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It is estimated that nearly 90 percent of all silent films are lost today. Of that small percentage of titles which does survive at archives, studios and in private collections, much has yet to be preserved, while far too many of those that have been preserved exist only in fragmentary form. (For example, only portions remain of the performances of Clara Bow, Gary Cooper and Louise Brooks, respectively, in the preservation elements housed at UCLA Film & Television Archive of Three Weekends, 1928; Beau Sabreur, 1928; and Just Another Blonde, 1926). But instead of being sobering, this program is meant to be celebratory, showcasing the preservation of silent film fragments at UCLA through numerous examples that provide tantalizing glimpses and entertaining insight into movies that in effect no longer exist. As preserved from incomplete or deteriorating 35mm nitrate prints and negatives, photographic paper prints and 16mm home movie editions, these fragments range from complete single reels of subjects to abbreviated versions, collections of scenes and mere seconds of extant footage. Included are features and shorts, documentaries, serials, promotional subjects and trailers from defunct studios such as Vitagraph and Santa Barbara Films to industry giants Paramount Pictures and 20th Century-Fox, both current collaborators in preservation with UCLA. Fortunately, not all silent film preservation consists of races-to-the-rescue that never take place, chapter plays “to be continued” that don’t, unconsummated romances and previews of coming attractions that will not be coming soon to a theater near you. So to round out the program, a recently-restored, intact short subject, Jiggs and the Social Lion (1920), will be screened, compiled from two different source elements to ensure its completeness. —Jere Guldin
Total program runtime: approx. 120 min. Live musical accompaniment provided by Cliff Retallick.
Restored by UCLA Film & Television Archive with funding provided by the Library of Congress
Vitagraph Fragments, No. 5 (1908)
35mm, silent, b/w, one reel, approx. 10 min.
Restored by UCLA Film & Television Archive and the Library of Congress Packard Campus for Audio-Visual Conservation from a 35mm photographic paper print. Laboratory services by UCLA Film & Television Archive, Film Technology Company, Inc.
Restored by UCLA Film & Television Archive with funding provided by The American Film Institute/National Endowment for the Arts Film Preservation Grants Program, and The Packard Humanities Institute
Unidentified Pathé Trickfilm (c. 1905)
35mm, silent, b/w, approx. 2 min.
Restored from a 35mm nitrate print. Laboratory services by The Stanford Theatre Film Laboratory, Film Technology Company, Inc.
Restored by UCLA Film & Television Archive with funding provided by The American Film Institute/National Endowment for the Arts Film Preservation Grants Program
The Bigot (1915)
Director: Donald MacDonald. Production: Santa Barbara Films. Distribution: Queen Feature Service, Kriterion Sales Corp.
35mm, silent, b/w, approx. 12 min.
Restored from a 35mm nitrate print. Laboratory services by Film Technology Company, Inc.
Daredevil Jack (1920)
Director: W.S. Van Dyke. Production: Robert Brunton Productions. Distribution: Pathé Exchange. Producer: Robert Brunton. Cinematographer: Gus Peterson. Art Direction: Jack Okey. Editor: Hal C. Kern. Cast: Jack Dempsey, Josie Sedgwick, Herschell Mayal, Alrbert R. Cody, Ruth Langdon. 35mm, silent, b/w, approx. 10 min.
Restored by The Packard Humanities Institute and UCLA Film & Television Archive from a 16mm print. Laboratory services by The Stanford Theatre Film Laboratory
The Adventures of Tarzan, Chapter 11: "The Hidden Foe" (1921)
Director: Robert F. Hill, Scott Sidney. Production: Great Western Producing Company, Numa Pictures Corporation, Weiss Brothers Artclass Pictures. Distribution: Numa Pictures Corporation. Producer: Louis Weiss. Cinematographer: Jerome Ash, Joseph Meyer. Editor: Charles Henkel Jr. Cast: Elmo Lincoln, Louise Lorraine, Scott Pembroke, Frank Whitson, Zip Monberg. 35mm, silent, b/w, approx. 12 min.
Restored by The Packard Humanities Institute and UCLA Film & Television Archive from a 35mm nitrate print. Laboratory services by The Stanford Theatre Film Laboratory.
Restored by UCLA Film & Television Archive with funding provided by David Stenn
The Flower Girl (1924)
Director: Herman C. Raymaker. Production: Century Films. Distribution: Universal Film Manufacturing Company. Cast: Baby Peggy, Billy Franey, Jack Earle, Joe Moore. 35mm, silent, b/w, approx. 2 min.
Restored from a 35mm nitrate print. Laboratory services by YCM Laboratories.
Restored by UCLA Film & Television Archive with funding provided by The Packard Humanities Institute
First National Family of Stars (c. 1926)
35mm, silent, b/w, approx. 8 min.
Restored from a 35mm nitrate print. Laboratory services by The Stanford Theatre Film Laboratory.
Restored by UCLA Film & Television Archive with funding provided by the National Film Preservation Foundation
A Trip Through China (1917)
Director: Benjamin Brodsky. Distribution: State Rights, Supreme Feature Films Co. Cinematographer: Benjamin Brodsky. 35mm, silent, b/w, approx. 15 min.
Restored through a partnership of the New Zealand Film Archive, the American archival community and the National Film Preservation Foundation from a 35mm nitrate print. Laboratory services by Colorlab Corp.
Restored by UCLA Film & Television Archive with funding provided by The American Film Institute/National Endowment for the Arts Film Preservation Grants Program and The Packard Humanities Institute
Cappy Ricks (1921)
Director: Tom Forman. Production: Famous Players-Lasky Corp. Distribution: Paramount Pictures. Screenwriter: Albert Shelby Le Vino, Waldemar Young. Based on the play Cappy Ricks by Peter Bernard Kyne, Edward Rose. Cinematographer: Harry Perry. Cast: Thomas Meighan, Charles Abbe, Agnes Ayres, Hugh Cameron, Paul Everton. 35mm, silent, b/w, approx. 18 min.
Restored from a 35mm nitrate print. Laboratory services by The Stanford Theatre Film Laboratory and Film Technology Company, Inc.
Restored by UCLA Film & Television Archive with funding provided by The Packard Humanities Institute
Outtakes/unedited shots for uncompleted Bringing Up Father short (c. 1916)
Director: Unknown. 35mm, b/w, silent, approx. 8 min. total.
Restored from 35mm nitrate original picture negative. Laboratory Services by the Stanford Theatre Film Laboratory.
Restored by UCLA Film & Television Archive with funding provided by The Packard Humanities Institute
Jiggs and the Social Lion (1920)
Director: Reggie Morris. Production: International Film Service Co. Inc. Producer: Al Christie. Based on the comic strip “Bringing Up Father” by George McManus. Cinematographers: Barney McGill, Harry Parson. Art Direction: Lloyd Brierley. Cast: Johnny Ray, Margaret Cullington, Laura La Plante. 35mm,b/w, silent, approx. 20 min.
Restored from 35mm nitrate original picture negative and 35mm nitrate foreign negative. Laboratory Services by the Stanford Theatre Film Laboratory.
Restored by UCLA Film & Television Archive with funding provided by The American Film Institute/National Endowment for the Arts Film Preservation Grants Program and The Packard Humanities Institute
Trailer fragments for The Silent Flyer (1926), Rolling Home (1926), The Wise Wife (1927), The Last Frontier (1926)
35mm, silent, tinted, approx. 3 min. total.
Restored from 35mm nitrate prints. Laboratory services by The Stanford Theatre Film Laboratory and Film Technology Company, Inc.
