The Silver Screen Oasis

A friend of mine who lives near NYC area has just told me about this event (follow the link):

http://www.filmforum.org/movies/more/ni ... nowplaying

The line-up of films is impressive. There's even a dramatic reading of the notorious lost Pre-Code "Convention City"

Any Pre-Code fan of SSO attending? I wish I were there.....

Hey Fer, I wish you were here too. Saaaay Bob, you & I ought to go..in honor of Feaito.

Or heck..just for ourselves!!

Yes indeed in my "honor"

We have to work on that, Theresa.

Fealto, The Film Forum show that I definitely go to (alas, without Theresa who will be in Hollywood at the time) is a restored print of one of my favorites by Roberto Rossellini, Viaggio in Italia with Ingrid Bergman and George Sanders both at their best. As if that weren't enough, on May 1st, it will be introduced by the daughter of the director and star, the lovely Isabella. Anyone in or near NYC, this one is really worth it.

Incidentally, there is an element among film fans who seem to consider Convention City the holy grail of lost films. To each his own!

What is your own grail among lost films, Mr. Borza... Mr. Regan? ( I'm quite taken with that avatar you have. )

Robert Regan wrote:We have to work on that, Theresa.

Fealto, The Film Forum show that I definitely go to (alas, without Theresa who will be in Hollywood at the time) is a restored print of one of my favorites by Roberto Rossellini, Viaggio in Italia with Ingrid Bergman and George Sanders both at their best. As if that weren't enough, on May 1st, it will be introduced by the daughter of the director and star, the lovely Isabella. Anyone in or near NYC, this one is really worth it.

Incidentally, there is an element among film fans who seem to consider Convention City the holy grail of lost films. To each his own!

Never seen that Sanders-Bergman pairing, so it'll be interesting to read about that experience. In fact last year I tried to see "Stromboli" (which I rented) and the disk din not play!

I can see that you do not agree about the "Convention City" appraisal by some Pre-Code fans...my holy grail would be a complete print sans-cuts of "Love Me Tonight" (1932).

I wish I could go to this too, Fernando and Robert. If anyone who goes can take the time, I hope you'll write about this event here.

The mention of Viaggio in Italia (1954) reminded me that there is another little seen Ingrid Bergman film, La Peura, made by Rossellini in 1954 that I found on youtube recently. It is based on a story of Stefan Zweig (Letter From an Unknown Woman) and even though the captions available for it are barely adequate, it looks quite well acted with a compelling, introspective atmosphere. Has anyone seen this? It begins below:

[youtube][/youtube]

Fernando: I don't believe I know what's missing from "Love Me Tonight", beyond Myrna's chorus of "Mimi".

kingrat wrote:Moira, TCM is doing an extended tribute to Roberto Rossellini in March, and I believe that La Paura is scheduled.

Thanks, kingrat! It looks interesting.

CarrieLiz wrote:Fernando: I don't believe I know what's missing from "Love Me Tonight", beyond Myrna's chorus of "Mimi".

Carrie, What's missing due to censorship is detailed on KINO's DVD Edition. I can't recall all of the scenes, but they include part of the scene with the doctor, a couple or two of Myrna's, etc. I can check afterwards if you want.

Thanks, CarrieLiz. I am very much taken by Mr. Borzage's movies, and yes, didn't I just pick a good-looking avatar. I've seen a few of his films as an actor, and he was a beautiful and charming young man. A while back, another site was discussing who was the handsomest director, and he won!

The top of my lost film dream list is Josef Von Sternberg's last silent, The Case of Lena Smith of which a five-minute fragment was discovered recently. Still haven't see that! The stills from this film show a more spectacularly beautiful Esther Ralston than in the few of her films I have seen. But, of course, who didn't look even been than usual with Sternberg behind the camera?

Off topic, my holy grail of lost films would be The Way of All Flesh, Emil Jannings academy award winning performance.... there is a clip from the ending that just shatters me.

Runner up would be the 1926 The Great Gatsby with Warner Baxter, Lois Wilson and William Powell.

Excellent choices everyone, I'd add "The Patriot" (1928). I am not sure if "Forbidden Paradise" (1924) is lost, but that would be another one.

Why, your choices are, all of them, Paramount titles. Most interesting...