Customer Reviews

Lost Films: Important Movies That Disappeared

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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.

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.

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.

Very good book, one of the most important of the decade. Segments on DAUGHTER OF THE GODS (1916) and THE CASE OF LENA SMITH (1929) especially interesting. Did miss some key films - namely ANNE OF GREEN GABLES (1919) with Mary Miles Minter and HUMAN WRECKAGE (1923), Mrs. Wallace Reid's first production effort.