Buzz
The creation of a movie or TV show demands immense effort, from writing the screenplay or teleplay, pitching the concept to production companies, to casting and handling all the technical aspects such as cinematography, lighting, and editing. These elements must align perfectly to create a work of art that will hopefully be cherished for years. While many productions indeed leave an enduring impact, such as The Wizard of Oz and It’s a Wonderful Life, entertaining audiences across generations, some films simply vanish. They may be lost to time, mishaps, or scandals, and television series, whether in full or as single episodes, can suffer the same fate. Some actors’ careers have also faded into obscurity, thanks to time’s passing or shifting cultural norms. Here are a few examples of works that have slipped into obscurity, along with some that defied the odds and resurfaced!
10. Remembering Valeska Suratt
A prime example of an entire career that vanished is that of Valeska Suratt (1882-1962), a performer who rose from a provocative vaudeville background to make a name for herself on Broadway. Renowned for her elegance and style, Suratt starred in eleven silent films produced by Fox studios between 1915 and 1917, often portraying vampish characters reminiscent of the iconic Theda Bara.
Valeska Suratt, an actress worthy of greater recognition, remains largely forgotten by the public, save for film historians. Two key events contributed to her fading from memory. First, in 1928, she accused Cecil B. DeMille of stealing a movie script from her, leading to her unofficial blacklisting in Hollywood, where she would never work again. Then, in 1937, a fire in Little Ferry, New Jersey destroyed all eleven of her films, erasing the cinematic legacy of her vibrant and fashionable career. As a result, she was soon lost to history.
In 1962, Valeska Suratt passed away at the age of 80 in a nursing home, having largely disappeared from public view. However, in the days following World War I, she was a notable figure with all eyes focused on her...
9. The Fall of Charlie Chan
The 1937 fire at the New Jersey storage facility also claimed a piece of the extensive Charlie Chan legacy, which began in 1925 with Earl Derr Biggers' novel The House without a Key. This legacy grew to include five more books, a comic strip, a 1950s TV show, and a 1970s animated series. Four early films from Fox studios were lost forever in that fire: Charlie Chan Carries On (1931), Charlie Chan’s Chance (1932), Charlie Chan’s Greatest Case (1933), and Charlie Chan’s Courage (1934). All of these films featured Warner Oland as the detective, and their loss creates a gap in the series of forty-four films starring the wise and honorable detective.
However, Charlie Chan is no longer as warmly embraced in American culture as he once was, at least among those who still remember him. The last theatrical release featuring Chan was in 1981 (Charlie Chan and the Curse of the Dragon Queen), which sparked protests from Chinese-American activists at filming locations and theaters due to his portrayal as a stereotypical 'Uncle Tom'. The character has often been played by white actors in yellowface, with their eyes taped to appear Asian, and his famous chop suey accent and wise sayings are now seen as politically incorrect. This cultural shift may have played a bigger role in Chan’s decline than the fire at the Fox storage facility.
As the detective himself once put it: All forgotten, like last year’s bird’s nest…
8. The Mystery of 4 Devils Lost at Sea
Another lost classic is the 1928 film *4 Devils*, a melodramatic circus story directed by the legendary F.W. Murnau for Fox Studios. Initially released as a silent film, it was later reissued with a partial soundtrack, making it a pioneering film for its time. But the film met its end in a most bizarre way when one of its actresses, the stunning Mary Duncan, a Broadway star, took the film to a party in Florida and tossed it into the ocean. But why would she do such a thing?
Mary Duncan led a remarkable life before passing away at the age of 98 in 1993. She enjoyed a successful Broadway career, had a brief but captivating stint in Hollywood, and married international polo champion and businessman Stephen Sanford in 1933. After her marriage, she retired from acting to become a prominent philanthropist and was a celebrated figure in Palm Beach society, mingling with the likes of Rose Kennedy and the Duke and Duchess of Windsor. As for the fateful party in Florida, the true details remain murky. The story, passed down through word of mouth, has multiple versions—some say she threw the film into the Pacific, others into the Atlantic, or even a swimming pool, and a few claim she destroyed it by fire. What is known is that Duncan later explained she was worried about the film's combustible nitrate and, fearing it might explode, decided to throw it into the ocean, unaware that she had the only copy. This event occurred in the 1940s, likely after World War II, meaning the film survived the 1937 fire at the Fox storage facility, only to meet its end a decade later in the ocean. Historians remain hopeful that the other version of the film—either the silent or the talkie—might still be found somewhere.
