London After Midnight is without a doubt the most sought after lost film in history.So badly do we want to see The Man in the Beaver Hat have motion that TCM made this reconstruction that gives a loose idea of what the plot was like. This reconstruction gives us more or less a taste of what this picture might have looked like on the screen but I think TCM failed to understand the allure of London After Midnight. Most Chaney fans accept the fact that London After Midnight received poor to lukewarm reviews but Chaney's make-up and characterization through the photos we have left have left us fascinated. The Chaney fan in me wants the much better film The Miracle Man to be found but the kid in me wants London After Midnight. This make-up is some of the best in film history, I argue that the vampire in London After Midnight is Chaney's finest make-up and the picture hasn't been seen by mainstream audiences in 80 years.
I can tell that the best people were involved with this reconstruction of the picture and that they meant well but inevitably people will be disappointed. London After Midnight without action is exactly what it has been all along, lifeless. The fact that all we have left are these still photographs doesn't quench our thirst in the least bit, it makes us even thirstier. I know Lon Chaney's characterization and performance must have been fascinating and when we see that outstanding make-up in a narrative fashion we want to see it move with life. Browning's sense of the macabre and the atmosphere of terror are all too ingrained in what we have left.
The finished product? It's actually watchable, I know a lot of people complain about reconstructions but I thought this one was okay. The narrative is pretty much intact even when they have trouble finding images for scenes. The crew even gives us some seldom seen photos which show the supporting cast give some interesting interpretations of their characters. My favorite thing about this production was the score which is outstanding, very dark and foreboding and much like what this film probably was scored with in the 1920's.
As for the plot, I'll put my money that many people would be disappointed if London After Midnight was found because they didn't grasp the plot. Tod Borwning's 1935 remake Mark of the Vampire is in essence a faithful remake and it has been panned for it's "fake vampires". Chaney plays a Scottland Yard detective named Burke who uses hypnosis and fear to try to find the murderer of Roger Balfour. Burke is in fact the Vampire who haunts the Balfour mansion, he plans to scare the killer into a confession. Not many people like the plot after reading it and seeing this reconstruction, I do. Chaney is playing something he seldom got to play, a smart man and a hero at that. Is the plot a little far fetched? Undoubtedly so but this is Tod Browning we are talking about here with Lon Chaney in the lead role. With the atmosphere and a great performance by Chaney I have no doubt that this film could have been good even great.
The loss of London After Midnight is all the more tragic because it is the crucial representation of how badly the studios took care of their films in the early days of motion pictures. Lon Chaney was without a doubt one of the best actors who ever lived and yet less than 50% of his filmography is left to judge him with. If you want London After Midnight to be found donate to film preservation programs. I hope and pray that London After Midnight is found in some dusty old attic one day but until then this is what we have and I applaud TCM for trying to satisfy the fans who mourn the loss of burnt nitrate from MGM;s vault 7.
I can tell that the best people were involved with this reconstruction of the picture and that they meant well but inevitably people will be disappointed. London After Midnight without action is exactly what it has been all along, lifeless. The fact that all we have left are these still photographs doesn't quench our thirst in the least bit, it makes us even thirstier. I know Lon Chaney's characterization and performance must have been fascinating and when we see that outstanding make-up in a narrative fashion we want to see it move with life. Browning's sense of the macabre and the atmosphere of terror are all too ingrained in what we have left.
The finished product? It's actually watchable, I know a lot of people complain about reconstructions but I thought this one was okay. The narrative is pretty much intact even when they have trouble finding images for scenes. The crew even gives us some seldom seen photos which show the supporting cast give some interesting interpretations of their characters. My favorite thing about this production was the score which is outstanding, very dark and foreboding and much like what this film probably was scored with in the 1920's.
As for the plot, I'll put my money that many people would be disappointed if London After Midnight was found because they didn't grasp the plot. Tod Borwning's 1935 remake Mark of the Vampire is in essence a faithful remake and it has been panned for it's "fake vampires". Chaney plays a Scottland Yard detective named Burke who uses hypnosis and fear to try to find the murderer of Roger Balfour. Burke is in fact the Vampire who haunts the Balfour mansion, he plans to scare the killer into a confession. Not many people like the plot after reading it and seeing this reconstruction, I do. Chaney is playing something he seldom got to play, a smart man and a hero at that. Is the plot a little far fetched? Undoubtedly so but this is Tod Browning we are talking about here with Lon Chaney in the lead role. With the atmosphere and a great performance by Chaney I have no doubt that this film could have been good even great.
The loss of London After Midnight is all the more tragic because it is the crucial representation of how badly the studios took care of their films in the early days of motion pictures. Lon Chaney was without a doubt one of the best actors who ever lived and yet less than 50% of his filmography is left to judge him with. If you want London After Midnight to be found donate to film preservation programs. I hope and pray that London After Midnight is found in some dusty old attic one day but until then this is what we have and I applaud TCM for trying to satisfy the fans who mourn the loss of burnt nitrate from MGM;s vault 7.