago and it was a gorgeous colour print with gorgeous photography, especially, as you mentioned, with the outdoor scenes (have to agree about Jack Haley, too). A definite BD restoration and release if ever there was one. I don't know how anyone can have the rights to a movie that is over 90 years old though !
.
 

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