HISTORIC FEATURE FILMS
The following vintage motion picture film classics have been meticulously and pain-snakingly restored to their original pristine condition from surviving 35mm materials.
The Charlie Chaplin Festival 1941
Producer/Script/Director: Charlie Chaplin Cinematography: Robert Rotheroh CAST: Charlie Chaplin, Albert Austin, Lloyd Bacon, Henry Bergman Production: Lone Star Corp. 97 min. B/W silent w/music score English Inter-titles.
American silent compilation film production produced, written, directed and starring comic genius Charlie Chaplin with co-players Albert Austin, Lloyd Bacon, Henry Bergman, etc,
"The Charlie Chaplin Festival" features four Chaplin comedy short films from 1917, including "The Adventurer," "The Cure," "Easy Street" and "The Immigrant," presented with sound effects and a new music score.
Early Film Treasures 1888-1896
Producers/Filmmakers: Thomas Edison, William KL Dickson, George Melies, The Lumiere Brothers, Alice Guy Blache, Louis Le Prince, etc.
silent/music score English Inter-titles 90 min. B/W This rare vintage archival film collection contains the uncut versions of the first embryonic visual imagery of the motion picture form from Louis Le Price in 1888 to Thomas Edison in 1896.
Charlie Chaplin Lost Film - "My Happiest Years" 1916
Producer/Script/Director: Charlie Chaplin Cinematography: Robert Rotheroh CAST: Charlie Chaplin, Lloyd Bacon, Albert Austin. Production: Mutual Film Corp.. 60 min. B/W silent w/music score Englush Inter-titles.
Rare, vintage lost Charlie Chaplin film written, produced and directed as well as in starring with co-players Lloyd Bacon ad Albert Austin in 1916.
Considered a "lost" Chaplin film classic.
So Long Letty 1929
Producer/Director: Lloyd Bacon Script: De Leon Anthony, Arthur Caesar, Elmer Harris, Robert Lord, Oliver Morosco Cinematography: James Van Trees CAST: Charlotte Greenwood, Claude Gillingwater, Grant Withers, Patsy Ruth Miller Music: louis Silvers Production: Warner Bros. 64 min. Color sound Engish version.
American early "talkie" Pre-Code musical comedy film was produced and directed by Lloyd Bacon starring Charlotte Greenwood, Claude Gillingwater, Grant Withers, Patsy Ruth Miller, etc.
"So Long Letty" had been previously produced on Broadway and then filmed as a silent short film under the same title in 1920.
The story concerns Uncle Claude, who comes to stay at the Ardmore Beach Hotel in order to see Tommy and his wife. Meanwhile, at the hotel with his two granddaughters Sally and Ruth. Uncle Claude meets a wise-talking employee named Letty, who causes him to leave the hotel. When he discovers Tommy, he somehow mistakes Grace for his own wife and likes her and the way she manages to keep a clean home. In order to get a big cash payoff from Uncle Charlie and to discover how life actually is with the other, the two spouses switch partners for exactly one week.
"So Long Letty" premiered on October 16, 1929. Film historian Scott Eyman, in his book "The Speed of Sound" wrote: "The film was one of a eave of more than seventy musicals inundating American movie theaters in 1930."
Tanned Legs 1929
Producers: William LeBaron, Marshall Neilan, Louis Sarecky Script: Thomas J. Geraghty, Louis Sarecky Director: Marshall Neilan Cinematography: Leo Tover CAST: Arthur Lake, June Clyde, Dorothy Revier, Ana Pennington Music: Sidney Clare, Oscar Levant Production: RKO Radio Pictures 76 min. Color sound English dialog.
American early Pre-Code "Talkie" musical comedy co-written and directed by Marshall Neilan starring Arthur Lake, June Clyde, Dorothy Revier, Ana Pennington, etc. In its first year of operation, RKO attempted to take full advantage of musical projects as much as possible during the early sound era, and so the music of Oscar Levant and Sidney Clare was incorporated into the simple comedy story.
The story concerns high society 'lovebirds' Bill and Peggy who are forced to put their marriage plans on hold while Peggy spends most of her unlucky in-love sister, Janet tries to straighten her out.
