Behind the Scenes

[brude]

[erik1925]

Cool image, Ted. Me likes!!

 

[erik1925]

From Jack Pierce's scrapbook, working on Karloff, for THE MUMMY:




And Dwight Frye, in a deleted scene from The Bride of Frankenstein:



One other deleted scene, in the morgue, from Bride:

[CSM]

Are these deleted scenes available in their entirety anywhere?

[erik1925]

Chris, these are production stills from these scenes so they may be the only record remaining if the footage (and more importantly) the negative have been lost or destroyed. If these sequences ended up on the cutting room floor, chances are all the elements are gone forever.

Unless anything is languishing away, forgotten, in a Universal vault somewhere.

[jayn_j]

All in a day's work. 

I posted this one on my office wall.

[paul waines]

Are these deleted scenes available in their entirety anywhere?

There's around 20 mins or more that was cut from Bride, for one reason or another. The whole Dwight Fry sub-plot was removed as it was said to have slowed the pace down. The ending was changed completely, as Henry, and Elizabeth were both killed, but Uni wanted a happy ending. Check out the end where the Lab is blown up, and you can clearly see Colin Clive stood against the back wall... there was also some shots of the Monster on the rampage, cut to tone the violence down somewhat. Including him dragging the Burgomaster out of a window during a meeting of towns people.
     
Such a shame, as all this footage, if it had been kept will have been destroyed in one of the two fires that claimed most of the film stock Uni had in it's Vaults...  

[CSM]

There's around 20 mins or more that was cut from Bride, for one reason or another. The whole Dwight Fry sub-plot was removed as it was said to have slowed the pace down. The ending was changed completely, as Henry, and Elizabeth were both killed, but Uni wanted a happy ending. Check out the end where the Lab is blown up, and you can clearly see Colin Clive stood against the back wall... there was also some shots of the Monster on the rampage, cut to tone the violence down somewhat. Including him dragging the Burgomaster out of a window during a meeting of towns people.
     
Such a shame, as all this footage, if it had been kept will have been destroyed in one of the two fires that claimed most of the film stock Uni had in it's Vaults...  

Thanks Paul.  So likely all we've got are these stills then...unfortunate

[erik1925]

There's around 20 mins or more that was cut from Bride, for one reason or another. The whole Dwight Fry sub-plot was removed as it was said to have slowed the pace down. The ending was changed completely, as Henry, and Elizabeth were both killed, but Uni wanted a happy ending. Check out the end where the Lab is blown up, and you can clearly see Colin Clive stood against the back wall... there was also some shots of the Monster on the rampage, cut to tone the violence down somewhat. Including him dragging the Burgomaster out of a window during a meeting of towns people.
     
Such a shame, as all this footage, if it had been kept will have been destroyed in one of the two fires that claimed most of the film stock Uni had in it's Vaults...  

And this more extended (and more graphic) scene after the girls find their dead friend in the yard. In the movie, only their feet are shown, with the girl's dead body hidden behind shrubs:

[erik1925]

A painting done of Karloff, during production of Bride, by Rolf Armstrong. I wonder where this painting is today?

[paul waines]

Those are some of the scene's Jeff, spot Clive on the back wall....

Didn't Forry have that Painting for a while. Like you Jeff I wonder who has it now.

[erik1925]

Mystery of the Wax Museum (WB, 1933): Shot in early technicolor.



<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/eVrgbxcQhbA" target="_blank" class="new_win">http://www.youtube.com/v/eVrgbxcQhbA</a>

[Louie D.]

Such a shame, as all this footage, if it had been kept will have been destroyed in one of the two fires that claimed most of the film stock Uni had in it's Vaults...  

Please elaborate on the vault fires.  The two I was aware of is the one in 2008 which destroyed some digital back ups and film copies.  Nothing was lost in that one, film wise and the one in 1924, which wouldn't affect anything from the "classic horror" period.

Universal DID junk most of their silent titles, screen tests, and trailers in 1948 to recover silver content.

[erik1925]

Some interesting info about vault fires and destruction of films/negatives not caused by fire:*



1914- Lubin fire in Philadelphia destroys Oliver Hardy's film debut as well as footage of McKinley's ambulance leaving the Expo after he was shot. Also lost in this fire Hobart Bosworth's version of The Sea Wolf.

