Lost film

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Valeska Suratt, whose entire film career has been lost.

NOTE: This page was copy pasted from the Qualitipedia wikis on Miraheze instead of imported due to the wikis being deleted.

A lost film is a feature film, animation, or short film that is no longer known to exist in a studio archive, private collection, or public archive. The largest number of lost films come from the silent era of film, from the late 1800s to the late 1920s, though some films from 1927 to 1950 are gone as well.

It has been estimated that 90% of silent films made in the United States were lost while it was estimated that 75% of all silent films were lost, and it's been estimated that half of all movies made from 1927 to 1950 were lost. Valeska Suratt, pictured to the right, made eleven films in her career, all of which are now lost.

Though extremely rare, a lost film can still be rediscovered years later, though sometimes footage is lost or is incomplete. The reason some silent and early talkies still exist today were that some actors, such as Harold Lloyd and Charlie Chaplin, became early champions of film preservation allowing for most of their work to survive, although a fire near Harold Lloyd's mansion destroyed one of his film vaults, destroying a large number of his silent films.

Reasons for a lost film

  1. Intentional destruction: This was the largest reason why most silent films are lost today. In 1927, the first talkie, The Jazz Singer arrived and by 1930, most film companies concluded that silent films no longer had any monetary value at all and destroyed the prints for vault space. In addition, because television and home video were not created yet, it was widely believed that most films would lose value once their theatrical runs ended so many talkies were also destroyed.
  2. Nitrate film: Before 1952, nearly all 35 mm and prints were made of nitrocellulose, which was a very flammable material. In poor conditions, this film could easily catch fire and even destroy a vault full of films that have occurred. In addition, this material was highly unstable and could decay into a powder similar to gunpowder. Some nitrate films are still in very good condition while some decayed within twenty years.
  3. Silver content: Some studios melted down their old movies to retrieve their silver content.
  4. Separate soundtracks: Some of the early talkies required a sound-on-disk with a separate soundtrack that played on special phonographs. If these sound-on-disks could not be found, it was believed that the film's chance at success would be less successful and would be scrapped.
  5. Negative reception: The 2007 JoJo's Bizarre Adventure animated film based on the first story arc (called Phantom Blood) of the manga of the same name. It's theorized that the film became lost media probably because of the negative reception it received due to the studio that made the film cut a lot of plot elements and characters from the final film.
  6. Film vaults fire: Over the years, several devastating fires have ravaged film vaults, leading to irreparable losses in cinematic history. These tragic events include the Universal Pictures fire in 1924, the Warner Bros. First National fire in 1933, the British and Dominions Imperial Studios fire in 1936, the 1937 Fox vault fire, the 1965 MGM vault fire, and the 1914 Lubin vault fire, among others. Each of these fires resulted in the destruction of countless films, representing a significant loss to the cultural heritage of cinema.
  7. Tax write-off: Some film studios intentionally destroyed prints of movies as a means of claiming tax deductions for losses incurred during production or distribution. This practice, aimed at reducing tax liabilities, resulted in the permanent loss of numerous films that could have otherwise been preserved for future generations.

Examples of completely lost films

Silent films

1900s

1900
  • Romeo and Juliet (exact release date is unknown) [FR]
1905
  • Dingjun Mountain (exact release date is unknown) [CHN]
1908
  • Romeo and Juliet (June 6) [H]
  • A Christmas Carol (December 9) [H]
1909
  • Stealing a Roast Duck (1909) [HK]

1910s

1910
  • Jean and the Calico Doll (August 30) [H]
1911
  • Macbeth (exact release date is unknown) [UK]
  • The Immortal Alamo (May 25) [H]
  • Billy the Kid (August 9) [H]
  • Only a Factory Girl (August 14) [AU]
1912
  • Saved from the Titanic (May 16, 1912) [H]
  • The Dawn of Netta (June 24, 1912) [H]
  • As You Like It (October 7, 1912) [H]
1913
  • The Battle of Gettysburg (June 1) [H]
  • Maria Marten, or the Mystery of the Red Barn (December, exact release date is unknown) [UK]
1915
  • The Soul of Broadway (October 18) [H]
  • The Immigrant (December 20) [H]
1916
  • Macbeth (June 4) [H]
  • Romeo and Juliet (October 19; Metro Pictures) [H]
  • Romeo and Juliet (October 22; Fox Film) [H]
  • Jealousy (November 20) [H]
  • The Black Butterfly (December 4) [H]
  • The Straight Way (December 18) [H]
  • The Victim (December 25) [H]
1917
  • The New York Peacock (February 5) [H]
  • She (April 14) [H]
  • Australia's Peril (May 19) [AU]
  • The Slave (June 3) [H]
  • The Siren (July 1) [H]
  • Wife Number Two (July 29) [H]
  • A Rich Man's Plaything (September 30) [H]
  • El Apóstol (November 9) [AR]
1918
  • The Glorious Adventure (July 14) [H]
1919
  • The First Men in the Moon (exact release date is unknown) [UK]
  • The Divorcee (January 20) [H]
  • Count the Votes (October 5) [H]

