As far as I know Lucky Star is going to be a complete version - and derives from the print found in the Netherlands archive. When I emailed the British Film Institute, I asked about the trilogy - Seventh Heaven, Lucky Star and Street Angel. They took ages to answer, and I'd given up hope, and when they did, no mention of Street Angel, so it doesn't look hopeful.
Regarding City Girl, I've seen it sold by vintagefilmbuff.com and by grapevinevideo.com. I don't know what the quality is like. Perhaps somebody else does?
WHAT SILENTS & PRE-CODES HAVE YOU SEEN LATELY?
Phil Noir,
The Vintage Film Buff.Com (Grace Mckee) version of of CITY GIRL is what I have, and the quality is quite remarkable for a secondary Video company. THis film is not public Domain to my knowledge, Grapevine has a number of Fox, and Paramount Silent's that are still under copy-right. I have not seen the Grapevine version.
The Grace Mckee print is tinted heavily by computer, so it loses some detail at timesm, due to the degree of saturation. the original title-card design is also missing. The score is actually not bad, but very modern sounding. That's why I am dubbing my own. However, I can say that if you want a very nice copy of this great film, the Vintage Film Buff.Com print is well worth purchasing! Outside of an official release from Fox, or maybe Edition Film Museum. it is about as good as you are likely to see.
CITY GIRL was made in 1928, as OUR DAILY BREAD. However, for various reasons, it was not released until 1930 with the new title! Sadly, the film was downgraded from a large scale production to more B-Status, after Murna left Fox. The tacked on talking scenes made without Murna, are now lost. So most of what remains is actually Murna's vision of the film. I am loving Mary Duncan, annd really would like to see several more of Her films found, and restored!
On THE RIVER DVD, the excerpts from this movie are in virtually pristine condition! I mean they look truly amazing! So Fox has excellent prints stashed away someplace!
The Vintage Film Buff.Com (Grace Mckee) version of of CITY GIRL is what I have, and the quality is quite remarkable for a secondary Video company. THis film is not public Domain to my knowledge, Grapevine has a number of Fox, and Paramount Silent's that are still under copy-right. I have not seen the Grapevine version. The Grace Mckee print is tinted heavily by computer, so it loses some detail at timesm, due to the degree of saturation. the original title-card design is also missing. The score is actually not bad, but very modern sounding. That's why I am dubbing my own. However, I can say that if you want a very nice copy of this great film, the Vintage Film Buff.Com print is well worth purchasing! Outside of an official release from Fox, or maybe Edition Film Museum. it is about as good as you are likely to see. CITY GIRL was made in 1928, as OUR DAILY BREAD. However, for various reasons, it was not released until 1930 with the new title! Sadly, the film was downgraded from a large scale production to more B-Status, after Murna left Fox. The tacked on talking scenes made without Murna, are now lost. So most of what remains is actually Murna's vision of the film. I am loving Mary Duncan, annd really would like to see several more of Her films found, and restored! On THE RIVER DVD, the excerpts from this movie are in virtually pristine condition! I mean they look truly amazing! So Fox has excellent prints stashed away someplace! Thank you, Gagman.
I've ordered The River, so I'm sure that'll whet my appetite for City Girl - and no doubt I'll be putting an order into vintagefilmbuff!
I read somewhere that when The River was released in France as Woman with a Raven, it was very successful, and that Mary Duncan was the sensation of the season: thought of in the way we now think of Louise Brooks in Pandora's Box.
I've ordered The River, so I'm sure that'll whet my appetite for City Girl - and no doubt I'll be putting an order into vintagefilmbuff!
I read somewhere that when The River was released in France as Woman with a Raven, it was very successful, and that Mary Duncan was the sensation of the season: thought of in the way we now think of Louise Brooks in Pandora's Box.
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Ann Harding
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You're right, phil Noir! La femme au corbeau (the River) made the French surrealists go mad!!!phil noir wrote:I read somewhere that when The River was released in France as Woman with a Raven, it was very successful, and that Mary Duncan was the sensation of the season: thought of in the way we now think of Louise Brooks in Pandora's Box.
BTW if you are really hooked by Borzage, treat yourself with the fantastic volume by Hervé Dumont (the greatest specialist in Borzage): Click here. This is certainly one of the best book about a director I have ever read.
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Ann Harding
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I watched Hell's Hinges (1916) by and with William S. Hart (from Treasures from American Film Archive) yesterday. I was fascinated. For anybody who loves westerns, the films produced by Thomas Harper Ince around that time are an absolute treasure-trove. It reminded me immediately of Clint Eastwood and some of his best films such as High Plain Drifter. Hart is the same kind of anti-hero, a bad man who avenges a good one. The whole town is just populated of scoundrels and various evil characters. The final burning of the city is just nightmarish.
