Saved From The Flames - 54 Rare and Restored Films 1896 - 1944

Buy For: $49.95
Usually ships in 24 hours


Add to Cart


Compare New & Used Prices From All Available Merchants:

Starring: Josephine Baker
Rated: R (Restricted)
Type: DVD
Directed By: Segundo de Chomon
Studio: Flicker Alley
Release Date: 2008-01-22
Running Time: 420 minutes
Number of Items: 3
Flicker Alley proudly presents SAVED FROM THE FLAMES, a unique and wonderful collection of 54 rare and restored short films from the inflammable years of cinema. Movies were once made on nitrate film stock, which has a chemical composition similar to gunpowder and is highly vulnerable to fire and decay. This remarkable seven-hour anthology, organized in eight thematic groups over three DVDs, presents amazing treasures from the vaults of Lobster Films in Paris and from the Blackhawk Films Collection, rescued during half a century of gathering movies from the nitrate era.
DISC ONE
NEW BEGINNINGS: Seven films including the early cinematic experiments of Lumière, Georges Mendel and others, featuring Cyrano De Bergerac from 1900, believed to be the first color and sound film. MAGICAL MOVIES: Five early fantasy and trick films, including a previously-unseen trick film by Georges Méliès, hand-colored films from Segundo de Chomon and Gaston Velle, and astonishing stop-motion animation from 1911. SEEING THE WORLD: Among the ten films in this section: A transatlantic crossing in a Zeppelin dirigible, a stencilcolored trek through the Belgian Congo in 1925, Parisian street kids in Montmartre during the first World War, a 1916 visit to Los Angeles, 1927 sound film of Charles Lindbergh embarking on his New York-Paris flight, an early 1930s portrait of New York s Coney Island, and a film promoting Josephine Baker s revue at the Folies-Bergère.
DISC TWO LAUGHING LIKE WE USED TO: Seven comedies, including four restored from turn of the century Italy and France, a recently-discovered nitrate negative of Chaplin's first appearance in his tramp attire, a frenetic Mack Sennett gag fest with tin lizzies galore, and The Pest, starring an early Stan Laurel (before Hardy). DRAWINGS AND MODELS: Six works of animation: Gaumont's Fantasmagorie (1908), three cartoons from the Fleischer Studios Cartoon Factory (1924), Ain't She Sweet (1932), and Play Safe (1936) Ub Iwerks' Balloonland (1935) featuring a new color restoration made from the original negatives, and a filmed performance by puppetry pioneer Tony Sarg. GRACE NOTES: Rare musical performances: Django Reinhardt with Stephane Grapelli and the Quintet of the Hot Club of France, Duke Ellington and the Cotton Club Orchestra, Louis Armstrong, and the Utica Jubilee Singers.
DISC THREE PERSUADE ME: Eleven films designed to influence, including vintage promotional films featuring Laurel & Hardy (dubbed in French), Michel Simon and Jacques Tati, puppet animation by George Pal, three WW-II era musical shorts, two political campaign films, and Master Hands, a paean to the 1936 Chevrolet, selected for the National Film Registry. TELL ME A STORY: Narratives from 1912-1913 by D.W. Griffith (For His Son), Lois Weber (Suspense), and Thomas Ince (The Heart of an Indian), all mastered from beautiful 35 mm film elements.
SAVED FROM THE FLAMES Booklet: An illustrated history and comments on each film in the collection, written by David Shepard and Serge Bromberg.

A huge disappointment
There are a lot of interesting items in this collection, but the production is nothing short of atrocious. When using the up-and-down arrows on the disc menus, there is at least a five-second delay before the menu responds. This is exasperating and annoying, but tolerable (just barely).

Even more annoying -- and entirely UNacceptable -- is the fact that the second disc (of three) would not play in any of my players. I got a replacement set (thanks to Amazon's usual excellent customer service), but the replacement set was similarly defective. Again, it was Disc 2 -- it would plays as far as menus, but one selection would freeze up. Several others had severe image disruption or wouldn't play at all (depending on player). This time I gave up on getting a replacement and just took a refund (thanks again, Amazon, for great service).