The Private Life of a Cat 1946
Producers/Direction/Cinematography: Alexander Hammid, Maya Deren Music: Gene Forell 23 min. Color sound English dialog.
American experimental short film produced, shot and directed by Alexander Hammid and Maya Deren. This short film concerns two cats who have a liter of five kittens and then nurse, play and instruct them into being better felines.
The Killers 1946
Producer: Mark Hellinger Script: Ernest Hemmingway (short story), Anthony Veiller Director: Robert Siodmak Cinematography: Woody Bredell CAST: Burt Lancaster, Ava Gardner, Edmund O'Brien, Albert Dekker Music: Miklos Rozsa Production: Mark Hellinger Productions 103 min. B/W sound English dialog.
American film-noir crime film directed by Robert Siodmak and starring Burt Lancaster, Ava Gardner, Edmund O'Brien, Albert Dekker, etc.
"The Killers' is based on the 1927 short story by Ernest Hemmingway concerning an insurance detective's investigation into the execution by two professional killers of a former champion boxer who was unresistant to his own homicide. The picture was quite successful upon its original release in August 1946 and earned for Academy Award nominations, including Best Director (Robert Siodmak) and Best Adapted Screenplay (Ernest Hemmingway), who had been habitually disgusted with how Hollywood distorted his thematic intentions, but was a great admirer of the production. "The Killers" was widely regarded as one of the classics of the film-noir genre.
The Black Cat 1934
Producers: Carl Laemmle, Jr., E.M. Asher Script: Edgar Allan Poe (short story), Edgar G. Ulmer (story), Peter Ruric (story + script) Director: Edgar G. Ulmer Cinematography: John J. Mescal CAST: Boris Karloff, Bela Lugosi, John Carradine, David Manners, Egon Brecher Music: Heinz Roemheld Production: Universal Pictures 56 min. B/W sound English dialog.
American Pre-Code horror film co-written and directed by Edgar G. Ulmer starring Boris Karloff, Bela Lugosi, John Carradine, David Manners, Egon Brecher, etc.
"The Black Cat" was Universal Pictures' biggest commercial hit of 1934, and was the first of eight feature films to feature both Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi.
Glorifying the American Girl 1929
Producer: Florenz Ziegfeld Script: J.P. McElroy (story), Millard Webb Direction: John W. Harkrider, Millard Webb Cinematography: George J. Folsey CAST: Mary Eaton, Noah Beery, Irving Berlin, Billie Burke Music: Irving Berlin, Walter Donaldson, Rudolf Frimi, James E. Hanley Production: Paramount Pictures 96 min. B/W sound English dialog.
American Pre-Code musical comedy film produced by Florenz Ziegfeld directed by John W. Harkrider and Millard Webb (also story) starring Mary Eaton, Noah Beery, Irving Berlin, Billie Burke, etc. The last third of the picture, which was shot in Technicolor, is primarily a Ziegfeld Follies production, with cameo appearances featuring Rudy Vallee, Helen Morgan, and Eddie Cantor.
Grand Hotel 1932
Producer: Irving Thalberg Script: William A. Drake (1930 play), Vicki Baum (1929 novel) Director: Edmund Goulding Cinematography: William H. Daniels CAST: Greta Garbo, John Barrymore, Joan Crawford, Wallace Beery, Lionel Barrymore Music: William Axt, Charles Maxwell Production: MGM 112 min. B/W sound English dialog.
American Pre-Code drama film produced by Irving Thalberg and directed by Edmund Goulding starring Greta Garbo, John Barrymore, Joan Crawford, Wallace Beery, Lionel Barrymore, etc.
"Grand Hotel" is based on the 1930 play by William A. Drake, who adapted the story from the 1929 novel by Vicki Baum.
"Grand Hotel" has historically proven influential in the years since its original theatrical release in 1932. The iconic line of dialog "I want to be alone," famously essayed by Greta Garbo, place number thirty in the American Film Institute's 100 Years...100 Quotes. To date, the picture is the only motion picture to have won the Oscar for Best Picture without being first nominated in any other award category.