While that search continues, one detail still remains to be pondered: what exactly were they drinking at that party, and just how much?
7. Disney Abandons a Dark Legacy
While Disney films are generally regarded as wholesome and entertaining, The Walt Disney Company has a history of including racial stereotypes that many now find objectionable. One of the most problematic films in this regard is *Song of the South* (1946), which presents African Americans as indifferent to the inequality of their society and perpetuates racial stereotypes, including the term ‘tar baby’ in one of its animated scenes. From a modern perspective, the characters' cheerful acceptance of the Old South’s social structure is disconcerting, and it’s unsettling to watch the elderly Uncle Remus happily wander while singing *Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah!* This film hasn’t been shown in theaters since 1986 and is not available on Disney Plus.
Another major issue for Disney is a blatantly racist scene from *Fantasia* (1940), in which black centaurettes with donkey legs serve lighter-skinned centaurettes with horse legs, even polishing their hooves. The scene was removed when the film was re-released in 1969. *Dumbo* (1941) also generates controversy when the young elephant encounters a group of mocking black crows, each embodying stereotypical behavior, with one named Jim Crow, after the segregation laws of the South. One of the most offensive moments in *Dumbo* is the *Song of the Roustabouts*, which portrays faceless black circus workers in a degrading light, using lyrics like “Grab that rope, you hairy ape.” As a result, *Dumbo* has been removed from Disney Plus for subscribers under 7.
Other films unavailable for younger viewers on Disney Plus include *Peter Pan* (1953), which has a derogatory portrayal of 'redskins', and *The Aristocats* (1970), which contains a negative depiction of Asians through a Siamese cat with buck teeth and a stereotypical accent.
6. Jack Paar: A Vanishing Presence
It’s not just films that have disappeared; the television world also has its share of forgotten shows...
Jack Paar became the permanent host of *The Tonight Show* in July 1957 and continued until 1962, a period during which the show’s popularity soared and it was officially renamed *The Jack Paar Show*. Paar’s unique and often emotionally charged approach to interviewing guests made him a memorable figure in television history. His candid style helped catapult personalities like Zsa Zsa Gabor, Liza Minnelli, and Carol Burnett to fame.
However, it was an episode that aired on February 11, 1960, that truly showcased Paar’s emotional side. During the show, he discovered that a joke he had made the night before had been censored by the network for using the term ‘W.C.’, which was considered inappropriate at the time. After learning about the censorship, Paar left the set, telling the audience, “I am leaving The Tonight Show. There must be a better way of making a living than this.” Hugh Downs temporarily filled in, but on March 7, 1960, Paar returned to the stage and said, “As I was saying before I was interrupted…” After the laughter subsided, he added, “I believe my last words were that there must be a better way of making a living than this. Well, I’ve looked…and there isn’t.”
Paar left *The Tonight Show* for good in March 1962, and Johnny Carson took over as host. Unfortunately, due to the high expense of broadcast videotape at the time, most of the footage from 1957 to 1971 was lost when the tapes were reused in a process known as ‘wiping,’ which permanently erases the original content. Only a handful of *Tonight Show* episodes from before 1972 have survived, with many of them only partially preserved through kinescopes, audiotracks, or home movies filmed from the TV screen.
In 1960, Jack Paar may have taken a brief hiatus from *The Tonight Show* to make a statement, but NBC took it one step further by erasing much of his time on the show from history. The network ‘wiped’ away the footage, effectively removing the visual evidence of his absence, and much of his tenure as host. Oh, the irony...
5. The Collapse of a Legacy
It’s unfortunate when movies or TV shows are lost to time, but what about an entire network? The DuMont Television Network broadcast around two hundred TV series between 1946 and 1956, which means that only those who are well beyond retirement age might recall watching these shows. All of DuMont’s programs were aired live and weren’t recorded for future airing due to limited financial resources. While some kinescopes (recordings made from live broadcasts) were occasionally created, most of these recordings have not survived the passage of time.