A really impressive feature. -
charliechaplinfan
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I liked Hell's Hinges I can't compare it to High Plains Drifter as I haven't seen the later. I was surprised to see such a story in an early western.
Over a few nights I've watched Kevin Brownlow's Hollywood. This ranks as one of the best series ever made. It doesn't just talk about the stars or the more famous films. It starts right at the beginning with the birth of the industry. It has episodes dedicated to the stars, directors, war, comedians, westerns, stunt men, cameramen and the advent of sound. Beautifully narrated by James Mason.
The films thenselves had evolved from crude images through to pictures of great beauty. The industry felt that silent and sound could exist side by side but within a couple of years only Chaplin held out making his last silent in 1936 with Modern Times.
I thank you Mr Brownlow for this magnificent series.
I also got time to watch Two Arabian Knights. A film considered lost for many years and then found in Howard Hughes vault. Lovingly restored by TCM and Flicker Alley. It stars William Boyd better known to some as Hopalong Cassidy. Mary Astor costars as the daughter of an Arabian emir.
Over a few nights I've watched Kevin Brownlow's Hollywood. This ranks as one of the best series ever made. It doesn't just talk about the stars or the more famous films. It starts right at the beginning with the birth of the industry. It has episodes dedicated to the stars, directors, war, comedians, westerns, stunt men, cameramen and the advent of sound. Beautifully narrated by James Mason.
The films thenselves had evolved from crude images through to pictures of great beauty. The industry felt that silent and sound could exist side by side but within a couple of years only Chaplin held out making his last silent in 1936 with Modern Times.
I thank you Mr Brownlow for this magnificent series.
I also got time to watch Two Arabian Knights. A film considered lost for many years and then found in Howard Hughes vault. Lovingly restored by TCM and Flicker Alley. It stars William Boyd better known to some as Hopalong Cassidy. Mary Astor costars as the daughter of an Arabian emir.
Failure is unimportant. It takes courage to make a fool of yourself - Charlie Chaplin
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silentscreen
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silentscreen
- Posts: 701
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Alison,
As I mentioned several times, TWO ARABIAN KNIGHTS (1927) ranks high on my list of favorites. What a great film! It should be much better known. Boyd and the Monk Mayfair like Louis Wolheim form an incredible team! This is one of the funniest films that I have ever seen anywhere! A delightful romp from start to Finish! Devilishly handsome Ian Keith is the Villain! Fabulous Musical score by Robert Israel! Lewis Milestone took home and Oscar for Direction!
Mary Astor was very beautiful at this Stage of her career, though She only appears in less than half of the film, she sure makes her presence felt! The Hughes Estate is making a big mistake not giving Flicker Alley it's consent for a DVD Release! Same with THE RACKET, and THE MATING CALL! If not for their holding out, all three of these superb films would have been on DVD awhile ago already!
silentscreen,
Actually, A surprising number of Hart's features still exist. They are just not in circulation. My friend Roy has collected about a dozen of them. He has allot more surviving Silent features than Tom Mix, or Harry Cary.
Ann,
Haven't seen HELL'S HINGES in quite awhile so I am not really able to comment to much right now.
bdp,
Hey, Kyle is that you? Say, I managed to transfer the Thames version of INTOLERANCE without any trouble! Well, the first half looks a little better than the second. But overall it's still pretty good.
As I mentioned several times, TWO ARABIAN KNIGHTS (1927) ranks high on my list of favorites. What a great film! It should be much better known. Boyd and the Monk Mayfair like Louis Wolheim form an incredible team! This is one of the funniest films that I have ever seen anywhere! A delightful romp from start to Finish! Devilishly handsome Ian Keith is the Villain! Fabulous Musical score by Robert Israel! Lewis Milestone took home and Oscar for Direction! Mary Astor was very beautiful at this Stage of her career, though She only appears in less than half of the film, she sure makes her presence felt! The Hughes Estate is making a big mistake not giving Flicker Alley it's consent for a DVD Release! Same with THE RACKET, and THE MATING CALL! If not for their holding out, all three of these superb films would have been on DVD awhile ago already!silentscreen,
Actually, A surprising number of Hart's features still exist. They are just not in circulation. My friend Roy has collected about a dozen of them. He has allot more surviving Silent features than Tom Mix, or Harry Cary. Ann,
Haven't seen HELL'S HINGES in quite awhile so I am not really able to comment to much right now. bdp,
Hey, Kyle is that you? Say, I managed to transfer the Thames version of INTOLERANCE without any trouble! Well, the first half looks a little better than the second. But overall it's still pretty good.Hi Jeffrey!
The audio on the first tape of the Thames 'Intolerance' was an issue for me - I've had two different VHS sets and the audio on the first tape was distorted on both sets. Was the issue on the visuals for part two inherent in the film elements or was an issue with the videotape? It will be interesting to have this version on disc to compare, anything I have on tape I just don't look at much anymore.