The film was viewed as an artistic achievement for its art direction and production design.
The Abyss 1910
Producer: Hjalmar Davidsen Script/Director: Urban Gad Cinematogrsphy: Alfred Lind CAST: Asta Nielsen, Robert Dinesen, Paul Reumert, Hans Neergaard Production: Kosmorama 38 min. B/W slent w/music score English version.
Danish silent short drama film written and directerd by Urban Gad starring Asta Nielsen, Robert Dinesen, Paul Reumert, Hans Heergaard, etc.
Due to the overt eroticism of Asta Nielsen's performance on screen, "The Abyss' was heavily censored in Sweden and Norway.
The Unchanging Sea 1910
Producer/Director: D.W. Griffith Script: Chales Kingsley (poem) Cinematography: G.W. Bitzer CAST: Arthur V. Johnson, Linda Anderson, Gladys Egan, Mary Pickford Production: Biograph Co. 18 min. B.W silent w/music score.
American vintage silent drama film produced and directed by D.W. Griffith for the Biograph Company starring Mary Pickford, Arthur V. Johnson, Linda Anderson, Gladys Egan, etc.
"The Unchanging Sea" is set at a seaside fishing village where a young couple's seemingly happy life is turned upside down by an accident.
A Modern Cinderella 1910
Producer/Director/Cinematography: J. Stuart Blackton CAST: Mary Fuller Production: Vitagraph Company of America 16 min. Color-tinted silent w/music score.
American silent vintage classic short film produced, directed and shot by J. Stuart Blackton starring Mary Fuller is a re-telling of the traditional literary classic.
The story of "A Modern Cinderella" concerns Cinderella and her sister whom receive an invitation to a formal ball setting the stage for the fabled fairy tale classic and is the first such screen adaptation of the famous story.
A Gold Necklace 1910
Producer: D.W. Griffith Director: Frank Poiwell Script: Frank E. Woods Cinematography: Arthur Marvin CAST: Mary Pickford, Mack Sennett, Kate Bruce, Lottie Pickford Production: Biograph Co. 10 min. B/W silent w/music score.
American silent comedy film produced by D.W. Griffith and directed by Frank Powell starring Mary Pickford, Mack Sennett, Kate Bruce, Lottie Pickford, etc.
This early vintage comedy film is a comedy of errors involving a gold necklace.
Les Miserables 1912
Producer/Director: Albert Capellani Script: Victor Hugo (novel), Paul Capellani (adaptation) Cinematography: Louis Forestier, Karemine Meroian, Pierre Trimbach CAST: Henry Krauss, Henri Etievant, Leon Bernard, Maria Gromet Production: Pathe Freres 160 min. B/W silent w/music score French Intertitles.
French silent adaptation of Victor Hugo's well-known classic literary work produced and directed by Albert Capellani starring Henry Krauss, Henri Etievant, Leon Bernard, Maria Gromet, etc.
"Les Miserables" is known for its notable significant vintage cinematic adaptation of Hugo's novel which featured prominent French stage actors at the time. The picture was released in four parts, each focusing on a different character or set of characters, with part I released in November 1912.
The World's Oldest Movies Collection 1888-1903
Vintage film collection depicting the earliest examples of the first motion picture imagery from 1888 to 1903. Production: various silent w/music score 150 min. B.W
This exceptional film collection includes the early cinematic works of Louis LePrince, Thomas Edison, D.W. Griffith, and many others produced between 1888 to 1903.
The L. Frank Baum's "Wizard of Oz" Film Collection 1910-1925
Producer: Hal Roach Contributors: Frank Moore, Oliver Hardy, Violet MacMillian, Mildred Harris, Larry Sernon, Vivian Reed, etc. Production: various 240 min. Color-tinted + B/W silent w/music score.
Vintage early collection of the first classic motion pictures based on L. Frank Baum's "The Wizard of Oz" from 1910-1925. The collection includes the vintage films "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" (1910, "His Majesty the Scarecrow" (1914), "The Last Egyptian" (1914), "The Magic Cloak of Ox' (1914), "The Patchwork Girl of Oz" (1914), and "The Wizard of Oz" (1925).