Unlike broadcast giants NBC and CBS, which evolved from radio networks, DuMont’s parent company, DuMont Laboratories, was originally a television equipment manufacturer. It was a brilliant strategy to begin creating television programming that would require people to own televisions in order to view it! This strategy worked well for a decade, and DuMont was responsible for pioneering many groundbreaking shows and formats. However, they never gained the financial security of their competitors to produce programming of the same caliber. With the arrival of ABC in 1948 and a merger between ABC and United Paramount Theaters in 1953, DuMont was quickly outpaced in both ratings and production quality. By 1956, their last broadcast, *Boxing from St. Nicholas Arena*, marked the end of DuMont’s run.
In its prime, the DuMont Television Network was at the forefront of innovation in television programming. One of its early milestones was the debut of *Faraway Hill* in 1946, the first American soap opera, starring Flora Campbell. Unfortunately, all episodes have been lost to history, and there are no stills, scripts, or press materials to provide any details about the show, except for the fact that Campbell is credited with twelve episodes. DuMont also gave rise to *The Hazel Scott Show* in 1950, the first TV show hosted by an African-American, pianist Hazel Scott. Sadly, after being accused of communist ties, the show lost its sponsorship and was canceled just three months after its debut, with no recorded evidence remaining. Another significant contribution was *Cash and Carry* (1946-1947), which holds the dual distinction of being the first game show and the first reality show, despite the absence of any surviving footage.
Though much of DuMont's history has faded into obscurity, some traces of its legacy remain, like the variety show *Cavalcade of Stars* (1949-1952), which featured Jackie Gleason performing comedic sketches. One notable sketch from October 1951 was titled “The Honeymooners,” where iconic characters were introduced who would later live on beyond DuMont’s demise. These characters, the Kramdens and the Nortons, became the stars of the CBS hit *The Honeymooners* and, in an extended sense, were the precursors to *The Flintstones* characters, the Kramdens and the Rubbles.
4. The Vanished 1960 World Series—Now Available on DVD
MLB.com has described the final game of the 1960 World Series as ‘maybe the greatest Game Seven in World Series Championship history.’ The legendary Mickey Mantle of the New York Yankees also referred to the loss in that series as the greatest disappointment of his baseball career. However, it was a moment of glory for Bill Mazeroski of the Pittsburgh Pirates, who hit a walk-off home run in the ninth inning, securing the victory and ending the series in dramatic fashion. While the Yankees had dominated the series, this game was a devastating blow to them and their fans. For Pirates fans, though, it was a game worth rewatching, if only they had the chance back in 1960…
Until the 1970s, television stations typically reused or discarded the footage they captured from games, which was a cost-effective approach. However, it wasn’t the wisest decision for NBC to neglect preserving the 1960 World Series, especially considering Game 7 has since become one of the most memorable games in Major League Baseball history. For nearly fifty years, the only traces of the game were old photographs, newspaper articles, and radio broadcasts. Then, in 2009, a surprising discovery took place when Robert Bader, VP of Bing Crosby Entertainment, found two canisters labeled ‘1960 World Series’ in the wine cellar of the late Crosby’s estate near San Francisco!
Bing Crosby, a huge fan and part-owner of the Pittsburgh Pirates until his passing in 1977, chose to stay away from watching the 1960 World Series games due to his overwhelming nervousness. Instead, Crosby and his wife listened to the games on the radio while they were in Paris. However, Crosby had arranged for a kinescope of Game 7 to be made so he could view it if his team triumphed upon his return. Thankfully, the reels were carefully stored in a cool, dry wine cellar, keeping them in excellent condition for decades. After being restored and reformatted for DVD, with added nostalgic content, the lost 1960 World Series Game 7 is now available for purchase on Amazon.
3. Digital Dilemmas
Old film footage has often been destroyed due to fire, environmental factors, or the process of ‘wiping’ or recycling. However, with the digital age, Hollywood has shifted to using digital content. Digital files are not only more durable and cost-effective but also offer a significantly more advanced editing process for both video and audio. Despite these advantages, the digital industry is not immune to problems. For example, during the creation of *Toy Story 2* (1999), a catastrophic error almost resulted in the entire film being deleted. In 1998, one animator at Pixar Animation Studios accidentally entered the wrong command, and before anyone could stop it, files began vanishing from the main server. When the server was shut down and the damage assessed, it was discovered that 90% of the movie had been deleted!
