Overall a little uneven, but that's in part because in any collection such as this, one's interest is bound to be stronger in some areas and not others. What we see here is priceless, little bits of rare films now lost to time. Highlights for me were the fragments of Flaming Youth (1923), starring Colleen Moore, and Red Hair (1928), starring Clara Bow and featuring the only color footage of her. There were also fun trailers for The Great Gatsby (1926), Rough House Rosie (1927) with Clara Bow, and The American Venus (1926), with Esther Ralston, Fay Lanphier, and Louise Brooks. That last one is pretty sexist though, starting with a card reading "Girls! Are YOU the American Venus?" in an oval, and proceeding to the next to give us the detailed bodily measurements of the Venus de Milo (everything you might expect, and then on top of it, Neck 14", Calf 13½", and Ankle 8½"...talk about setting the expectation for a precise body image). The Rough House Rosie trailer says the movie is "the story of a girl who got her men by treating 'em rough"), followed by a clip of Bow walloping a guy for putting his hands on her. The fact that the clips are short makes us wish we could see more, but it also keeps the film moving, as we also wonder what's going to pop up next. Seeing the film damage begin to increase to the point of the footage being completely wiped out is also poignant.
Fragments: Surviving Pieces of Lost Films
(2011 TV Movie)
Priceless bits of rare films now lost to time
7 November 2018