Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

CASE #000346

CHASE OF DEATH

Year:
1949

Crew:
Produced by Irving Allen. Distributed by Irving Allen Productions.

Academy Award Status:
Nominated for Two-reel Short Subject

CASE #000347

THE KISS

Year:
1958

Crew:
Directed by Everett Chambers. Produced by John Patrick Hayes. Production company: Cohay Productions.

Academy Award Status:
Nominated for Live Action Short

The Story:
The Kiss was an early film by producer John Hayes, who later became known for his B movies and exploitation work.

CASE #000348

THE BOY AND THE SEA

Year:
1953

Crew:
Directed by Stan Brakhage.

The Story:
According to the Academy Film Archive's preservationist Mark Toscano, nothing for this film has turned up anywhere. There is some question as to what this film even was, or, perhaps, if it even existed. Listed in various filmographies for Brakhage, THE BOY AND THE SEA appears to have been a two minute black-and-white 16mm film. Have you seen this lost film or do you know of its whereabouts?

CASE #000401

THE PATRIOT

Year:
1928

Crew:
Ernst Lubitsch

Academy Award Status:
Winner for Best Writing Achievement. For the 2nd Annual Academy Awards, there were no announcements of nominations, no certificates of nomination or honorable mentions. However, according to in-house records, THE PATRIOT was under consideration by the various boards of judges for Best Actor in a Leading Role (Lewis Stone), Best Art Direction, Best Director and Best Picture.

The Investigation:
The trailer for THE PATRIOT has been preserved by the UCLA Film and Television Archive and can be seen on YouTube.
One reel of THE PATRIOT has been found and preserved by the Cinemateca Portuguesa.

CASE #000402

A LOVER'S OATH

Year:
1925

Crew:
Directed by Ferdinand P. Earle. Written by Edward Fitzgerald. Starring Ramon Novarro, Kathleen Key and Edwin Stevens.

The Investigation:
The Academy Film Archive has preserved a twenty-five second fragment of this Ramon Novarro feature. The synopsis of this film can be found at AllMovie and AFI.

View the twenty-five second fragment of this lost feature film

CASE #0002413

A CHILI ROMANCE

Year:
1921

Crew:
A Hall Room Boys Photoplay. Directed by James D. Davis. Produced by Harry Cohn. Starring Sid Smith.

The Investigation:
The Academy Film Archive located two and a half minutes of this silent short film and preserved the fragment from our collection. At the time of their release, some of the Hall Room Boys titles were edited from two reels down to one and distributed with new titles in 9.5mm. Can anyone match this fragment to any extant copies and give us leads on additional footage?

View the two and half minute fragment of this lost short film

CASE #020503

NAKED YOGA

Year:
1973

Crew:
Directed by Paul Cordsen and Produced by Ronald S. Kass and Mervyn Lloyd.

Academy Award Status:
Nominated for Doc Short Subject

The Story:
The search for NAKED YOGA (1973), a nominee for best documentary short subject, began in 2004 by the Academy Archive's Documentary Curator, Ed Carter. After a series of letters and dead ends, Carter received a print from the film's Director of Photography, Michael Elphick, who obtained the print from a television station. The print turned out to be a 35mm Technicolor print in pristine condition.
The Academy Film Archive recently restored NAKED YOGA in 2012.

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CASE #020504

THE CLIFF DWELLERS

Year:
1963

Crew:
Produced by Hayward Anderson.

Academy Award Status:
Nominated for Live Action Short

The Story:
THE CLIFF DWELLERS (1963), a nominee for best live action short, appeared all but lost until the Academy Archive's Short Film Preservationist, Brian Meacham, located the original negative on sale through the auction site eBay.
This film features the first role of James Hampton, who has since had a prolific television career as well as roles in Oscar-nominated films like THE LONGEST YARD (1974), THE CHINA SYNDROME (1979), and SLING BLADE (1996). The Archive preserved THE CLIFF DWELLERS in 2010.

CASE #020505

SATCHEL PAIGE FOOTAGE

Year:
1948

The Story:
The Academy Archive received a collection from the Richard Brooks Estate in 1995 and began processing the impressive collection of prints and home movies from the film director. Buried in the collection was a 16mm film that was initially thought to be a typical professional baseball game.
Upon closer inspection, the Archive's Special Collections Curator, Lynne Kirste, discovered that the Archive had rare color footage of Satchel Paige, the legendary pitcher from the Negro Leagues and Major League Baseball, pitching in Los Angeles on November 7th, 1948. The Archive preserved this unique piece of history in 2007.

View the exclusive clip of Satchel Paige pitching in an exhibition game at old Wrigley Field in Los Angeles

CASE #000403

KUKAN

Year:
1941

Crew:
Produced by Rey Scott.

Academy Award Status:
Special Award: To Rey Scott for his extraordinary achievement in producing Kukan, the film record of China's struggle, including its photography with a 16mm camera under the most difficult and dangerous conditions.

The Story:
Documentary Curator Ed Carter searched the world for any copy, on film or video, of KUKAN for several years. About 2 1/2 years ago, he received a phone call out of the blue from Robin Lung, a documentary filmmaker in Hawaii, who was researching the film as well. She located the sons of filmmaker Rey Scott, who had one complete 16mm print. Unfortunately, the print was badly deteriorated. An incomplete 16mm Kodachrome print was found at the National Archives. The AFA is now working with NARA, Lung, and Colorlab, to digitally restore the film.
Filmmaker Robin Lung's blog and teaser video of this important discovery can be found by visiting Nested Egg Productions and YouTube.