Backup is crucial. During the production of Pixar’s *A Bug’s Life* (1998), the majority of the ants were accidentally erased. It was an inconvenience but not a disaster, as their files had been properly backed up. However, during the making of *Toy Story 2*, the same mistake almost caused irreparable damage. The backup drive had a capacity of only 4GB, while the movie’s files took up 10GB, and the new data overwrote older files. The studio’s quick thinking and tireless efforts ensured that *Toy Story 2* met its release deadline in November 1999.
This kind of disaster can happen even in everyday situations. A California videographer filed a lawsuit against Adobe after losing $250,000 worth of data, which included files that were deleted both from his Premiere Pro Media Cache and an external backup drive. Adobe acknowledged the bug that wiped out 100,000 video clips and 500 hours of footage and claimed it was fixed in 2017. The lawsuit is a class action, as many other Premiere Pro users experienced similar data losses in 2017. It seems digital content, vulnerable to bugs and the destructive power of the DEL key, can disappear just as quickly as old-fashioned film!
2. Black Lives Matter Packs A Punch!
The Black Lives Matter movement began in 2013, following the acquittal of the man who killed Trayvon Martin. But its momentum surged in 2020, with mass protests and widespread visibility after several police-involved deaths, most notably that of George Floyd. The scale and impact of this movement have been unprecedented in U.S. history, with participation and awareness reaching levels never seen before—catching the attention of people everywhere, including Hollywood.
One of the most contentious forms of racial mockery on television has been blackface, where white people use dark makeup or paint to impersonate Black people, typically for comedic effect. Originating from post-Civil War minstrel shows, blackface perpetuated negative stereotypes, portraying African Americans as ignorant, cowardly, and lazy. In the wake of the 2020 BLM protests, much of this imagery is being removed from television. But do these removed episodes hold the same level of ridicule as the old minstrel shows?
In 2020, Tina Fey, the creator and co-star of NBC’s 30 Rock, made the decision to remove four episodes from syndication due to problematic blackface humor. One of these episodes was particularly controversial, featuring a scene where a set of hands from a Black man were transplanted onto a white character. Additionally, other shows were affected by similar actions that year. Hulu pulled episodes of The Golden Girls and Scrubs due to racially insensitive content, and Adult Swim began to remove episodes from Aqua Teen Hunger Force, The Shivering Truth, and The Boondocks, all of which contained racially-offensive humor.
Reality police shows also faced significant scrutiny during this period, with the most notable being COPS. Paramount Network took the show down in June of 2020 after 32 seasons, following George Floyd's death. A New York Times review from 1989 had described the show as depicting overwhelmingly white police officers as the heroes, while the 'bad guys' were predominantly Black. Despite the cancellation in the US, filming for the show resumed in Spokane County, Washington, in September, though it was only for foreign markets. Other similar shows, such as A&E’s Live PD and Investigation Discovery’s Body Cam, also ceased filming.
1. A Scandal!
In the past, scandals could often propel a celebrity's career, like a high-profile affair or a stint in rehab. However, take the scandal to another level, and the result might be a Hollywood blacklist or public disgrace! Today, the consequences of such scandals unfold with programs being pulled and content removed from streaming platforms. Bill Cosby provides a clear example of modern-day public exile, though ironically, the scandal that tarnished his reputation only amplified public attention, especially on news outlets and social media. Following the investigation into his misconduct, networks began removing his iconic show, The Cosby Show (1984-1992), as early as 2014. By 2018, after his guilty verdict, even Bounce TV, a network aimed at Black Americans, pulled the show. Nevertheless, Amazon Prime continues to offer it.
Hollywood's history with scandals dates back to the early 20th century, with perhaps the most infamous being the trials of comedian Fatty Arbuckle in 1921-1922. Arbuckle, the first actor to earn a million dollars a year, was at the height of his fame when the unthinkable occurred. At a party in a San Francisco hotel, actress Virginia Rappe became ill and later died from a ruptured bladder after accusing Arbuckle of rape. Although there was no medical evidence of assault, Arbuckle was arrested and tried three times for manslaughter. The sensationalized press coverage painted him as a villain, and despite his acquittal, the motion picture industry blacklisted his films. Though the ban was eventually lifted, Arbuckle's career never fully recovered, and he died of a heart attack in 1933 at the age of 46.
A notable instance of how a scandal can erase an actor’s contributions is seen in the removal of Kevin Spacey from the film *All the Money in the World* (2017), following accusations of sexual misconduct by multiple men. He was replaced by Christopher Plummer, and the event truly brought new life to the phrase ‘wiping footage’!
