"Lost and Found" Series: Mary Pickford
May 24th, 2006 by Andre Soares
Note: Sparrows, a sappy but surprisingly effective comedy-drama, has been available on video for years. It is not a “recently rediscovered” film.
© A.M.P.A.S.
Press Release:
Two recently rediscovered and restored silent films starring Oscar®-winning actress Mary Pickford, "Sparrows" (1926) and "Behind the Scenes" (1914), will unspool as part of the Academy of Motion Picture of Sciences’ "Lost and Found" film series on June 14 and 28, respectively, at 7:30 p.m. in the Linwood Dunn Theater at the Academy’s Pickford Center for Motion Picture Study in Hollywood.
Arguably the most famous woman of the early 20th century, Pickford appeared in an estimated 205 features and short films, ran her own production company, co-founded United Artists, and was a founding member of the Academy.
Restored by the Library of Congress, "Sparrows," Pickford’s penultimate silent film, will receive its West Coast premiere. The film’s stylized set design and atmospheric cinematography illustrate the growing influence of German expressionist cinema on American filmmakers in the 1920s. The feature will be preceded by the newly restored "Sparrows" trailer and outtakes.
In "Behind the Scenes," Pickford stars as Dolly Lane, a successful stage actress who abandons her career to wed a handsome farmer and soon discovers that love does not curb her desire for the stage. Director James Kirkwood, who worked with Pickford on nine features, portrays Lane’s husband.
The film’s only known existing nitrate print with original tints was acquired from a private donor in the 1970s for $850 by James Card, the former curator of the motion picture collection at George Eastman House. This screening of a restored print, which utilized those original elements, will make the film accessible to an audience for the first time in many years.
"Behind the Scenes" will be preceded by a Technicolor test of Mary Pickford from the set of "The Black Pirate" (1926) and two rarely screened Pickford shorts, " The Mirror" and "When the Cat’s Away," both from 1911, along with the only surviving reel from her 1914 feature "A Good Little Devil," directed by Edwin S. Porter.
All films will be accompanied with live music performed by Michael Mortilla.
"Lost and Found" is a series of periodic screenings designed to showcase archival prints that have been recently rediscovered or restored from new materials that improve the presentational quality of previous available versions.
In some instances, the films may be incomplete or damaged, making access unlikely through more traditional venues. The series serves as a rare opportunity to access "lost" films, and will bring to light some of film preservation’s more notable success stories.
The Academy’s Pickford Center for Motion Picture Study was dedicated in honor of the legendary actress in 2002. In addition to the 286-seat Dunn Theater, the building houses several Academy departments, including the offices and collections of the Academy Film Archive and the Science and Technology Council.
Tickets to "Lost and Found" are $5 for the general public and $3 for Academy members and students with a valid I.D. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. The Linwood Dunn Theater is located at the Academy’s Pickford Center for Motion Picture Study at 1313 North Vine Street in Hollywood. For information, please call (310) 247-3600.
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One Response to “"Lost and Found" Series: Mary Pickford”
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Thank you,
I will try to find the two films from 1911 in my reading.
http://uk.groups.yahoo.com/group/pickfair/