[78-L] films you don't see

[Harold Aherne]

Here's a quick rundown of some titles that have been mentioned so far--
 
So Big:
1924 version with Colleen Moore is presumed lost.
1932 version with Barbara Stanwyck has run on TCM in recent years (like within the 
last 2-3); I'm not aware of any rights problems.
1953 version with Jane Wyman has run on cable TV within the last dozen years,
but in that time, for some odd reason, the post-1949 WB library has seemingly
disappeared from TV exposure, at least on TCM. Rights to the films themselves
aren't necessarily at issue, since many of these titles have been reissued on DVD;
I don't know any more details.
 
The Desert Song:
1929 version surives in B&W only and was run at a film festival in Syracuse, NY 
just this past week. (It was only part-Technicolor to begin with.) 
1943 version has never been on video or TV as far as I know.
1953 version was released on VHS, but see the above comments as to TV exposure
of 50s WB films. 
 
There are many others that have some snag with underlying rights and thus are unavailable
for screening, stateside at least. Among the more notable ones:
 
It's a Wise Child (1931, MGM) comedy with Marion Davies
Night Flight (1933, MGM) drama with Clark Gable
Christopher Bean (1933, MGM) Marie Dressler's last picture
Spring Parade (1940, Universal) Deanna Durbin vehicle
 
The rights situation with "Sally, Irene and Mary" is complex. MGM made the original
with Joan Crawford in 1925; 20th Century-Fox bought the remake rights in 1938. It took
clearance from Rupert Murdoch to permit a screening of the earlier film at a 2003 festival.
 
This isn't a rights problem per se, but still a knotty problem: the 1927 film of "Chicago" 
with Phyllis Haver never had its copyright renewed, but it's still not really public domain
because of the underlying literary rights. Still, it has been screened several times in the
last few years.
 
There are no rights problems with the Charlie Chan films; all surviving Fox material 
from "Behind That Curtain" (1929) to the last Sidney Toler Chans made for Fox in
1942 has been issued on DVD.
 
I could go on, but I won't!
 
-Harold
 
 
 
 


--- On Sun, 3/22/09, William A. Brent <bbrent at pipeline.com> wrote:

From: William A. Brent <bbrent at pipeline.com>
Subject: Re: [78-L] films you don't see
To: "78-L Mail List" <78-l at 78online.com>
Date: Sunday, March 22, 2009, 12:12 PM

At 10:57 AM 3/22/2009, you wrote:
>So Big is another title that has disappeared. Both versions are MIA.

same for the silent version, though they probably lost that one

>  Vertigo was held
>up because of the screenplay rights, prompting a court case that is still
>cited in licensing textbooks.

always thought that was one of the 5 Hitch held back - like
Irving Berlin did with Annie Get Your Gun and Alexander's ragtime band


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