1914- Los Angeles: The lab shared by Keystone and Ince Films has a fire destroying films.

1915- Edison's vault may have had a fire.

1924- Universal (East Coast)Vault Fire includes negatives to Universal films 1913-1924

1933- Warner Bros/First National Vault Fire destroys most of 1928-1930 Vitaphone talkies

1937- 20th Century-Fox (NJ)- Negatives for most of , if not all, pre-1935 Fox films destroyed. Big problem was that original negatives and fine grain masters were stored in the same vault.
"Cleopatra" starring Theda Bara is lost, so is "Way Down East" as well as films starring William Farnum, Harry Carey and Tom Mix are lost. Also companies such as Educational Pictures, World-Wide that Fox sub-distributed for are lost.

1940s- Museum of Modern Art suffers four major vault fires one which is said to have wiped out 2/3rds of the collection including Hans Richter's hand painted color animation Rhythmus 25.

1943- Harold Lloyd's personal vault has a fire. Losses include the Lonesome Luke series and the original camera negative of Safety Last!

c. 1950s- RKO has a major vault fire that results in the loss of Citizen Kane. Other RKO titles believed lost include Case of the Sgt, Grischa, Freckles, Laddie, Leathernecking, The Monkey's Paw, West of the Pecos, White Shoulders, Hit the Deck (soundtrack only survives) and Runaround.

1959- the Cinematheque Francaise has a vault fire that destroys films including Von Stroheims The Honeymoon.

1961- 20th Century Fox's New Jersey vault has a fire where the explosion could be heard for three miles. Lost films include most of Theda Bara's work.

1965- MGM has a vault explosion and fire that destroys the entire contents. Films include A Blind Bargain, The Divine Woman and London After Midnight.

1967- National Film Board of Canada Vault Fire

1993- Henderson Film Lab Fire in London. Destroys the original negatives of Satyajit Ray's Apu Trilogy as well as Ealing Studios Comedies.

Also at some point, George Eastman House had a vault fire that destroyed part of their collection.

Non-fire destruction


1948: Universal decides to toss out all of its silent library that it still has vaulted. By this time only a few hundred titles remain from the 5,000 films the studio produced prior to converting to talkies. The films, as well as screen tests and trailers, are destroyed to recover their silver content.

Decomposition has destroyed many films.

Paramount produced some 1,200 silents and by the late 1960s only about 250 survived.

Fox produced about 1200 silents and only about 120 are thought to still survive.

Warner Brothers silent library is just as depressing.

MGM silents from 1924-1929 seem to have had the best survival rate.

It is believed that less than 20 of 1917-1922 Goldwyn silents survive.

Frances Goldwyn ordered all of the post -1922 Goldwyn silent films destroyed (except the Winning of Barbara Worth because it starred Gary Cooper) because she believed they had no value. About that same amount of Metros pre-merge silents survive.

Roger Mayer went to work at MGM in the early 1960s and continued the preservation work begun by Louis Mayer of transferring their films to safety stock and insuring back up copies were being made. He couldn't work fast enough to stave off decomposition.

Only about 24% of silents are said to still survive.


* From: http://fan.tcm.com/_Vault-and-Nitrate-Fires-A-History/blog/346284/66470.html

[paul waines]

The two main fires were the one in 2008, and one in the mid 60's, I forget the exact date, but prints were lost in both of these. Uni said they had copies else where, but who knows for sure...!

[CSM]

Those are some of the scene's Jeff, spot Clive on the back wall....

Didn't Forry have that Painting for a while. Like you Jeff I wonder who has it now.

The way things are going - probably Kirk Hammett!

[CSM]

Some interesting info about vault fires and destruction of films/negatives not caused by fire:*



1914- Lubin fire in Philadelphia destroys Oliver Hardy's film debut as well as footage of McKinley's ambulance leaving the Expo after he was shot. Also lost in this fire Hobart Bosworth's version of The Sea Wolf.

1914- Los Angeles: The lab shared by Keystone and Ince Films has a fire destroying films.

1915- Edison's vault may have had a fire.

