Nitrateville Correction Dept: ISLE OF LOST SHIPS (1929)

[Richard M Roberts]

https://www.nitrateville.com/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=35402

Sorry to have to correct William K Everson, but the Library of Congress's print of ISLE OF LOST SHIPS is a complete silent version, I saw it at the 1990 Saginaw Cinesation and the film had complete intertitles and was terrific. I have no idea if LOC also has a mute sound version as well, but the one they delivered to Saginaw was the silent version, which they didn't know until they were getting ready to show it as the first show of the morning (I recall a delay while they roused Bob Vaughn who was still asleep and rushed him over to the Theater, him asking Terry Hoover and Dennis Atkinson "What's the damn thing about?" as they hurried him to the organ). There were also terrible dupes of the silent version circulating in 16mm in the 1970's.

I may also add that if a mute print of the sound version does also exists at LOC, there is also a complete set of Vitaphone discs listed as existing on the Vitaphone Project's database.

The film works perfectly well as a silent, with Noah Beery Sr. giving one of his wonderful scene-stealing villain performances, with a good score it would be a great digital release. However, if the prints are part of the Warner holdings, don't hold your breath expecting this to happen, public domain or not.

RICHARD M ROBERTS