Alfred Hitchcock Needs Our Help

Posted by Kimberly Lindbergs on July 8, 2010

This week the BFI (British Film Institute) launched a new campaign called “Rescue the Hitchcock 9” that asks the public to help them rescue 9 of Alfred Hitchcock’s earliest films. The original movies were shot on nitrate film, which is notorious for its incendiary properties. Nitrate film can also decompose over time and film archivists are forced to take drastic measures in order to preserve and restore these old films. The 9 silent films that Hitchcock made during the 1920s have badly deteriorated through the years due to general use and they’re currently in dire need of restoration. Thankfully there is new digital technology in place that can help repair worn and damaged films but the process is time consuming and costly.

The 9 films that BFI hopes to restore include Alfred Hitchcock’s directorial debut, The Pleasure Garden (1925); his eerie classic thriller, The Lodger (1926); a boxing film called The Ring (1927); the dark dramas, Downhill (1927) and Easy Virtue (1927); his early comedies, The Farmers Wife (1927) and Champagne (1928); as well as Hitchcock’s last silent film, The Manxman (1929) and his first “talkie,” Blackmail (1929).

In recent years the importance of film restoration seems to be getting more attention and public support thanks to the efforts of people like director Martin Scorsese and The Film Foundation as well as projects like For the Love of Film Blogathon that generated at least $13,500 for the NFPF (National Film Preservation Foundation) here in the United States. Much like BFI, our own NFPF is dedicated to the preservation and restoration of our film heritage. The For the Love of Film Blogathon was organized by a small group of film bloggers that included Farran Smith Nehme at the Self-Styled Siren, Marilyn Ferdinand at Ferdy On Film and Greg Ferrara at Cinema Styles but they weren’t alone. 80 other film bloggers as well as countless readers helped promote the event and contributed their time and money to support the efforts of the National Film Preservation Foundation. Thanks in part to their help, the NFPF is currently working on restoring and preserving 75 “lost” shorts and features in association with the New Zealand Film Archive. These 75 films include a 1927 feature directed by the legendary John Ford as well as early films starring Clara Bow and Clive Brook.

Still shots from The Pleasure Garden (1925), Easy Virtue (1927),
The Lodger (1926) and Downhill (1927)

Alfred Hitchcock is undoubtedly one of our most important, beloved and influential directors. It would be a shame if his early films were not properly preserved for future generations to enjoy. Although Hitchcock’s earliest films were made in Britain, the director gained international recognition when he came to Hollywood in 1939 and started making films in the United States. His contributions to the cinematic history of the UK as well as the US are invaluable and I think it’s important for American film fans to be aware of the British Film Institutes valiant efforts to restore and preserve Alfred Hitchcock’s legacy.

BFI hopes to raise at least £1 million (about $1.5 million) to restore these early Hitchcock films and they’re currently accepting donations from around the world at their website. A donation of £25 (about $40) and upwards can help rescue an entire scene or at least 50cm (roughly 20 inches) of film. A contribution of £25 will also make you a BFI Supporter and you’ll receive regular updates on the status of the film restoration project as well as other important work that BFI is doing. Contributors who donate at least £5,000 (about $8,000) will adopt a specific Alfred Hitchcock film and receive an on-screen credit when the restoration is complete letting the world know that they’ve helped restore a film. A donation of £100,000 (about $160,000) can secure the full restoration of an entire Hitchcock film that will be credited to your generosity. Any and all donors will have the satisfaction of knowing that they’ve helped save a critical part of British film history. If BFI’s fundraising campaign receives enough support, they also hope to commission a new score for each of the films being restored from an internationally renowned composer.

British actor Kenneth Branagh has lent his voice to a commercial BFI created to help generate public interest and support for their cause. In Branagh’s appeal he asks viewers to, “Give whatever you can and help bring a cinematic masterpiece back to life. For you, for everyone and forever.” This thoughtful presentation was beautifully put together and reminds us that Alfred Hitchcock was a pioneer, a legend and the original Master of Suspense. In these particularly hard economic times its often impossible to consider giving financial support to any worthwhile causes but information can be freely and easily shared. The British Film Institute is doing us all a great service by making the public aware of the situation and hopefully their efforts will generate lots of interest in Alfred Hitchcock’s early films.