The audio on the first tape of the Thames 'Intolerance' was an issue for me - I've had two different VHS sets and the audio on the first tape was distorted on both sets. Was the issue on the visuals for part two inherent in the film elements or was an issue with the videotape? It will be interesting to have this version on disc to compare, anything I have on tape I just don't look at much anymore.
Kyle,
Yes, The audio was a problem on the computer, but I have a new-hard-drive recorder/burner stand alone unit, and it sounded better on that. On the second tape, there is some pulling on the top of the Image at times? I don't know why? Otherwise, the Sima Go-Video Device didn't seem to have a problem with the Micro-vision.
I wanted to put this all on one dual-layer disc, but the Hard-drive recorder is an older unit I got on clearance, and it does not write to Dual-layer apparently? So I had to use two Single layer DVD-R's instead.
Even from VHS, the Thames print is the best I have ever seen of INTOLERANCE anywhere! The Carl Davis score is great, but I was a little disappointed that He did not use the same Theme for Ancient Babylon that we hear in the HOLLYWOOD documentary. I was certain that He would. I thought that they were supposed to be releasing this version on DVD a couple years ago in the U. K. The Thames THE BIRTH OF A NATION too? What happened to that Idea? Do you know? Also do you know anything about Photo-play Productions versions of ORPHANS OF THE STORM, and WATERLOO? I have found a few refrences to these? Both were fairly recently produced.
Finally, Did you get the WINGS music I sent you? Also do you still have the Thames GREED? I have never seen it?
Yes, The audio was a problem on the computer, but I have a new-hard-drive recorder/burner stand alone unit, and it sounded better on that. On the second tape, there is some pulling on the top of the Image at times? I don't know why? Otherwise, the Sima Go-Video Device didn't seem to have a problem with the Micro-vision. I wanted to put this all on one dual-layer disc, but the Hard-drive recorder is an older unit I got on clearance, and it does not write to Dual-layer apparently? So I had to use two Single layer DVD-R's instead. Even from VHS, the Thames print is the best I have ever seen of INTOLERANCE anywhere! The Carl Davis score is great, but I was a little disappointed that He did not use the same Theme for Ancient Babylon that we hear in the HOLLYWOOD documentary. I was certain that He would. I thought that they were supposed to be releasing this version on DVD a couple years ago in the U. K. The Thames THE BIRTH OF A NATION too? What happened to that Idea? Do you know? Also do you know anything about Photo-play Productions versions of ORPHANS OF THE STORM, and WATERLOO? I have found a few refrences to these? Both were fairly recently produced. Finally, Did you get the WINGS music I sent you? Also do you still have the Thames GREED? I have never seen it?If the 1989 MGM VHS version is the Photoplay Productions version, then yes I have it - I have never manged to pick up this particular version on laserdisc though I've lost it on eBay many times. I also have the Photoplay VHS of Show People. I don't know anything about Photoplay DVD releases of BoaN or Orphans of the Storm; I have the Killiam version of Orphans on laserdisc and it's a pretty nice looking print. I'm sure I have the Wings CD somewhere, I'm in the middle of organizing my discs at the moment.
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charliechaplinfan
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I've been looking through a couple of features on the American treasures discs.
The first The Country Doctor is an early Griffith short. It really impressed me, his eye for the landscape and showing the family as a happy family unit. The image of the family of three coming through the wheatfields was lovely created a warm glow. Suddenly we are shown the image of the little girl in bed seriously ill. The doctor tends his own daughter and is called out to another girl herself seriously ill. The doctor goes and successfully saves the life of the little girl. When he returns his own daughter is dead. A terribly sad story contained within a beautiful look at the Conneticut countryside.
As far as I'm aware this is the first film I've seen with Florence Lawrence, the original Biograph girl in. In a smaller part is Mary Pickford on the start of her career in films, a sixteen year old. She had been working for a few years before this.
I've come across early Griffith on different discs. Has there been a commercial release of these films. I remeber someone on another site talking about one but I've lost the link. Any recommendations welcome
The first The Country Doctor is an early Griffith short. It really impressed me, his eye for the landscape and showing the family as a happy family unit. The image of the family of three coming through the wheatfields was lovely created a warm glow. Suddenly we are shown the image of the little girl in bed seriously ill. The doctor tends his own daughter and is called out to another girl herself seriously ill. The doctor goes and successfully saves the life of the little girl. When he returns his own daughter is dead. A terribly sad story contained within a beautiful look at the Conneticut countryside.
As far as I'm aware this is the first film I've seen with Florence Lawrence, the original Biograph girl in. In a smaller part is Mary Pickford on the start of her career in films, a sixteen year old. She had been working for a few years before this.
I've come across early Griffith on different discs. Has there been a commercial release of these films. I remeber someone on another site talking about one but I've lost the link. Any recommendations welcome
Failure is unimportant. It takes courage to make a fool of yourself - Charlie Chaplin