A Treasure Trove of Silent Film Resurfaces in New Zealand
Today's news--that 75 films from the Silent Era are being returned from the national film archive of New Zealand to the United States, their country of origin--is a bright spot in a depressing time. Not only were these films presumed lost, along with 80% of the fragile nitrate films of the period, but none have been viewed publicly in 80 years. Among the highlights of the collection are John Ford's "Upstream" (1927), which is said to have been influenced by F. W. Murnau's techniques. (Murnau was the German director of "Sunrise," [1927] which won the first Academy Award for Best Picture in 1929.) Also eagerly anticipated is "Won in a Cupboard," (1914) the earliest surviving film directed by Mabel Normand, the great Mack Sennett comedy star. In "Maytime" (1923), another huge star of the era, Clara Bow, plays an atypical costume role.
Among the less familiar names in the collection are Al Christie and Lois Weber, who in their day were famous both as directors and producers. Christie was one of the most prolific directors of the Silent Era, while Weber, who directed over 40 films, had her own studio and was the highest-paid woman director of her time. (For more on Weber, see my post "Before Kathryn Bigelow: Women Directors in 20th Century Hollywood [March 8, 2010].)
Why New Zealand? Apparently it was the end of the distribution line, so films stayed there after their commercial run. The studios apparently didn't want their prints back; at any rate, they wouldn't pay the shipping costs. So projectionists and other film buffs kept the reels; eventually, through heirs, the films made their way to the New Zealand Film Archive.
It wasn't until last year that an American film preservationist, Brian Meacham of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), visited colleagues at the New Zealand Film Archive while on vacation and saw a list of American films in the collection. One thing led to another, and arrangements were made for the return of 75 titles.
Amazingly, given the fragility of nitrate stock, three-quarters of the films have good image quality, though all are in need of restoration. Twentieth Century Fox, whose predecessor made John Ford's "Upstream," is restoring that film. It will have its first showing in eight decades at the Academy this fall and is certain to be a sensation.