Buzz
A staggering number of films have been lost over time, with approximately 70% of silent-era movies vanishing entirely. Many were destroyed in fires due to their flammable nitrate film stock, while others were simply discarded. These lost works are irreplaceable treasures. Even contemporary films can disappear for various reasons. However, every so often, a copy of a film presumed lost forever resurfaces, allowing its story to be revived.
10. The Day The Clown Cried
Jerry Lewis directed a controversial film titled The Day the Clown Cried, which was never officially released. Despite this, it became a subject of fascination among cinema enthusiasts. The film follows a German clown who, after mocking Hitler, is coerced into leading Jewish children to their deaths in gas chambers. An actor who viewed it described it as “drastically wrong.” Lewis himself remarked that audiences would either consider it superior to Citizen Kane or “the worst piece of s—t ever projected.” After extensive editing, Lewis concluded the film was too flawed for release and destroyed all copies, vowing it would never be seen.
Despite Lewis’s efforts, the film garnered immense curiosity. Many have sought The Day the Clown Cried without success, but the Library of Congress eventually acquired a copy for their Jerry Lewis archive. As part of an agreement with Lewis, the library agreed not to screen the film until 2025, a decade after its acquisition. At 89 years old at the time of this writing, Lewis will likely avoid witnessing the public’s reaction to what he deemed his most significant artistic misstep—unless he lives to see 99.
9. Black Angel
Audiences in England, Scotland, and Australia may recall Black Angel, which was screened as an opening act for The Empire Strikes Back. However, the rest of the world remains largely unaware of this obscure film. Directed by Roger Christian, the set designer for Star Wars, this short fantasy film tells the tale of a medieval knight battling evil to save a young girl’s soul. Impressed by the project, George Lucas arranged for it to be shown before The Empire Strikes Back, a common practice for overseas screenings at the time.
Over time, the original negatives were misplaced. With no high-quality copies available, the director chose to abandon the film. It remained forgotten for decades until a pristine version was unexpectedly found. Although restored, the film failed to attract much attention until it was uploaded to YouTube, where it quickly gained a devoted following. Its newfound popularity has inspired Christian to pursue a feature-length remake, with a $15 million budget goal. An Indiegogo campaign even allows fans to contribute for a chance to appear as part of the film’s undead army.
8. Victory Of Faith
Victory of Faith is a Nazi propaganda film chronicling their first party rally after seizing power in Germany, attended by half a million people. Directed by a renowned German filmmaker, the movie is celebrated for its groundbreaking camera techniques and editing, complemented by a score from one of the Third Reich’s top composers. Despite its cinematic significance, Hitler ordered all copies destroyed, leading to its disappearance for decades.
Ernst Rohm, second only to Hitler during the rally, plays a significant role in the film. Later, Hitler personally arrested and executed Rohm during the Night of the Long Knives for allegedly plotting a coup. In the movie, Rohm is depicted in close proximity to Hitler, even sharing the platform alone with him at one point. This intimate portrayal led Hitler to demand the destruction of all records showcasing their camaraderie.
Luckily, before Hitler’s purge of internal enemies, the filmmaker, renowned for her documentary work, traveled to Great Britain to lecture at several prestigious universities. During her visit, at least one copy of Victory of Faith was produced. This copy lay hidden in storage for more than six decades before being unearthed in 1990. Today, it is regarded as a crucial resource for studying the Nazi party’s early evolution.
7. The Flying Doctor
In the Australian silent film era, films were often lost or re-edited without consequence. Without soundtracks, scenes from different versions could be seamlessly combined. For instance, a version of Kelly Gang containing footage from three separate adaptations circulated widely. The industry placed little value on preserving old films, leading to careless handling. Many ended up in private collections, often ending up in unusual locations.
One film was discovered hidden behind a switchboard in an old Tasmanian theater. Another reel was found inside a can that schoolchildren were using as a soccer ball. Perhaps the most remarkable discovery occurred in Figtree, a Sydney suburb. Workers clearing a construction site stumbled upon a vault from a demolished film studio. Unaware of its contents, they used a blowtorch to open the steel door.
The first miracle was that the highly flammable film didn’t catch fire. The second occurred when workers were transporting the reels to a dump. A council employee noticed the films and stopped the truck, saving what could be historically significant footage. Among the rescued reels was the sole surviving copy of The Flying Doctor, a romantic tale about Australia’s Royal Flying Doctor Service. Unfortunately, the final reel was missing, leaving the story incomplete. The third miracle came when a routine check at London’s National Film Archive revealed a master copy. While the British version was heavily edited, its final reel aligned perfectly with the Australian copy’s ending.
6. The First Frankenstein
The inaugural Frankenstein film was produced in 1910 by Edison Studios. At 12 minutes, it was a landmark production of its time. Early films were typically shot in a single day, but the intricate makeup and special effects required for Frankenstein extended the production to three days.
The monster’s untamed hair and bandaged limbs presented a stark contrast to the iconic image popularized by Universal Studios. While its appearance may have been truer to Mary Shelley’s novel, the plot diverged significantly. In this version, the creature is created in a boiler and vanishes in a final “mirror scene,” where Frankenstein sees the monster’s reflection as his own.
Similar to many Edison films, copies were circulated and later destroyed to reclaim their silver content. However, after a 1910 issue of The Edison Kinetogram featuring an image of the first Frankenstein was found, the film became a holy grail for collectors. Alois F. Dettlaff, a collector and archivist, eventually announced he possessed a complete print.
