Lost Films: Important Movies That Disappeared [Paperback]

Frank T. Thompson (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Thompson examines 27 silent American motion pictures that probably will never be seen again because little thought was given to their preservation and the nitrocellulose on which their images appeared has decayed. These include Cleopatra (1917) with Theda Bara, The Miracle Man (1919) with Lon Chaney, The Knickerbocker Buckaroo (1919) with Douglas Fairbanks, and The Divine Woman (1923) with Greta Garbo. Synopses are constructed from pressbooks, studio releases, and magazine articles. In one section, "The Production," Thompson provides background and reviews and suggests the film's place in cinema history. Plots for The Immortal Alamo (1911) and The Battle of Gettysburg (1913) reveal that in the past, as more recently, moviemakers took liberties with historical subjects. And a 1912 film set a record unmatched by today's TV docudramas: starring survivor and actress Dorothy Gibson, Saved from the Titanic was released a month and two days after the actual sinking. Highlighted by enlivening photographs, this is a unique book, well worth the price.
Kim Holston, American Inst. for Chartered Property Casualty Underwriters, Malvern, Pa.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Paperback: 298 pages
• Publisher: Citadel Pr (March 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0806516046
• ISBN-13: 978-0806516042
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6.8 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,866,677 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Marvelous Book On a Bygone Era, June 11, 2000

By 

Susan Nunes (Medford, OR United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Lost Films: Important Movies That Disappeared (Paperback)

There are many books about important films, but this book is unusual in that it discusses films that are now lost because of decay or intentional destruction by the studios. The focus in this book is on the silent era, where as many as 80 percent of the films made are now lost. Some of the important films discussed are THE PATRIOT, DAUGHTER OF THE GODS, CLEOPATRA (1916), DAMAGED GOODS, and THE MIRACLE MAN. Thompson focuses on key actors and filmmakers of the era, especially those whose work is mostly unavailable today including Theda Bara, Raymond Griffith, Thomas Meighan, George Loane Tucker, and J. Gordon Edwards.

I refer to this book again and again, as I am very interested in early Hollywood. As noted in the other reviews, this book is not complete, and a number of important films are not listed. However, this book is well-written and provides readers with a cautionary tale of how important it is that films be preserved.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book was really fantastic!, August 23, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Lost Films: Important Movies That Disappeared (Paperback)

The best thing about this book, I find, is not just the telling of the plots of these lost films. It's the message that comes across to the reader to help preserve our film heritage. There is a sadness in seeing these important films lost, and yet there is also a ray of hope that someday they might become found.

6 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Not bad for an intro on this subject, July 26, 2001

By 

Andre M. "brnn64" (Mt. Pleasant, SC United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Lost Films: Important Movies That Disappeared (Paperback)

Frank Thompson does a good job of informing the reader about films that have disappeared and forgotten by history.The synopisis and stills from the lost films give the reader a good idea of these forgotten stories, but Thompson has an annoying habit of going on and on at the end of each synopsis about how sad it is that this film is lost, etc. You feel like saying "OKAY-WE GET THE POINT! LET'S MOVE ON!" Fortunately, since this book was published, one reel has been found of Annteete kellerman's "The Daughter of the Gods." Half of "The Flaming Frontier" has been found in France, and a couple of feet of Theda Bara's "Cleopatra" has been donated to the George Eastman archive. So all is NOT lost.