DVD: Accidentally Preserved, Volume 4 -- January 10, 2017

They're at it again.  Famous film accompanist Ben Model has produced a fourth volume of the Accidentally Preserved series.  This time, Model dug into his collection of old 9.5mm prints, which were made for the home rental or purchase market. Most of the movies in this collection only exist in old home use prints.  Naturally he also created the musical scores.  Volumes 1, 2 and 3 of Accidentally Preserved used 16mm prints.

The DVD begins with a brief text introduction to 9.5mm films.  Pathé introduced the format in 1922.  The films, printed on safety stock, were eventually distributed across Europe, in the UK and the United States.  16mm was more popular in the US.  Pathé subsidiaries continued to sell and rent 9.5mm films until around 1960.

The US subsidiary was called Pathex.

The first movie in the set was "Nonsense," a 1920 Mermaid Comdies two-reeler, directed by Jack White and released by Educational.  It starred Jimmie Adams and Sid Smith as two farmhands who competed for the attention of Marvel Rea, the beautiful niece of the farmer.  The unidentified bad guy calls her "Mary Hickford" in one intertitle.  There was little plot, but there were lots of gags and it moved right along.

Exhibitors Herald, 07-May-1921

This movie was released in both two and one-reel versions in 9.5mm.

The Ninety and Nine was a 1922 Vitagraph feature based on the popular 1902 melodrama by Ramsay Morris.  The greatly abridged 9.5mm version dashes through bits of the story to get to the huge forest fire scene.  Warner Baxter is the hero and Colleen Moore with long hair is the leading lady.  The town simpleton looks like Harpo Marx.

The locomotive used to make the dash through the fire has the railroad name on the side of the cab painted over and the number of the locomotive, 1379, is mostly obscured.  The locomotive should have been numbered 99.

Exhibitors Herald, 19-May-1923

The Ninety and Nine was a major production and exhibitors used a variety of tricks to promote it, including an automobile disguised as a locomotive.

Bobby Ray starred in "Meet Father," an Arrow film, in 1924.  It also stars Josephine the Monkey from The Navigator and Pete the Dog from Our Gang.  Bobby loves a girl whose father wants her to marry a tough boxer.  Bobby is absent-minded and not tough.  He carefully studies a book on fighting.  Bobby uses his little car to chase the boxer over a famous cliff in the Pacific Pallisades.

"The Wages of Tin" is a 1925 Hal Roach two-reel comedy starring Glenn Tryon.  The 9.5mm version is one reel.  Glenn reads a book on how to operate an automobile.  He rents a Model T Ford to impress Blanche Mehaffy.  Things don't go well.  The intertitles must be from a UK version.  "That'll be another two quid."  "I say, can I write you a cheque?"

Mae Marsh stars in a two-reel cut-down of a Vitagraph feature, Tides of Passion.  Her husband is a louse.  He ships out for India and forgets her.  He fools around with other women and falls overboard on the way back.  He gets the woman who rescues him, Laska Winter or Winter Blossom, pregnant.  He dies.  Mae Marsh tries to help with the baby, but the mother gets jealous.  There is a nice rescue from the rocks when she tries to commit suicide.  It goes by quickly.

Photoplay, July, 1925

Photoplay said the feature version was slow.  The abridgement may have been an improvement.

"A Man's Size Pet" starred cowboys Ben Corbett and Pee Wee Holmes as a pair of rivals who played tit for tat in the west.  There is a bear and a guy in a bear suit.  Leading lady Dorothy Kitchen, also known as Nancy Drexel, was really cute.

Pathescope 9.5mm Sound, 1956-7

This movie was listed in the Pathescope 1956-1957 catalogue.

"Walter's Paying Policy" was a 1926 British short starring Walter Forde, who had elements of Harold Lloyd in his style.  Walter and his rival worked for Busy Bee Insurance (You Won't Get Stung) and needed to sell a policy to the owner of a famous vase to get a big promotion.  It was funny.

The Fleischer Brothers, known for their animated cartoons, also made live action movies, like the Carrie of the Chorus series, in the 1920s.  "Morning, Judge" starred former chorus girl Peggy Shaw as a chorus girl who gets involved in problem with small-town prudes.  It was cute.

Moving Picture World, 04-September-1926

www.listal.com

Peggy Shaw was also cute.

Update 26-January-2017.  Ben Model reports that the movie was not "Morning Judge" but "Chicken Cooped."  

Ben Model's music was great.

I highly recommend the dvd.  