1924- Universal (East Coast)Vault Fire includes negatives to Universal films 1913-1924

1933- Warner Bros/First National Vault Fire destroys most of 1928-1930 Vitaphone talkies

1937- 20th Century-Fox (NJ)- Negatives for most of , if not all, pre-1935 Fox films destroyed. Big problem was that original negatives and fine grain masters were stored in the same vault.
"Cleopatra" starring Theda Bara is lost, so is "Way Down East" as well as films starring William Farnum, Harry Carey and Tom Mix are lost. Also companies such as Educational Pictures, World-Wide that Fox sub-distributed for are lost.

1940s- Museum of Modern Art suffers four major vault fires one which is said to have wiped out 2/3rds of the collection including Hans Richter's hand painted color animation Rhythmus 25.

1943- Harold Lloyd's personal vault has a fire. Losses include the Lonesome Luke series and the original camera negative of Safety Last!

c. 1950s- RKO has a major vault fire that results in the loss of Citizen Kane. Other RKO titles believed lost include Case of the Sgt, Grischa, Freckles, Laddie, Leathernecking, The Monkey's Paw, West of the Pecos, White Shoulders, Hit the Deck (soundtrack only survives) and Runaround.

1959- the Cinematheque Francaise has a vault fire that destroys films including Von Stroheims The Honeymoon.

1961- 20th Century Fox's New Jersey vault has a fire where the explosion could be heard for three miles. Lost films include most of Theda Bara's work.

1965- MGM has a vault explosion and fire that destroys the entire contents. Films include A Blind Bargain, The Divine Woman and London After Midnight.

1967- National Film Board of Canada Vault Fire

1993- Henderson Film Lab Fire in London. Destroys the original negatives of Satyajit Ray's Apu Trilogy as well as Ealing Studios Comedies.

Also at some point, George Eastman House had a vault fire that destroyed part of their collection.

Non-fire destruction


1948: Universal decides to toss out all of its silent library that it still has vaulted. By this time only a few hundred titles remain from the 5,000 films the studio produced prior to converting to talkies. The films, as well as screen tests and trailers, are destroyed to recover their silver content.

Decomposition has destroyed many films.

Paramount produced some 1,200 silents and by the late 1960s only about 250 survived.

Fox produced about 1200 silents and only about 120 are thought to still survive.

Warner Brothers silent library is just as depressing.

MGM silents from 1924-1929 seem to have had the best survival rate.

It is believed that less than 20 of 1917-1922 Goldwyn silents survive.

Frances Goldwyn ordered all of the post -1922 Goldwyn silent films destroyed (except the Winning of Barbara Worth because it starred Gary Cooper) because she believed they had no value. About that same amount of Metros pre-merge silents survive.

Roger Mayer went to work at MGM in the early 1960s and continued the preservation work begun by Louis Mayer of transferring their films to safety stock and insuring back up copies were being made. He couldn't work fast enough to stave off decomposition.

Only about 24% of silents are said to still survive.


* From: http://fan.tcm.com/_Vault-and-Nitrate-Fires-A-History/blog/346284/66470.html

So tragic!

[Louie D.]

The two main fires were the one in 2008, and one in the mid 60's, I forget the exact date, but prints were lost in both of these. Uni said they had copies else where, but who knows for sure...!

I know for sure as I heard it directly from an archivists mouth.  The film which was lost in the fires were copies, no films were "lost".

[paul waines]

That was in the 08 fire, they say only copies were lost in the 60's one also, but others say Universal don't even know what they lost. there was more than just films in these vaults, lots of paper work went with them.

If there was any chance of cut footage turning up. that 60's fire will have taken care of that, and just to make sure the last one will have seen anything else off.  As an example, If Uni never lost any master copies, why are some of the Sherlock Homes films made up from 16mm source prints and not off the masters...

[Louie D.]

That was in the 08 fire, they say only copies were lost in the 60's one also, but others say Universal don't even know what they lost. there was more than just films in these vaults, lots of paper work went with them.

Can you please find me an article or something else about the 60's fire?  I searched last night and couldn't find one thing.

If there was any chance of cut footage turning up. that 60's fire will have taken care of that, and just to make sure the last one will have seen anything else off.  As an example, If Uni never lost any master copies, why are some of the Sherlock Homes films made up from 16mm source prints and not off the masters...

Uh, nitrate rots.

[paul waines]

I read about the 60's fire quite a while back on CHFB, I'm sure if you read through, or try a search it will come up. If I get enough time,I'll have a look myself to refresh my memory if nothing else.... 