Robin Hood 1912
Producer: Eclair American Script: Eustace Ball Direction: Etienne Arnaud, Herbert Blache Cinematography: Herbery Blache CAST: Robert Frazer, Barbara Tennant, Alec B. Francis, Julia Stuart Production: Éclair American Studios 30 min. Color-tinted silent w/music score English intertitles.
Early vintage silent short film is the screen's first adaptation of the famous tale produced and released by Éclair American Studios directed by Etienne Arnaud and Hubert Blache starring Robert Frazer, Barbara Tennant, Alec B. Francis, Julia Stuart, etc.
"Robin Hood" historical costumes featured Robin Hood and his merry men, and employed an unusual special effect of momentarily superimposing visual images of different animals over each character in order to emphasize the good vs. evil scenario. This rare vintage was considered lost for many years.
The Miracle Man 1932
Producer/Director: Norman Z. McLeod Script: George M. Cohan (play), Robert Hobart Davis (novel), Frank L. Packard (novel) Cinematography: David Abel CAST: Boris Karloff, Sylvia Sidney, Robert Coogan, John Wray Music: Herman Hand, W. Franke Harling, Oscar Potoker Production: Paramount Pictures 85 min. B/W sound English dialog.
American Pre-Code drama film produced and directed by Norman Z. McLeod starring Boris Karloff, Sylvia Sidney, Robert Coogan, John Wray, etc.
"The Miracle Man" is a remake of the 1919 film of the same title starring Lon Chaney.
The story concerns a gang of criminals who are in the process of evading the police by relocating their operations in a small town instead of the big city.
Les Miserables 1925 Abridged Version
Producers: Henri Fescourt, Louis Naipas, Jean Sapene Script: Victor Hugo (novel), Henri Fescourt, Arthur Bernede Director: Henri Fescourt Cinematography: Raoul Aubourdier, Leon Donnot, Georges Lafont, Karemine Merobian CAST: Gabriel Gabrio, Paul Jorge, Sandra Milovanoff, Andree Rolane Production: Societie des Cineromans 369 min. silent B/W silent w/music score.
French abridged version of Victor Hugo's epic film classic "Les Miserables" directed and co-written by Henri Fescourt starring Gairel Gabrio, Paul Jorge, Sandra Milovanoff, Andree Rolane, etc.
Although the original French production company Societie des Cineromans wished this adaptation to be a single feature film, its director Henri Fescourt had argued for the epic to be released in four or more feature-length parts in theaters at the time. The production company Societie des Cineromans had allocated an immense budget of six million Francs.
"Les Miserables' was released in France in four parts in weekly installments beginning on Christmas Day on December 25, 1925 and running through January 15, 1926.
The epic production is considered a landmark motion picture producrtion.
La Boheme 1926
Producer: Irving Thalberg Script: Giacomo Puccini (opera), Fred de Gresac (script), Harry Behn, Ray Doyle (continuity) Director: King Vidor Cinematography: Hendrik Sartov CAST: Lillian Gish, John Gilbert, Renee Adoree, Geoerge Hassell Production: MGM 95 min. Color-tinted silent w/music score English intertitles.
American silent drama film produced by Irving Thalberg and directed by King Vidor starring Lillian Gish, John Gilbert, Renee Adoree, George Hassell, etc.
"La Boheme" is based on Giacomo Puccini's 1806 opera concerning a tragic romance in which a tubercular seamstress sacrifices her own life in order that her lover, a Bohemian playwright might write his theatrical masterpiece.
Rembrandt 1936
Producer/Director: Alexander Korda Script: Carl Zuckmayer (story), June Head, Lajos Biro, Arthur Wimperls Cinematography: Georges Perina CAST: Charles Laughton, Elsa Lancaster, Gertrude Larence, Edward Chapman Music: Geoffrey Toye Production: London Film Productions 85 min. B.W sound English dialog.
British historical/biographical film produced and directed by Alexander Korda starring Charles Laughton (as Rembrandt), Elsa Lancaster, Gertrude Lawrence, Edward Chapman, etc.
"Rembrandt" concerns the story of Dutch painter Rembrandt's life during the 17th century