Sennett - Technicolor - Carole Lombard

[Hilde D'haeyere]

dear mafiosi, I am very happy & lucky to be able to ask for your help & advice in preparation of an exciting project. Together with film archivist James Layton of East Anglian Archives (UK) we consider a plan to reconstruct and restore as many of the Sennett shorts with Technicolor sequences as we can, in preparation of Technicolor's 2015 centennial. The idea grew when I stumbled upon a nearly complete 35mm nitrate dupe B&W negative of The Girl From Everywhere in the Belgian Cinemateque. (Yes I know: black-and-white negative, but still: nearly complete). At this point, James and I are trying to compose a list of surviving film elements in archives and collections. So here is my question: could you please send me a message if you have or know of original 35mm material or good 16mm copies relating to any of the 8 titles below:
- The Girl From Everywhere (Eddie Cline , Dec. 1927)
- Love At First Flight (Eddie Cline, Jan. 1928)*
- Run, Girl, Run (Alf Goulding, Jan. 1928)
- The Swim Princess (Alf Goulding, Febr. 1928)
- The Girl From Nowhere (Harry Edwards, May 1928)
- The Campus Carmen (Alf Goulding, Sept. 1928)
- The Campus Vamp (Harry Edwards, Nov. 1928)*
- Matchmaking Mamas (Harry Edwards, March 1929)*
The titles with an * were released also in Kodascope 16mm versions with the color elements, so any part of those would be excellent too. We already have been locating (parts of) prints in George Eastman House, Library of Congress, UCLA, the Academy Film Archive and Lobster films, so we are now mainly looking for non-public collectors and collections. Also scans of publicity material and production stills of these titles will be much appreciated. At this point no concrete time schedules or cooperation networks are established yet. We are in the very first phase of the plan and are going to look for funds once the scope of the project is clear. We are looking at a maximum of 6, more probably 4 two-reelers (the ones in bold). So please: if you know of or have film material and good advice, let me know! If you'd prefer to mail me privately: <hilde.dhaeyere@scarlet.be>. Thanks so much, I'll keep everybody posted on the progress. Hilde.

[Richard M Roberts]

I have 16mm prints of GIRLS FROM EVERYWHERE, THE CAMPUS CARMEN, AND MATCHMAKING MAMAS. RUN GIRL RUN was available from Blackhawk, so there are a number of prints of it floating around.


RICHARD M ROBERTS

[Hilde D'haeyere]

hi Richard, hourah & thanks for the info. Do your prints contain color sequences? These generally focus on Sennett bathing girls in painterly settings and may be copied to b&w for 16mm release. For instance, does GIRLS FROM EVERYWHERE have the shots in the canvas frame like in the promotional photograph I posted? Hilde

[ralph celentano]

I have a mid 80s Laserdisc of Nothing Sacred that has both The Campus Vamp and Matchmaking Mamas with color sequences
+ color home movies of Gable & Lombard hunting.