Study finds most US silent films have been lost | Inquirer Entertainment

Study finds most US silent films have been lost

/ 09:28 PM December 04, 2013

This undated handout image provided by the Library of Congress shows a scene from Cecil B. DeMille’s silent film “Male and Female”. AP

WASHINGTON—A new study says the vast majority of American feature-length silent films have been lost due to decay and neglect over the past 100 years, allowing an original 20th century art form to all but disappear.

The Library of Congress is releasing the first comprehensive survey of silent films Wednesday. It found 70 percent of the films are believed to be lost. Of the nearly 11,000 silent feature films made in America between 1912 and 1930, the survey found only 14 percent still exist in their original format.

Article continues after this advertisement

Notable films now considered lost include “Cleopatra” from 1917, “The Great Gatsby” from 1926, Lon Chaney’s “London After Midnight” from 1927 and “The Patriot” from 1928.

FEATURED STORIES

Preservationists are looking to foreign archives and private collections to identify any other remaining films.

Related story

Article continues after this advertisement

Archivists reclaim 2 silent PH films ‘pirated’ by US

Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Your subscription has been successful.

Subscribe to our daily newsletter

By providing an email address. I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy.

TAGS: Entertainment, lost, silent film

Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Your subscription has been successful.

Subscribe to our newsletter!

By providing an email address. I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy.

© Copyright 1997-2024 INQUIRER.net | All Rights Reserved

This is an information message

We use cookies to enhance your experience. By continuing, you agree to our use of cookies. Learn more here.