criterionforum.org

Posted: **Tue Nov 20, 2007 9:26 pm**

Thanks for your email! We do plan to get to those Sternberg silents and "The Wedding March" at some point.

Sincerely,
Tamara

Posted: **Tue Nov 20, 2007 9:29 pm**

Oh Joy

Posted: **Tue Nov 20, 2007 9:35 pm**

Hope it's a marked improvement on the Paramount VHS, which was luminous in some sections and outright atrocious in others. Hopefully, it may be fully restored.

Posted: **Tue Nov 20, 2007 9:39 pm**

Made my day! That's the news I've been waiting to hear, on both counts.

Let us hope that WM is released with the original score - the most sublime for any silent film, IMO - rather than the piano score that came with the VHS version. The original music is so much a part of the film that I've never been able to bring myself to watch it any other way.

Kevin Brownlow did a restoration on WM in the recent past, tho' I haven't seen it and know no details.

Posted: **Tue Nov 20, 2007 9:43 pm**

Brownlow

Posted: **Tue Nov 20, 2007 10:03 pm**

Did the word "silents" just come from a Criterion representative? Is the end of the world nigh?

Posted: **Tue Nov 20, 2007 10:25 pm**

I wonder if she is single?

Posted: **Tue Nov 20, 2007 11:02 pm**

Not to sound overly stupid...but we're talking about the Von Stroheim Wedding March, right?

Tribe

Posted: **Tue Nov 20, 2007 11:09 pm**

alandau wrote:Brownlow

While I love Carl Davis' work, I'm shocked to see it used as a new WM score. Sacrilege!

Posted: **Wed Nov 21, 2007 12:00 am**

definitely the 1928 Von Stroheim "The Wedding March".

Posted: **Wed Nov 21, 2007 1:21 am**

Umm, has no one asked which Sternberg titles will be released? I mean, any would be more than welcome, but tell me what we're working with. And has anyone asked if this is going to be an Eclipse set?

Posted: **Wed Nov 21, 2007 2:16 am**

I would have to guess The Last Command, Docks of New York and Underworld, right? Are there any other von Sternberg silents that are even extant?

Posted: **Wed Nov 21, 2007 2:36 am**

Well, Criterion could stretch it, and include Thunderbolt to make it a "von Sternberg Before Dietrich" or "Early von Sternberg" box set. In fact, they *should* stretch it. No excuses.

Posted: **Wed Nov 21, 2007 3:01 am**

Sternberg Silents:

Likely:
Underworld
The Last Command
The Docks of New York
Thunderbolt (1929) (Nominated for Oscar, featuring Fay Wray, Paramount property)

Little known:
The Salvation Hunters (1925)

Uncredited:
Street of Sin (1928) (uncredited)
Children of Divorce (1927) (uncredited)
It (1927) (uncredited)
Exquisite Sinner (1926) (fired; replaced by Phil Rosen)
The Masked Bride (1925) (uncredited)

Lost films:
A Woman of the Sea (1926)
The Dragnet (1928)
The Case of Lena Smith (1929)

Have I missed anything?

Posted: **Wed Nov 21, 2007 3:21 am**

What A Disgrace wrote:Well, Criterion could stretch it, and include Thunderbolt to make it a "von Sternberg Before Dietrich" or "Early von Sternberg" box set. In fact, they *should* stretch it. No excuses.

That would be a nice addition, and very welcome, but it would have to be separately licensed since it's owned by Universal. Not that that would be impossible, but it's anybody's guess whether Criterion would consider it worth the extra expense. (Or, C could do a separate box with THUNDERBOLT and AN AMERICAN TRAGEDY, both owned by U)

A three or four minute fragment from CASE OF LENA SMITH was found in China or Japan (I forget which) a few years ago. I believe it was shown at Pordenone; it would be a terrific extra. The other Paramount silents are lost, although vS is supposed to have directed parts of CHILDREN OF DIVORCE (UCLA has a print) and IT (easily available).

THE SALVATION HUNTERS survives; I've seen only an ancient and rather poor 8mm print, but the film itself really bears no relation to later vS films. An interesting curio, but little more IMO. WOMAN OF THE SEA was never released; Chaplin destroyed the only print in the early 30s. Finally, WB has a print of EXQUISITE SINNER; I don't know anyone who's seen it, but it was reshot (at least in part) by the hack director Phil Rosen.

Posted: **Wed Nov 21, 2007 3:39 am**

what I would do for An American Tragedy

Posted: **Wed Nov 21, 2007 4:01 am**

I want Morocco.

Posted: **Wed Nov 21, 2007 4:37 am**

(Morocco has been released by Universal in a bare-bones (albeit nice transfer) Dietrich set)).

Here's hoping Criterion gives the Sternberg and Von Stroheim silents the loving care they deserve.
Hint, hint... no bare-bones Eclipse release.

Posted: **Wed Nov 21, 2007 4:51 am**

alandau wrote: Here's hoping Criterion gives the Sternberg and Von Stroheim silents the loving care they deserve.
Hint, hint... no bare-bones Eclipse release.

I'm almost positive that The Wedding March would receive a Criterion release...an Eclipse release would be likely if there were several Von Stroheims, so I doubt there's gonna be an Eclipse release of a single film. The Von Sternbergs, on the other hand, might be candidates for an Eclipse release depending on the state of the transfers.

In regard to those likely candidates that Cinephrenic points out above, is anyone aware of the state of the images? Has there been any news of any entity working on these?

In regard to The Wedding March....that link that was posted earlier...is that the last word on the state of that film?

Tribe

Posted: **Wed Nov 21, 2007 5:07 am**

Underworld
The Last Command
The Docks of New York
Thunderbolt (1929) (Nominated for Oscar, featuring Fay Wray, Paramount property)

Little known:
The Salvation Hunters (1925)

An Eclipse set of these would amount to the greatest Criterion release ever. My hopes are up. Am I destined to be badly disappointed?

Posted: **Wed Nov 21, 2007 5:13 am**

davidhare wrote:Far from being only of academic interest it is in fact a remarkable example of a director arriving virtually fully formed with his first picture. All the Sternbergian trademarks are there, down to smallest details like Georgia Hale using the burnt matches for lipstick, and while made for next to peanuts it looks like a million bucks!

Interesting...goes to show you what a good print will do! I haven't seen it in 20+ years, but I was *very* unimpressed seeing that poor print, to the point that it didn't even seem to belong to JvS at all.

Posted: **Wed Nov 21, 2007 7:22 am**

The Case of Lena Smith (1929)

A tiny fragment of this was discovered by Hiroshi Komatsu in China a few years ago, and was premiered at Pordenone in 2004.

Posted: **Wed Nov 21, 2007 8:53 am**

Tribe wrote:In regard to The Wedding March....that link that was posted earlier...is that the last word on the state of that film?

Tribe

Not sure but I guess this is the same Photoplay restoration that was made for showing by Channel 4 in 1999 (when they used to regularly show at least one silent film a year - damn you new style Channel 4! *shakes fist*). I remember them preceding the television showing with a short five minute introduction showing the film being screened and an interview with Fay Wray who had some interesting things to say about getting the part and its importance to her career.

Posted: **Wed Nov 21, 2007 4:44 pm**

**flump... crash***

Posted: **Wed Nov 21, 2007 5:24 pm**

Dear HerrSchreck,

Re: Sternberg silents

ha!