Your Most Wanted Lost Films

[BettyLouSpence]

I was originally going to make a "top ten" or "five most wanted" lost films topic, but I think making it numbered would be too limiting. So, I ask: which lost films are in your personal most wanted list? Any "holy grails"? Reasons why?

I'll start:

Cleopatra (1917)
Vanity Fair (1923)
So Big (1924)
Kiss Me Again (1925)
The American Venus (1926)

Flaming Youth (1923)
The film that established Colleen Moore as a star. Only one reel exists.

Hollywood (1923)
Featured cameos by over 30 famous actors, including Charlie Chaplin, Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks, Gloria Swanson, Pola Negri, May McAvoy, Nita Naldi, etc. How does a film like this end up lost?!

The Great Gatsby (1926)
What a shame that the one contemporary take on the story is lost.

Rough House Rosie (1927)
We at least have a trailer that's a little over a minute long. Looks like this was a fun little flick with the same charm as It or Get Your Man. The numerous stills, especially from the Coney Island sequence (Clara and her boyfriend in a fortune teller's tent, Clara going Phyllis-Haver-in-Balloonatic on a masher who tries to get fresh with her on a ride, Clara testing her strength with the hammer and bell attraction) just make it all the more tantalizing.

Any of Clara Bow's four films from 1928, really. But Red Hair takes priority, and is another "holy grail" of mine. The first reel was in Technicolor, and thank goodness some of it has survived. We also have fragments from later in the story. Photoplay's brief review described the film as thus: "Clara Bow's hair in natural colors! Also an Elinor Glyn story about a gold digger who gives up all for love. For the Bow fans." Well, as a Bow fan, now I really want to see it!

Four Devils (1928)
One of F. W. Murnau's final films. Interesting to note that Mary Duncan (who acted in the film) was apparently the last known person to have a surviving print of the film. Hopefully it's still out there intact.

Any of Valeska Suratt's films. She was a vamp contemporary of Theda Bara's, and sadly not a single one of her films survive.

And of course London After Midnight, because why not?

[donnie]

That's a great list. I'm with you on Valeska Suratt's films. It seems those would be fascinating to see. Some others that come to mind off the top of my head:

Cleopatra—I think that, along with maybe The Great Gatsby, would be at the top of pretty much everyone's list. Also, any other of the lost Theda Bara features along with that.

Red Hair—since you mention it, is also something I'd be highly interested in.

The Louis Feuillade serial The Return of Judex (1918). This is a sequel to the original Judex serial from 1916, which is an all time favorite of mine. Actually, I've never been able to get a clear answer on whether the sequel is extant or not, but if so, it is not available.

The Dust of Egypt (1915) starring Edith Storey, an actress we've have discussed elsewhere on the board. In this film she plays a Egyptian vamp. From IMDB: "Geoffrey's relationship with his fiancée is threatened by Ameuset, a princess of Egypt awakened after five thousand years..." Sounds cool, huh?

Also, I've just about finished reading "Chase," the new book on the Keystone Cops. So that brings to mind that lost short In the Clutches of a Gang (mostly lost, that is—a short fragment has been unearthed). That's the one from which the iconic photo of the Cops comes (see below).

I'm sure I'll think of some more.

PS, I know the titles should be in italics, but I forgot how to do them.

[BettyLouSpence]

I haven't heard of The Dust of Egypt. Interesting to see that Antonio Moreno is leading man here. Luckily there seems to be a fragment of this film that's survived - it looks amazing:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=3SWvR7Q3wCk

Funny you bring up Judex, I was recently watching Les Vampires for the first time - I've managed to see the first two episodes on YouTube with a wonderful score. But the channel who uploaded them has only those two!

By the way, you italicize by typing this code:

Code: Select all

[i] [/i]

[donnie]

I went to Harpodeon (source of the Dust clip) in hopes the entire film might be there, but alas... it is indeed just a fragment, basically. They've assembled what little is there into a ten minute compilation with existing footage and some stills and title cards to kind of fill the story in. I downloaded it for a couple of dollars, but there's really not much to it that you don't see above. Ah, well...

I'm glad to see you're watching Les Vampires! —and thanks for the italics help.

[BettyLouSpence]

I hadn't checked out the Harpodeon site until now. Every week for 6 days, they show a random film for free. This week it's The Men Hater's Club with none other than Edith Storey.

https://www.harpodeon.com

[donnie]

I hadn't checked out the Harpodeon site until now. Every week for 6 days, they show a random film for free. This week it's The Men Hater's Club with none other than Edith Storey.

https://www.harpodeon.com

Going to check that out now.

[BettyLouSpence]

Can't believe I didn't think of this at the time, but I'm adding the rom-com She's A Sheik (1927) with Bebe Daniels to my list of wanted lost films, We know it was extant as late as 1971, when it was screened by the National Film Theatre in London, but after that we have no clue where it's gone.

[donnie]

Wow, I'd never heard of that film. I can't imagine Bebe not being good in that role. Now, that's odd it's being around as late as '71 and and then disappearing. There's got to be a copy somewhere, you would figure...

[BettyLouSpence]

Wow, how'd I miss this one? The original film version of Gentlemen Prefer Blondes from 1928 is another for my list. I guess I must've subconsciously thought it extant for some reason. What a loss.

[Kitty]

That lobby card is stunning!