[Louie D.]

I read about the 60's fire quite a while back on CHFB, I'm sure if you read through, or try a search it will come up. If I get enough time,I'll have a look myself to refresh my memory if nothing else.... 

Yeah, please do.  I looked over there and found nothing.  I found it odd if this fire happened in the 60's there is no news report about it anywhere.  And I would certainly like to see actual documentation on this and not just some bonehead on a forum adding their two-cents.

[Louie D.]

Seymour Felix stage directs a bevvy of beauties in 1930's "Just Imagine"

[erik1925]

A quick, 5 minute search produced this:

The fire at Universal in the 1960s happened on May 15 1967. But it sounds like no film vault was threatened or burned. It was a backlot / set fire.

http://www.thestudiotour.com/ush/backlot/fire_1967.shtml

This devastating fire destroyed the Little Europe area (including the Court of Miracles). Part of Spartacus Square was spared, only to be destroyed 20 years later.

"Wind-whipped flames chew their way through movie and TV sets on Universal Studios' back lot, causing an estimated $1 million damage. A studio spokesman reported the fire, which sent flames 200 to 300 feet into the air, started near the "The Virginian" set then spread to the "Run For Your Life" filming area."

The 12-acre blaze consumed the "European," Denver" and "Laramie" street sets.


     


And from wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_Studios_Hollywood

"Universal Studios Hollywood's backlot has been damaged by fire 8 times throughout its history. The first was in 1932 when embers from a nearby bushfire were blown towards the backlot causing 4 movie sets to be destroyed causing over $100,000 damage.

Seventeen years later in 1949 another bushfire caused the complete destruction of one building and damage to two others. In 1957, the New York street film studio set was destroyed by an arson fire causing half a million dollars damage.

Ten years later, in 1967, twice as much damage was done when the Little Europe area and part of Spartacus Square was destroyed. It also destroyed the European, Denver and Laramie street sets."

Here is what was lost in the 2008 fire:

Destroyed were 40,000 to 50,000 archived digital video and film copies chronicling Universal's movie and TV classic shows, dating back to the 1920s, including the films Knocked Up and Atonement, the NBC series Law & Order, The Office, and Miami Vice, and CBS's I Love Lucy. Many audio master tapes from Universal Music have been destroyed as well. Universal president Ron Meyer stated that nothing irreplaceable was lost, meaning everything will be rebuilt again, at a price of at least $50 million.

[Louie D.]

A quick, 5 minute search produced this:

The fire at Universal in the 1960s happened on May 15 1967. But it sounds like no film vault was threatened or burned. It was a backlot / set fire.

http://www.thestudiotour.com/ush/backlot/fire_1967.shtml

This devastating fire destroyed the Little Europe area (including the Court of Miracles). Part of Spartacus Square was spared, only to be destroyed 20 years later.

"Wind-whipped flames chew their way through movie and TV sets on Universal Studios' back lot, causing an estimated $1 million damage. A studio spokesman reported the fire, which sent flames 200 to 300 feet into the air, started near the "The Virginian" set then spread to the "Run For Your Life" filming area."

The 12-acre blaze consumed the "European," Denver" and "Laramie" street sets.


     


And from wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_Studios_Hollywood

"Universal Studios Hollywood's backlot has been damaged by fire 8 times throughout its history. The first was in 1932 when embers from a nearby bushfire were blown towards the backlot causing 4 movie sets to be destroyed causing over $100,000 damage.

Seventeen years later in 1949 another bushfire caused the complete destruction of one building and damage to two others. In 1957, the New York street film studio set was destroyed by an arson fire causing half a million dollars damage.

Ten years later, in 1967, twice as much damage was done when the Little Europe area and part of Spartacus Square was destroyed. It also destroyed the European, Denver and Laramie street sets."

Here is what was lost in the 2008 fire:

Destroyed were 40,000 to 50,000 archived digital video and film copies chronicling Universal's movie and TV classic shows, dating back to the 1920s, including the films Knocked Up and Atonement, the NBC series Law & Order, The Office, and Miami Vice, and CBS's I Love Lucy. Many audio master tapes from Universal Music have been destroyed as well. Universal president Ron Meyer stated that nothing irreplaceable was lost, meaning everything will be rebuilt again, at a price of at least $50 million.

Just like I said.