Perhaps it's because this was originally a French DVD set -- maybe they had inadequate protections in place in preparing the set for Region 1 marketing. Whatever, it's not worth the trouble. Don't bother ordering this, because you'll only waste your time and Amazon's postage when you return it. Too bad, because it would be a collection worth having if it had been properly produced.

"Like a box of chocolates..."
Watching this marvelous 3-disc set kept reminding me of the famous Forrest Gump quote: "Life is like a box of chocolates: you never know what you're going to get." With such a variety of rare and unusual short films, this set is just as pleasing and delightful as discovering what kind of delicious filling is in the next chocolate in the box. Some films are sure to surprise and others might be an acquired taste, but the overall result is that this collection is a wonderful visual record of history and society as it changed and developed over a 50-year period. Starting in 1896 when the moving picture was in its infancy, scenes of everyday life on the streets can transport the viewer back in time to a different era; an era in which people had different tastes and ideas of entertainment, such as `the torso man' and `The Dancing Pig' - just two of the short films that must be seen to believed.

Although still in its early stages, tricks and special effects were already widely used in the early 1900s as some other films in the group entitled "Magical Movies" show. Then there are documentaries of various kinds, some political messages, cartoons and also three short films in the format of today's movies. The early cinema enthusiast will be delighted with the choice, namely one by each of the most influential filmmakers and directors of the first two decades of the century: D.W. Griffith, who perhaps contributed the most to the development of cinema, directed "For His Son" in 1912 about the use of cocaine in Coca Cola before it was made illegal in 1906, and the drama is a typical example of Griffith's style and `social commentary' meant to educate audiences and enlighten them about problems, ethics and morals. Along similar lines, Lois Weber contributed significantly in making films dealing with issues concerning women, and because most of her films have been lost, it's a special treat to have "Suspense" in this set. Long before Hitchcock, the art of scary suspense was perfected in this 10-minute short film of 1913, and I was very surprised and impressed by the impact it had on me. The simple story of a woman alone in an isolated house as a tramp breaks in has been transformed into a masterpiece of horror and suspense in the hands of Lois Weber. Lastly, another great name of early cinema, Thomas Ince, is also featured in a 30-minute film about American Indians; one of the many Western-themed films made in the Ince studios out in California before Hollywood came into existence. Comedy has not been forgotten, of course, and the famous representatives of this genre are also featured: Chaplin, Stan Laurel (before teaming up with Hardy) and a Mack Sennett/Keystone auto race classic, "Lizzies of the Field". Important films for the serious cinema aficionado, but also good and interesting entertainment in general.

Apart from the `narrative film' we are used to, there are many more types of short films in this "Saved from the Flames" set which are just as interesting and important in both historical and entertainment value. Personally, I was most impressed by the half-hour documentary on how Chevrolets were made in 1936, and have never seen factory footage look so beautiful and artistically photographed as in this film, "Master Hands". Other nice surprises were the animation films "Balloonland" and "Hell Bent for Election" which has a strong political message for the year 1944. Musical clips featuring Duke Ellington and Louis Armstrong also impressed me more than I thought they would, as did some of the documentaries, such as about the dirigible or zeppelin flight across the Atlantic in 1924. All films are well restored and have perfect musical accompaniment of various styles to suit the film, and an excellent booklet gives the viewer essential information without becoming too longwinded. All in all, there is something for everyone here, and is as much fun as getting a big box of chocolates with many different, new, rare and unusual centers!

History In Your Living Room
Absolutely fabulous and breath-taking. If you are into cinema history or photographic evolution at all, this is a MUST item. Hours and hours of fascinating footage from more than 100 years of motion picture filmmaking. Worth watching over and over, too.

Wonderful!
Wonderful!

Fans of Prince Ranian wil cherish a 1900 film of human torso "Kobelkoff," showing off his unique dance stylings.

"Danse Serpentine," "The Talion Punishment," and "Kiriki" feature breathtakingly beautiful coloring by hand and stencil.