In the late ’80s when I was attending film appreciation classes we were shown a copy of Alfred Hitchcock’s The Lodger. The video presentation was awful and I can still remember the obvious damage apparent on the print we watched. Some of the students complained loudly and stopped paying attention to the film so they could chat with their friends. One or two actually walked out of the screening. I happen to be a Hitchcock devotee so I was glued to the screen but I was an exception. I can’t help but wonder how that experience might have been different if the class was shown a brilliantly restored version of The Lodger instead of the damaged print we were forced to watch. Maybe some of the young students who complained and walked out of the classroom would have stayed in their seats? Maybe a few of them would have become first rate Hitchcock scholars? Could one of them have gone on to become the new Master of Suspense? Of course that’s extremely questionable but I think it’s worth thinking about. Film restoration gives us all the ability to view classic films as they were originally intended to be seen. At a time when 3D film technology is dominating the news I think it’s vitally important that we embrace the past and preserve our film history so future generations of film students as well as film fans will be able to experience the pure pleasure and ageless artistry of classic cinema.

11 Comments |

submit

11 Responses Alfred Hitchcock Needs Our Help

Posted By wilbur twinhorse : July 8, 2010 11:05 pm

Thanks Kimberly for this post. Hitch deserves to be preserved, no question! My friend Bruce Posner has done a lot of work in this area. He was the curator for the Anthology Film Archives’ 7 disc UNSEEN CINEMA a few years ago. He is an historian and a restorer and he might be the one to do this job! Plus, he has an amazing knowledge of film and an uncanny ability to weave all the strands together into a coherent whole. cheers.

Posted By Medusa : July 9, 2010 12:06 am

I’m all for restoration, but I think it’s the film industry’s responsibility to do so as some payback for all the profits it has made over the years. Asking fans to pony up for this kind of effort, the cost of which would be a pittance on a big studio’s balance sheet, is the height of audaciousness and I think just plain bad taste, ungrateful and greedy in the extreme.

As much as Hollywood loves to complain about how much it *isn’t* making because of piracy or whatnot, they sure know how to turn a blind eye when it suits them. The industry and those reaping fortunes from cinema should be ashamed that they aren’t giving back a little to the art form that gave them everything.

I mean, the BFI is asking for so little…can you even imagine how little a million bucks means to Warner Bros., say? It’s just so sad that Hollywood has so little sense of its own history.

Asking regular people to bail out Hollywood is as ludicrous as the way we’ve bailed out the banks. “Give what you can” aimed at fans is pretty outrageous considering what a profitable industry Hollywood is, despite all their whining.

This issue has been one of my pet peeves for a LONG time and I sure don’t mean to freak out, but the pressure should be on film professionals and the studios. Maybe I’m all wrong about this, but it makes me nuts, obviously! lol

But of course the cause is a great one! I just watched a Hitchcock doc on one of the pay channels and was again struck by what a master he was and how much all of us who love film owe to him.

Thanks for riling me up, Kimberly! :-)

Posted By Betty : July 9, 2010 1:01 am

Can anybody tell me why the key scene in An Affair to Remember, which explains how Cary Grant knew Deb. Kerr was in a wheelchair, has consistently been omitted. The scene appeared in the 1957 original version but hasn’t been included since. That scene showed Kerr in her wheelchair looking into the art shop window, seeing her portrait wearing Grant’s grandmother’s shawl. She enters the shop and tells the owner she would like to have painting but can’t afford it. Owner calls Grant and tells him there’s a woman in a wheelchair who wants painting. Grant tells owner to give it to her.
Leaving this scene out of the current version leaves the viewer to wonder how he knew to look for the painting and then be so upset when he finds it. Then he puts it all together, creating the tearjerker ending.

I called Paramount about this some time ago, but the person I spoke to probably wasn’t even born when the movie was made, and certainly couldn’t answer the question.

Anybody have an answer? I know I’m not hallucinating.Thanks so much for whatever can be found out.

Posted By Steve Langton : July 9, 2010 3:53 am

More power to the BFI. They do sterling work in many areas, and this is a most worthy project. I’m sure they will raise the funds required.

Posted By Kimberly Lindbergs : July 9, 2010 5:01 pm

Wilbur – Your friend sounds like he has a fascinating job! Film restoration is demanding work but it seems very rewarding.

