SilentComedyMafia.com

Thanks to some new technology (PowerScan2000) at the Library of Congress' Motion Picture Reading Room, it is possible to scan their microfilm copyright and trade paper pages as pdf's onto your thumb drive. Researchers need no longer haul rolls of quarters past security and explain to the guard that the MPRR is the last research room that doesn't take copy cards so please put away your gun. So I went a little crazy on Friday afternoon scanning almost 200 pages in four hours. From time to time I'll post the more interesting stuff, but here is the Release Chart from Motion Picture News in May 1929. You'll notice that almost EVERYTHING is listed, even those pesky non-copyrighted and State's Rights shorts. The very first film listed is a 3-reel cutdown of Aelita, Queen of Mars retitled Revolt of the Robots. Releases go back to the middle of 1928 and look forward to late 1929, so it's a great snapshot of what was available to exhibitors in May of 1929. You'll note that exact running times are listed as well as the date it was reviewed by Motion Picture News. Enjoy!

http://slapsticon.org/RC1MAY1929.pdf
http://slapsticon.org/RC2.pdf
http://slapsticon.org/RC3.pdf
http://slapsticon.org/RC4.pdf
http://slapsticon.org/RC5.pdf
http://slapsticon.org/RC6.pdf
http://slapsticon.org/RC7.pdf
http://slapsticon.org/RC8.pdf

PS. Perusing through these, I noticed an El Brendel short for Vitaphone (page RC8) that isn't listed on imdb: Beau Night (no release date). That one's for you Louie.

Thanks, Rob. We all know that IMDB isn't the most reliable source (they don't list this film of El's either: http://www.elbrendel.com/2009/05/rare-f ... -1933.html) I knew that "Beau Night" was made as it was listed in the Roy Liebman "Vitaphone Films" book. I do have a couple of ads for the film, here's one (this is from the New Castle News 12-16-29):



I spoke to Ron Hutchinson from the Vitaphone Project about this one as I don't think any film or sound elements exist and he said he'd look into it for me. Fingers crossed.

Now where is the info on the short El made for MGM?????

That's good news, Rob. It sounds like the pdf download is also faster than copying. How much is the cost per page for the scanning? And whaddya mean "geek?"

Frank

The microfilm/pdf scanner is a loaner from the PowerScan 2000 company to get a reaction from staff and patrons. So for now it is free. But even if it become a permanent fixture you would think that the user fees would be minimal since it uses no ink or paper. You would think. When I say Geek, think Scholar.

Rob

Hi Rob, really appreciate you posting these pages, but why are the Weiss Brothers shorts so elusive?
I know we wouldn't find them in the copyright catalogs, but why neither in this thorough/comprehensive index?

SteveR

Who knows, even tho there is a section called State's Rights, it seems like the Weisses just wanted to bypass the trade press. BTW, I noticed that two pages should be reversed: RC6 and RC7. Noticed too a forthcoming Laurel & Hardy short called "Vodeville", which became Berth Marks. And in the upcoming UA releases, City Lights, which wouldn't appear for another 18 months, is listed as having dialogue and songs. Gloria Swanson was trying to save Queen Kelly by reworking it as a part-talkie, with a release date scheduled. And Norma Talmadge was planning an all-talkie called Tin Pan Alley with Gilbert Roland. I guess this was abandoned in favor of her Madame DuBarry flick.

If I'm not mistaken, the trade press published very little in the way of information on titles and release dates that the producers or distributors did not send them in the first place. By the late twenties, press coverage of the comedies distributed via the states rights system had gotten very spotty, presumably because no one was taking the time to see that the information was getting published. As a result, there is not very much information on comedies produced / distributed by the Weiss Brothers, William Pizor, Rayart / Raytone, Tansey's, C.C. Burr, U.M. Dailey, Elbee, J. Charles Davis, Christina Productions, and the like, in the late silent / early talking period.

Frank