In the delightfully funny "Excelsior," Melies materializes a giant lobster (seventy years before "Multiple Maniacs"), among other magical feats.

"Over the Top" documents a trip across a snowy mountain range by a group of madmen in a 1915 Buick, a feat to daunt Werner Herzog.

"The Dirigible Los Angeles" documents the majestic airship's trip from Germany to the U. S.

"The Fireman of the Follies-Bergere" resembles a fifties Nudie movie: some slob wanders around and imagines naked ladies in every nook and cranny of Paris. At one point a priest is transformed into a nude, starting rumors of Bunuel's involvement! Notable only for a forgotten dance routine by Josephine Baker, allowed to retain her top.

"In The Land of Pygmies and Giants," a documentary on the Belgian Congo, is prettily stencil-colored but depressingly condescending and not recommended to those who are sensitive to elephant slaughter.

"The Pest," a Stan Laurel comedy, features a cameo by the Hats Off/Music Box stairs (or are those the "An Ache In Every Stake" stairs?) and will teach you a politically incorrect term for the Brazil nut.

The Fleischers are represented by several films, from the Screen Song "Ain't She Sweet?" featuring a charming pre-alcoholic Lillian Roth and lots of bouncing black cats, to "Play Safe," from their bland and cutesy period, with some great 3-D technicolor effects.

We have several musical shorts, documenting the Utica Jubilee Singers, Louis Armstrong (in 1934, performing "I Cover The Waterfront," "Dinah," and "Tiger Rag"), and Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grapelli (performing "J'attendra" in 1939, in a short which unfortunately wastes half its brief running time explaining what jazz is before getting to the musical number!). Less important musicians are showcased in three WWII soundies; William Frawley in "The Yankee Doodler," the Smoothies and the Cappy Barra Harmonica Boys in "Rosie the Riveter," and Ray Noble in "Dear Arabella."

A 1936 MGM promo reel is hosted by Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy, and James Finlayson! They are dubbed into French, but with their own wordless exclamations intact; it amounts to a brief Laurel/Hardy/Finlayson short you've probably never seen!

A few familiar titles - "Kid's Auto Race," "Black and Tan" with Duke Ellington, Ub Iwerk's Cinecolor "Balloonland" - are here reproduced from original negatives, and presumably look as good as they ever will.

Chuck Jones, Yip Harburg, and UPA rally support for FDR in the stylish "Hell Bent for Election" (if you vote Republican you'll soon be selling apples on a street corner for Hoover), while MGM undermines Upton Sinclair's gubernatorial campaign in the fake newsreel, "California Election News #2" (Sinclair is supported by twitchy foreigners).

"Philips Broadcast of 1938" is one of George Pal's most beautiful works.

D. W. Griffith's "For My Son" is a 1912 morality drama that prefigures the later drug scare exploitation cycle. A doctor invents a cocaine laced soft drink, "Dopokoke" (!), "For That Tired Feeling," only to see his son fall victim to soda pop addiction!

In "Suspense," cinematically sophisticated for 1913, writer/director/star Lois Weber is menaced by a sandwich-purloining, knife-wielding tramp; Lon Chaney is rumored to be an extra, but I must have blinked.

And more! Overall, "Save from the Flames" at least as resourceful and engaging a collection as the American Film Archives compilations. There are no commentaries; the accompanying booklet tells how the films were rediscovered, but otherwise adds little to the discs.

Fantastic collection of rare gems
After carefully reading the other very good reviews of this 3-DVD set, I finally gave in and purchased "Saved from the Flames." If you love silent cinema and the beginnings of cinema as much as I do, you will love this collection. There are seven-hours of delightful shorts, animations, science fiction shorts, documentary-style films, and hand-colored/tinted films. I found the quality to be excellent, especially considering the age of these silent gems (and most of these films, by the way, have music, as did most films of the silent era, and there is more than one film with synchronized sound (voice)). For more exacting details on the contents, please see the other reviews of this product. But this is a great collection -- just wonderful and quite entertaining to watch.