Volume One:
http://bigvriotsquad.blogspot.com/2014/01/dvd-accidentally-preserved-january-27.html

Volume Two:
http://bigvriotsquad.blogspot.com/2014/03/dvd-accidentally-preserved-volume-2.html

Volume Three:
http://bigvriotsquad.blogspot.com/2016/01/dvd-accidentally-preserved-volume-3.html

DVD: Accidentally Preserved, Volume 3 -- January 16, 2016

They're at it again.  Famous film accompanist Ben Model has produced a third volume of the Accidentally Preserved series.  Model and others dug into their collections of old 16mm prints, which were mostly made for the home rental or purchase market. Some of the movies only exist in old home use prints.  Naturally he also created the musical scores.  Some of the scores were done using a virtual organ.

The DVD contains nine films, all comedies, all shot silent, and one released with a synchronized sound track.

"Wanted: A Nurse" was a 1915 Vitagraph one-reeler starring Mr and Mrs Sidney Drew.  Sidney Drew, uncle of the famous Barrymores, was a clubman who fell in love with a pretty nurse, played by Lucile McVey, Sidney's second wife.  The movie required much image stabilization to make it viewable.  It was a charming story, worth the effort.

"Service A La Bunk" was a 1921 TuSun one-reeler starring Bobbie (aka Bobby) Ray, whom I don't think I had ever seen before.  There were some nice gags with a pedal car.  The effeminate restaurant owner had on a strange makeup, which appeared to include teeth drawn on his lower lip.  There was a nice scene on a Los Angeles rooftop.  There was also one blackface gag.

A very short film called here "A Citrate Special" was unique.  There is no information about where or when it was produced.  It employs a series of scatological gags.  It could not have been released to the public.

"The Whirlwind" was a 1922 movie produced by and starring Joe Rock.  I have wanted to see Joe Rock ever since I read a book of interviews with people who had been in the early movie business.  The chapter about Joe Rock was very interesting, but his starring movies have been hard to come by.  The wind effects reminded me of Steamboat Bill, Jr.  Joe Rock was good, making his entrance in an auto powered by a sail.

"No Vacancies" was a 1923 Speed Comedy about a shortage of rental housing.  Things never change.  It meandered a bit, but had some funny gags.

"Love's Young Scream" was a 1928 Christie comedy about a complicated elopement and an exploding jail.  Professional old guy Jack Duffy appeared in this one and "No Vacancies."  This one zipped right along.  It was preserved from a print made for television. 

Big Boy appeared in "Hot Luck," a 1928 Jack White comedy.  There was lots of action around a firehouse, which would please my friends who like fire equipment.

"Whose Baby" was a 1929 Universal comedy starring Arthur Lake, who later played Dagwood Bumstead over and over again.  Here he was not obnoxious, but the way he and others treated the baby was disturbing.

Little Billy Barty appeared in "Half a Hero" shot silent in 1929 by the Weiss Brothers, but released in 1930 with a synchronized soundtrack.  Only the second reel survives.  There was a chimp, two dogs, a monkey and a pretty white horse.  Billy was cute.  I remember seeing him in many movies on their first releases.  I was going to say first runs, but then I thought about "A Citrate Special."

Steve Massa wrote the introductions and recreated missing titles and intertitles.  

Look for the DVD.  It is a lot of fun.

The Accidentally Preserved website: http://www.accidentallypreserved.com/

Volume One:
http://bigvriotsquad.blogspot.com/2014/01/dvd-accidentally-preserved-january-27.html

Volume Two:
http://bigvriotsquad.blogspot.com/2014/03/dvd-accidentally-preserved-volume-2.html

DVD: Accidentally Preserved, Volume 2 -- March 6, 2014

In January, I reviewed Accidentally Preserved, a DVD made by famous film accompanist Ben Model.  Now I have watched Volume 2, which came out in February this year.  Again, Model dug into his collection of old 16mm prints, which were mostly made for the home rental or purchase market.  Some of the movies only exist in old Kodascope prints.  Naturally he also created the musical scores.





The DVD contains nine films, seven short comedies and two public service films. 




"Why Wild Men Go Wild" was an Al Christie production directed by William Beaudine.  It starred Bobby Vernon, whom I had only seen in Sennett movies.  It was silly, but worth watching.  There was a cute swimming pool gag at the end. 




"Charley on the Farm" was a cartoon produced by Pat Sullivan and animated by Otto Messmer, who later created Felix the Cat.  It was one of a series that featured Charlie Chaplin.  I think Messmer captured Charlie's movements and gestures.  He also recycled many gags from Chaplin's Essanay short "The Tramp." 