1920s

1920
  • Evening – Night – Morning (September 24) [DE]
1922
  • A Blind Bargain (December 10) [H]
1924
  • Broken Barriers (August 3) [H]
  • Greed (December 4) (8-hour original cut) [H]
1926
  • The Mountain Eagle (May, exact release date is unknown) [UK]
  • The Fighting Marine (September 12) [H]
1927
  • London After Midnight (December 3) [H]
1928
  • Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (January 22) [H]
  • The Big City (March 24) [H]
  • The Actress (April 28) [H]

Sound films

1920s

1928
  • Tenderloin (March 28) [H]
  • Gang War (September 2) [H]
  • Melody of Love (December 2) [H]

1930s

1931
  • Alam Ara (March 14) [B]
  • Two Crowded Hours (December 28) [UK]
1934
  • Jail Birds of Paradise (March 10) (Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer) [H]
1936
  • The Oregon Trail (January 18) [H]

1940s

1943
  • Squadron Leader X (March 1) [UK]

1960s

1963
  • Amanita Pestilens (exact release date is unknown) [CA]
1974
  • Every N****r is a Star (exact release date is unknown) [JM]

1990s

1994
  • El Alimento del Miedo (exact release date is unknown) [MX]

Key

  • [AU] = Films made in Australia
  • [AR] = Films made in Argentina
  • [B] = Bollywood (or any other Indian film)
  • [CA] = Films made in Canada
  • [CN] = Films made in China
  • [FR] = Films made in France
  • [DE] = Films made in Germany
  • [H] = Films made in Hollywood (or the United States)
  • [HK] = Films made in Hong Kong
  • [JP] = Films made in Japan
  • [JM] = Films made in Jamaica
  • [KOR] = Films made in Korea
  • [MX] = Films made in Mexico
  • [UK] = Films made in the United Kingdom

Examples of incomplete films

Silent films

1890s

1893
  • King John (1899) [UK] [PF]
  • Soldiers of the Cross (September 13, 1900) [AU]
  • Adventures of Sherlock Holmes; or, Held for Ransom (October 7, 1905) [H]
  • Alice in Wonderland (October 17, 1903) [UK]
  • The Story of the Kelly Gang (December 14, 1906) [AU]
  • Raja Harishchandra (April 21, 1913) [B]
  • The Carpet from Bagdad (May 3, 1915) [H]
  • Snow White (December 25, 1916) [H]
  • Cleopatra (October 14, 1917) [H]
  • The Cook (September 15, 1918) [H]
  • The Miracle Man (August 29, 1919) [H]
  • Robbery Under Arms (October 2, 1920) [AU]
  • A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court (March 14, 1921) [H]
  • The Gold Diggers (September 22, 1923) [H]
  • Greed (December 4, 1924) [H] [PF]
  • A Page of Madness (July 10, 1926) [JP]
  • Mademoiselle from Armentieres (September 1926) [UK]
  • The Great Gatsby (November 21, 1926) [H]
  • The Divine Woman (January 14, 1928) [H]
  • The Patriot (August 17, 1928) [H]

Sound films

  1. Metropolis (January 10, 1927) [DE]
  2. Gold Diggers of Broadway (October 5, 1929) [H]
  3. A Star Is Born (September 29, 1954) [H]
  4. Tiger Child (March 15, 1970) [JP]
  5. CyberWorld (October 6, 2000) [H]
  6. Empress Chung (August 12, 2005) [KP/KR]
  7. JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Phantom Blood (February 17, 2007) [JP]