Medusa – I understand what you’re saying, but I don’t think BFI is asking anyone to “bail them out” of anything. They hope to get the attention of anyone and everyone. Everyday folks as well as Hollywood bigwigs. If a wealthy producer in Hollywood for example offered them $160k to help restore one of Hitchcock’s films I’m sure they’d gladly take it but most of the people making movies now and in the past have been in it for the money. It’s just a job to them. But I know there are plenty of wealthy and powerful folks involved with the film industry who give money, time and energy to nonprofit organizations that restore old films. We just don’t hear much about them but these organizations don’t run themselves. Martin Scorsese has done a lot to raise awareness in the US but he’s not alone. The Film Foundation’s board of directors includes names like Francis Ford Coppola, Clint Eastwood, Woody Allen, Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, Robert Redford and Peter Jackson just to name a few. Maybe one of them will hear about BFI’s campaign and get involved? It’s important to raise awareness of the situation as well as the general need to preserve our film heritage and I think that’s what BFI is doing.

Betty – I’m afraid I can’t help you. Maybe someone else can offer some advice?

Steve – They do! It’s an incredible organization and I’m glad they’re raising awareness about the important work they do.

Posted By suzidoll : July 10, 2010 7:45 pm

I saw a print of THE LODGER a couple of years ago as a special showing by the Silent Film Society of Chicago. It was in terrible shape and really detracted from the movie. I thought it was just this particular print. I didn’t realize the state of the original material. I am all for the restoration of past films, no matter how it gets done. I understand Medusa’s point about current Hollywood’s lack of interest in its own history, but that won’t change as long as the business grads and marketing jerks remain in charge of the big studios.

Posted By wilbur twinhorse : July 11, 2010 10:00 pm

Thanks Kimberly for the reply. I agree with Medusa that the Industry is lagging in this area. I keep trying to get through the book THE AMERICAN FILM INDUSTRY published by the University of Wisconsin Press, Ltd. 1976/85. In the early years after Edison messed with every fresh voice and throttled creativity with crippling lawsuits, basically Wall Street took over and it’s been the bottom line since then IMHO.

Posted By Heidi : July 14, 2010 12:24 pm

Betty, you are not dreaming-I saw it too! It has been a while since I last saw the movie, but I remember that scene. No clue why is isn’t shown now. What a good question!

Posted By Mark Notarberardino : July 16, 2010 9:47 pm

Hitch was my first true introduction to the cinema when I was in High school back in the late 70s. I can’t afford an 8,000 dollar donation but I can certainly come up with 40. It is the least I can do for him…and I will mention the BFI endeavor on my blog.

Posted By Rose : July 18, 2010 11:29 am

Medusa, I think your reply is a bit naive. The British Film Institute has famously been cut and and cut for years and has just been the biggest victim of the UK government’s most recent arts cuts. I understand from friends that work there that they have very little funds for restoration. They have a sponsorship department that tries to raise more money and I’m sure that they will have already have approached all the studios. That said, I’m not sure why the studios would pay out. These films weren’t made by the big US studios, and they only look after their own. And even then, not particularly well. Look how few of their own back catalogues are available on DVD or to download? I don’t see why this should be considered any different than trying to save an important painting by a major artist. If you only see films as commercial products (rather than artworks that need our support) how can we hope that governments will see them in any other way. If the BFI is after £1 million to restore then Hitchcock silents, that works out at over £100k per title. I really don’t believe that anyone could even begin to recoup this amount through DVD sales. I just hope that people dig into their own pockets and help in some small way and don’t assume that it is someone else’s responsibility.

Posted By Medusa : July 18, 2010 12:22 pm

The reason I have a bug in my ear about funds for film preservation is that I’ve sat in meetings where top film studio folks thought it was just dandy that, at the time, AMC was soliciting viewers for film preservation funds. Millionaires who make their living off film were tickled that AMC was asking regular folks to treat film preservation like a charity and contribute to the effort. There is SO much money in the industry, plenty to preserve anything, it’s just that nobody cares enough, obviously. It’s rotten. I hope that the BFI gets all the money it needs, but I’d hate to see other causes, not connected to a vibrant and obscenely profitable industry — like animal welfare or children’s health, for instance — get bypassed because the film industry doesn’t feel like tossing a little coin to the preservationists.

Can you imagine if they took just a small percentage of some blockbuster’s bloated marketing budget and doled it out to the good guys saving these films?

Rose,you’re right, I guess I am naive, but it makes me crazy! lol Oh well…I’ll calm down now!! :-)

MovieMorlocks.com is the official blog for TCM. No topic is too obscure or niche to be excluded from our film discussions. And we welcome your comments on our blogs and bloggers.