[78-L] O/T Films

[Julian Vein]

On 04/08/14 04:50, Harold Aherne wrote:
> This sounds like the large cache of nitrate prints discovered in Dawson City, Yukon Territory, in 1978. What happened was that several hundred reels of film were used to fill an old swimming pool that was being converted to a hockey rink. Decades later, when the rink itself was also being replaced, the discovery was made. Dawson City was sometimes the end of the line for distribution prints and it wasn't always worthwhile for the distribution exchanges to pay for shipment back to their warehouses.
>
> Further details about the discovery are at
> http://yukon-news.com/arts/a-different-sort-of-klondike-treasure/
>
> In addition to newsreels, portions of about 42 American features from the 1915-19 period were found. Some were nearly complete, missing only 1 reel or so, while only 1 reel survived in other cases.
>
> -HA
>
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Despite what one of them said, there was no real environmental 
consideration given to how the films were to be disposed of, no official 
policy of any sort. No concerns about pollution or the poisoning of the 
water table etc. "Out of sight, out of mind" seems to have been the 
philosophy of the day.

The other question is who became the legal owner of the film if the 
distributor didn't want it back?

      Julian Vein