While the discovery was celebrated, Dettlaff faced criticism for withholding the film. His eccentric behavior, including adding proprietary markings to the footage and campaigning for an Oscar for “saving” the film, further alienated him. Dettlaff passed away in 2005, never receiving the recognition he sought.
5. Moe’s Books Party
A scavenger at a California landfill stumbled upon a reel labeled “New Mo Cut.” Inside were scenes of the late owner of “Moe’s Books” celebrating at a store party. Being a loyal customer, the scavenger decided to gift the reel to Moe’s daughter as a heartfelt memento.
The footage captured one of Moe’s legendary gatherings. Before becoming a bookseller, Moe had been an actor, and his parties were vibrant forums for discussing everything from politics to art. In the film, he arrives in a classic Rolls-Royce, clad in a topcoat and cloak, cigar in hand. The scenes transition to the party, where Moe pours champagne for his guests and delivers a toast, likely honoring Humphrey Bogart. Though brief and occasionally shaky, the film was skillfully edited and felt whole.
Berkeley, California, in the 1960s was a hub of protest and activism. Peoples, a filmmaker, documented the era extensively, shooting news reels and documentaries across the area. Despite being rejected from film school, he volunteered at a local news outlet. After transitioning to screenwriting, he held onto many of his old films. However, rising storage costs forced him to donate some to universities and discard others. Moe’s party reel was mistakenly thrown away, though he had intended to keep it. This error, however, became a blessing for Moe’s daughter, who rediscovered her father in his prime.
4. The First Snow White
The 1916 adaptation of Snow White was based on a popular stage production that had taken creative liberties with the story. Released as a Christmas special by Paramount Pictures, it marked the studio’s first use of six reels instead of the usual five. This version differed significantly from Disney’s later iconic interpretation.
Walt Disney first saw Snow White in 1917 at a movie gathering, and it left a lasting impression, inspiring his famous animated version. Beyond its influence on Disney, the film was a significant work of Marguerite Clark, one of the silent era’s most celebrated actresses. A critic once remarked that missing her performances was akin to never having seen “a silver birch or a daffodil.” Tragically, a fire in Paramount’s vault destroyed the negatives of all her films with the studio. Fortunately, aside from Snow White, two other Clark films survived, but the remaining 37 are lost forever.
3. German Concentration Camps Factual Survey
This harrowing film depicts Nazi SS soldiers disposing of victims’ bodies from concentration camps, loading them onto trucks and into mass graves. It features prolonged, unflinching shots of emaciated corpses, shattered skulls, and the grim realities of the camps. Despite being one of the most powerful Holocaust documentaries, German Concentration Camps Factual Survey was never publicly screened.
Produced by Sidney Bernstein, the film enlisted Alfred Hitchcock as a supervising director to add prestige. Hitchcock’s influence is evident in the extended panning shots, designed to underscore the authenticity of the footage. He also highlighted the proximity of the camps to idyllic German villages, where everyday life continued undisturbed. One striking scene juxtaposes a soldier’s romantic encounter in a village with the systematic slaughter occurring nearby. However, Bernstein’s project shifted from propaganda to documentary and faced delays. The U.S. government commissioned a shorter film, Death Mills, which premiered to 500 viewers, though fewer than 100 stayed until the end.
By the time Bernstein neared completion, U.S. and British policies had shifted toward rebuilding Germany rather than assigning blame. As a result, Factual Survey was shelved and forgotten. Decades later, the Imperial War Museum recognized its historical significance and restored the film. It has since been screened for select audiences, and an HBO documentary about its creation has been released. A wider distribution of Factual Survey is scheduled for the near future.
2. The Grim Game
The Grim Game, considered Harry Houdini’s finest film, fell victim to poor preservation practices. Rick Schmidlin, a film restorer for Turner Classic Movies (TCM), visited Houdini’s museum in Pennsylvania and learned an intriguing tale: Larry Weeks, a self-proclaimed “Houdini superfan,” allegedly possessed a copy of the legendary film. Weeks, however, was reluctant to share it, having only screened it a handful of times, including a semi-private showing at Manhattan’s New School. Despite numerous offers, Weeks refused to sell. Schmidlin persuaded the museum owners to arrange a meeting with him.
Weeks allowed Schmidlin to view the film but hesitated to part with it until Schmidlin mentioned TCM’s connection to Warner Bros. Impressed, Weeks agreed to sell his prized possession. After signing a contract for an undisclosed sum, Weeks handed over a pristine, complete copy of Houdini’s iconic film. The timing was fortunate, as Weeks passed away shortly after the sale. Without Schmidlin’s intervention, the film might have been lost forever.
1. The Very First Anime
Japan’s earliest anime was believed to be Imokawa Mukuzo Genkanban no Maki, released in 1917. While well-documented, the film remains lost. However, the second-oldest commercial anime, Namakura Gatana, was discovered at an antiques fair in 2008 in remarkable condition. This short comedy, released shortly after Imokawa Mukuzo, follows a samurai struggling to unsheathe a new sword. As he wrestles with it, his intended target, an elderly man, kicks him away into the distance.
More recently, an even older animation was uncovered in Kyoto, found inside an antique family projector among a collection of foreign films. Likely predating Japan’s earliest commercial animations by a decade, this three-second clip features a boy in a sailor suit writing on a blackboard before saluting the viewer. Hand-drawn in red and black on celluloid, the creator remains unknown but was likely affluent, as only the wealthy owned projectors at the time. Unbeknownst to them, they had created the very first anime in history.
