East Lynne [Nominee ~ 1931]

Does anyone out there have connections at UCLA?  I could really use them to see this movie.

Only one copy of East Lynne is known to exist, and it's under lock and key at the UCLA Film & Television Archive.  A recommendation and an appointment are needed to view it.  There are no plans to release this film on DVD, mainly because restoring it will be very expensive and Fox (who owns the rights) is reluctant to fork over the money.

I'll just come right out and say it: that sucks.  Movies are meant to be enjoyed.  East Lynne and other rare films are not serving their purpose if they are left to sit on a shelf.  Shouldn't they be made available to the public for no other reason than to honor those who worked on these films?  Everyone, from the actors to the lighting crew, worked hard to create this movie, and now it can only be enjoyed by a handful of people.  Furthermore, with restoration and the creation of DVD copies, East Lynne can be spared the same fate as The Patriot.

Kudos to UCLA for preserving it, but come on Fox... pony up some of that Simpson's money you've been collecting and bring East Lynne to the masses!

(Gorgeous movie poster, by the way.  I'd love to have a framed copy on my wall.)

The Big House [Nominee ~ 1930]

This is another film I'll need some help seeing.  It aired this past February on TCM, but I was unable to record it as it conflicted with an episode of The Office.  (Cut me some slack; it was Steve Carrel's final season and I've been watching the show from the beginning.)  I also see that it's for sale through the TCM website, but since I do not have $20 to spend on it just yet I thought I'd send out the call for help.

Contact me if you're willing to lend a copy (details to the right), and hopefully I'll be updating this post soon!

The Hollywood Revue of 1929 [Nominee ~ 1929]

For this "project" I decided on one major rule: Don't read the plot synopsis before watching the movie.  While I almost always know the general plot of today's movies before seeing them, I thought it would be fun to go into these movies blind.  Easy enough, given that I'm not constantly bombarded with trailers, commercials, and Hollywood news for 80+ year old films.  I really only need to avoid the Netflix sleeve.

Unfortunately, I've already begun to cheat.  I've started reading plot synopses of films I haven't gotten or can't get a copy of.  It's pure curiosity-- I just have to know what I'm missing.

My curiosity for The Hollywood Revue of 1929 was mostly sparked by an early search for the film.  While I have yet to locate a copy, I did find several clips on YouTube.  After watching a few I quickly deduced the plot of this movie: there is no plot.  Further reading on IMDB and Wikipedia confirmed my suspicions.  This is essentially a feature-length showcase of MGM's biggest stars.  (Perhaps the word "revue" should have tipped me off to this sooner?)

Even though this doesn't really seem like a Best Picture nominee to me right now, I will reserve judgement until I see the entire movie.  From what I have seen, it at least looks fun.  Buster Keaton doing 'The Dance of the Sea' was a neat look at a star I previously only knew by name, as was Laurel and Hardy's magic act.  And I'd also be remiss not to mention Joan Crawford's 'Got a Feeling for You.' I really enjoyed her singing and dancing routine.  Too bad I couldn't stop thinking "That's 'Mommie Dearest?'" during the entire clip.

The Racket [Nominee ~ 1928]

In order to see this movie, I'm going to need some help.  As far as I can tell, it is not currently on DVD, VHS, or online.  Which is not surprising given the fact that it was thought to be a lost film, until a copy was discovered in Howard Hughes' personal collection after his death.  Turner Classic Movies aired it in 2004 and 2006, and I'm hoping some kind-hearted movie buff recorded it and would be willing to lend me their copy.

If you have any information, please contact me at sallymackart [at] yahoo [dot] com (full contact info listed to the right).