"Sherlock's Home" was a two-reel entry in the "Telephone Girl" series, starring cute Alberta Vaughn.  I thought it dragged in spots, but it was fun.  It also featured the team of Al Cooke and Kit Guard, whom I learned about in Steve Massa's excellent Lame Brains and Lunatics.  The title came from a light heavyweight boxer called Hurricane Sherlock.  His opponent in a match was played by the real Kid McCoy, the dirtiest fighter in history.  Mal St Clair directed it and Darryl F Zanuck, later president of 20th Century Fox, wrote it. 




"The Little Pest" was a Universal Bluebird one-reeler starring Neely Edwards.  When the little boy in the sailor suit arrived, I asked my daughter "The little blond kid.  Is he evil?"  She looked at him and said "Yes, I've had him in my classes."  Bud Jamison played the evil kid's father.  I enjoyed it, especially when the kid dismantled Neely's car. 




"Papa's Boy," a Lloyd Hamilton two-reeler, was my favorite item.  Hamilton's father wanted he-man Glen Cavender to make a man out of his wimpy, butterfly-chasing son.  There was a nice series of gags with Hamilton chasing butterflies with a net, some sort of a grabber, and a huge pin.  Cavender and Hamilton went camping.  There were two nice sequences with an alligator and a tent on fire.  Norman Taurog directed. 




"Helter Skelter" was an Educational two-reeler, but the first reel of the only surviving print is unprojectable.  The second reel is very lively, with Malcom Sebastian (Big Boy) and his dog Mutt leading a merry chase around the house of some rich folks. 




"Cook, Papa, Cook" starred Henry Murdock, who was usually a supporting player.  He had a fight with his wife, triggered by their mischievous son, and tried to make breakfast.  At least it moved quickly. 




"How Jimmy Won the Game" was a public service short about blasting cap safety.  Until I saw it, I had not remembered that I used to see blasting cap safety ads during kid's shows on television.  This one was pretty stark, warning about blowing eyes out or hands off.  I was impressed by the crappy condition of the field where the kids played baseball. 




The last item was a short animation for Christmas Seals.  It may have been animated by Dick Huemer. 




I thought the best score was the one for "Papa's Boy." 




The Accidentally Preserved website: http://www.accidentallypreserved.com/

DVD: Accidentally Preserved -- January 27, 2014

One of my Christmas presents was Accidentally Preserved, a DVD made by famous film accompanist Ben Model.  He dug into his collection of old 16mm prints, which were mostly made for the home rental or purchase market.  Some of the movies only exist in old Kodascope prints.  Naturally he also created the musical scores.  He got the funding for the project through Kickstarter. 

The DVD contains nine short films, eight one-reel comedies and one promotional film, plus one bonus comedy clip.  Three of the comedies are Cameos, released by Educational. 

"The Lost Laugh" stars Wallace Lupino, Lupino Lane's brother.  I don't know why he periodically burst into laughter after falling down or getting burned.  Monte Collins played an obnoxious washing machine salesman. 

"Loose Change" stars Jack Duffy as a tight Scotsman and Neal Burns as his nephew.  It was produced by Al Christie. 

"Wedding Slips" starred Monte Collins as a newlywed speeding around the countryside with his wife Lucille Hutton.  There are gypsies and a gorilla.  It was directed by Jules White. 

"Shoot Straight," a Hal Roach production, starred Paul Parrott, Charley Chase's brother, as a luckless hunter.  He has trouble catching squirrels and ducks.  Jobyna Ralston, who later starred with Harold Lloyd, is the leading lady. 

"The House of Wonders" was a two-reel promotional film for Elgin Watches.  It would be very interesting for people who like watches. 

"The Misfit" was made as a two-reeler, but it only survives in a one-reel version.  Clyde Cook joins the Marines to get away from his harridan wife.  It includes many of the standard service comedy marching jokes. 

"The Water Plug," a Reelcraft comedy, starred Billy Franey, who was acting very Chaplin-like. 

"Mechanical Doll" was a Fleischer Out of the Inkwell comedy.  Koko had a nice journey though the city, running along telephone wires.  He had more closeups than I remember seeing in silent cartoons. 

"Cheer Up" starred Cliff Bowes, who I had never seen before.  Virginia Vance had to choose between two suitors.  It was directed by Jack White. 

I liked the fact that some of the prints were scratchy.  I miss that. 

Accidentally Preserved 2 came out this month.  I hope to order it soon. 

I also ordered a book by Steve Massa that collects all the notes from the films on the two Accidentally Preserved sets.  It is printed in a size that fits nicely in the DVD case. 

The Accidentally Preserved website: http://www.accidentallypreserved.com/