Key #1

  • [PF] = Films are now partially found
  • [PL] = Films are now partially lost

Key #2

  • [AU] = Films made in Australia
  • [AR] = Films made in Argentina
  • [B] = Bollywood (or any other Indian film)
  • [CA] = Films made in Canada
  • [CN] = Films made in China
  • [FR] = Films made in France
  • [DE] = Films made in Germany
  • [H] = Films made in Hollywood (or the United States)
  • [HK] = Films made in Hong Kong
  • [JP] = Films made in Japan
  • [JM] = Films made in Jamaica
  • [KOR] = Films made in Korea
  • [MX] = Films made in Mexico
  • [UK] = Films made in the United Kingdom

Examples of rediscovered films

Silent films

  1. Post No Bills (1896) [FR]
  2. The House of the Devil (December 24, 1896 - 1897) [FR]
  3. Something Good – Negro Kiss (1898) [H]
  4. Momijigari (Filmed in 1899, released in 1903) [JP]
  5. Sherlock Holmes Baffled (1900) [H]
  6. Katsudō Shashin (1907) [JP]
  7. Frankenstein (March 18, 1910) [H]
  8. When Lincoln Paid (January 31, 1913) [H]
  9. The Stain (July 17, 1914) [H]
  10. Salomy Jane (November 2, 1914) [H]
  11. Hypocrites (January 20, 1915) [H]
  12. Peculiar Patients' Pranks (December 22, 1915) [H]
  13. Luke's Double (April 12, 1916) [H]
  14. Sherlock Holmes (May 15, 1916) [H]
  15. Zepped (December 23, 1916) [H]
  16. The Dull Sword (June 30, 1917) [JP]
  17. Polly of the Circus (September 16, 1917) [H]
  18. Baby Mine (September 23, 1917) [H]
  19. Bliss (October 14, 1917) [H]
  20. Around the World in Eighty Days (March 1919) [DE]
  21. You're Fired (June 8, 1919) [H]
  22. The White Heather (June 29, 1919) [H]
  23. The Valley of the Giants (August 31, 1919) [H]
  24. Sealed Hearts (November 16, 1919) [H]
  25. Hard Luck (March 14, 1921) [H]
  26. The Conquest of Canaan (August 21, 1921) [H]
  27. Beyond the Rocks (May 7, 1922) [H]
  28. Love, Life and Laughter (June 1923) [UK]
  29. The Eternal Struggle (October 8, 1923) [H]
  30. The Call of the Canyon (December 16, 1923) [H]
  31. The Arab (July 21, 1924) [H]
  32. The Stormy Night (December 1925) [CN]
  33. Keep Smiling (September 6, 1925) [H]
  34. Mickey's Circus (1927) [H]
  35. Upstream (January 30, 1927) [H]
  36. The Cave of the Silken Web (February 2, 1927) [CN]
  37. Wings (August 12, 1927) [H]
  38. Mockery (August 13, 1927) [H]
  39. Poor Papa (June 11, 1928) [H]
  40. The Cameraman (September 22, 1928) [H]
  41. The Passion of Joan of Arc (October 25, 1928) [FR]
  42. Love and Duty (1931) [CN]

Sound films

  1. Confucius (December 1940) [CN]
  2. Momotaro: Sacred Sailors (April 12, 1945) [JP]
  3. Double Confession (May 1, 1950) [UK]
  4. Fearful Attack of the Flying Saucers (November 7, 1956) [JP]
  5. Big and Little Wong Tin Bar (December 5, 1962) [HK]
  6. If You Were Young: Rage (May 27, 1970) [JP]
  7. Wake in Fright (May 13, 1971) [AU]
  8. Him (March 27, 1974) [US]
  9. Symptoms (May 10, 1974) [UK]
  10. Super Mario Bros.: The Great Mission to Rescue Princess Peach! (July 20, 1986) [JP]
  11. Monarch (2000) [UK]

Key

  • [AU] = Films made in Australia
  • [AR] = Films made in Argentina
  • [B] = Bollywood (or any other Indian film)
  • [CA] = Films made in Canada
  • [CN] = Films made in China
  • [DE] = Films made in Germany
  • [FR] = Films made in France
  • [H] = Films made in Hollywood (or the United States)
  • [HK] = Films made in Hong Kong
  • [JP] = Films made in Japan
  • [JM] = Films made in Jamaica
  • [KOR] = Films made in Korea
  • [MX] = Films made in Mexico
  • [UK] = Films made in the United Kingdom

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