Thanks to the internet, it's impossible for movies to get lost. Decades ago, though, this was a real possibility. Since only physical copies were available, there were instances when certain movies simply disappeared. This was because they had either been destroyed or were stored in places not frequently checked.
A high percentage of lost movies have never been found, presumably because no one is actively looking for them. Luckily, copies of a few lost movies were located, several years or decades after they disappeared. And the manner in which these particular movies were found was, in many cases, quite fascinating.
The Passion Of Joan Of Arc is often thought of as one of the must-watch movies of the silent film era. The Carl Theodor Dreyer project chronicles the trial and execution of French saint, Joan Of Arc. The movie is known for its use of close-ups and for being filmed in only a single location.
Prior to the rediscovery, the last existing copy of The Passion of Joan Of Arc had been consumed in a fire and for many years, the movie was considered lost. This was such a shame, considering that the historical drama had drawn so much controversy, with even the Archbishop of Paris calling for its ban. Luckily, those who want to see what the fuss was all about can do so now. In 1981, a full cut of the movie was discovered in the Dikemark Mental Hospital in Oslo, Norway, as one of the employees was going through a janitor's closet.
Adapted from Kenneth Cook's similarly titled 1961 novel, the psychological thriller follows a teacher who loses all his morals after getting stranded in a strange town. Upon release, 15 minutes were cut because it was thought of as too graphic.
The discovery of Wake In Fright was somewhat of a disappointment since, for many years, it had gained a reputation as not only one of Australia's best movies but also a lost masterpiece that everyone enjoyed looking for. There was more excitement in searching for the movie rather than the desire to see it. And the search did come to an end in 2004 when producer Anthony Buckle found the negatives in a shipping container with the label "For Destruction." The container was in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Events revolve around a well in a remote village that can heal the sick and make people more beautiful. Because of the powers, corrupt individuals try to control it.
Incubus was in many ways a unique film and its loss was considered a big blow. Not only was it one of few movies to ever be filmed in the constructed auxiliary language of Esperanto but it also came without subtitles, thus giving audiences the task of figuring things out on their own. Luckily, a copy was found at the Cinémathèque Française in Paris in 1996.
The Charlie Chaplin propaganda movie isn't considered one of the best classical movies about war but it sure is entertaining. It chronicles the German Zeppelin World War I attacks in Britain.
Some actors and filmmakers have such an incredible work ethic, releasing so many projects that some of their efforts go under the radar. Such was the case with Zepped, which many people didn't even know existed. That was until an English citizen bought a can of film on eBay for $5 back in 2009. That particular can happened to contain Zepped.
The earliest ever on-screen portrayal of Tarzan was a box-office success. Sadly, after dropping out of circulation, no copies could be found.
Some actors are defined by one particular role and that was the case for star James Pierce, who spent most of his life trying to find copies. Sadly, he couldn't fund them. However, all hope wasn't lost. In the '90s a stack of silent films was found inside a French asylum and one of them just so happened to be Tarzan And The Golden Lion.
Widely considered the greatest Australian silent film of all time, The Sentimental Bloke follows a man who vows to quit gambling so as to focus on his factory job. He falls in love with a woman and just as he is about to become happy, he faces competition for the same woman from another man.
After a fire destroyed a Melbourne film library, The Sentimental Bloke was considered a lost film. An original negative was then discovered in 1973 at a film archive in Rochester, New York. But why did it take so long to discover the greatest Australian silent film? Well, since 'bloke' isn't a popular word in America, someone assumed The Sentimental Bloke, relabeling it as The Sentimental Blonde.
A gang leader and his daughter decided to retire from the life of crime. But after the gang leader gets framed by a rival for murder, the daughter breaks bad once again.
Given the fact that it had Lon Chaney, one of the greatest stars of the Silent Film era, in the lead, it was a surprise that the original copies of Outside The Law got lost in the first place. Well, a Universal Pictures delivery person just so happened to have left some with his friends in the 1920s. It wasn't until 1975 that a house's new resident noticed a stash of old movies at his barn and invited historian Bob DeFlores to take a look at them. And one just so happened to be Outside The Law.
Twin sisters, one introverted and the other extroverted, compete for the love of the same man. Interestingly, the man doesn't know he is dating sisters. Alfred Hitchcock serves as an assistant director in the movie.
People are often unaware of the treasures they are lying on and such was the case with New Zealand collector Jack Murtagh. It would take 22 years for an American archivist to discover Murtagh's collection. And he realized that a videotape labeled as "Twin Sisters" by Murtaugh was actually The White Shadow.
The legendary Mary Pickford stars with her husband Owen Moore in the silent film about newlyweds arguing for the first time. Events strictly take place inside their house.
The gem somehow serves as a tutorial on how to handle marital arguments and those looking for such tips will be glad that it was eventually found. Credit goes to the carpenter Peter Massie who found a copy inside an old New Hampshire barn. The farm had previously served as a summer camp hence it's likely that the movie was filmed for the teenagers who spent time there.
A group of 5 travelers seeks shelter in a decaying house during a violent storm. While inside, they begin experiencing all kinds of horrors.
For many years, The Old Dark House was talked about as one of the first among the best gothic horror movies of all time but genre fans never got to experience its brilliance. Luckily, director Curtis Harrington found a clean copy while going through the vaults of Universal Studios. With a fresh budget, the movie was then re-edited and re-released.
source https://screenrant.com/lost-movies-how-they-were-rediscovered/
0 comments: