The 1912 lost film

[Karine Russel]

Is it really lost?
Somebody has watched it in Germany...
And others do say that it is lost!!!
Who must we know?
Even if it is not commercialized any more,could we watch it somewhere?

 

[Randy Bryan Bigham]

Dear Karine,

The Dorothy Gibson film, which I think you are referring to, is most assuredly a lost film. It has been mentioned often among film historians as one of the most sought-after, but as yet undiscovered, early silent films - and in at least one book on movie history there is a chapter on the film. I do not recall the title.

You must remember that, according to the American Film Institute, nearly 70% of all films pre-1930 are lost - "lost" meaning that they have been destroyed by old studios or else have deteriorated over the years in film archive vaults due to the nitrate they were made of.

The German 1912 film, "In Naucht und Eis" ("Of Night and Ice"?) does survive but has not been released commercially as, I imagine (since it was recently discovered), it is still being conserved by whatever archive now has it.

Inger Sheil did not specify in her post under the other thread but I would think the friend of hers who viewed this was looking at a specially-requested private viewing tape which researchers have access to (though often for outrageously high prices) in most film libraries/archives.

I hope this helps to clear up for you that, indeed, "Saved From the Titanic," released by Eclair Films in May 1912 and starring Dorothy Gibson, is sadly currently considered lost.

All the best,

Randy

Randy

 

[Inger Sheil]

Randy -

Will double check on the source once Monika gets home and check its availability - all I know is that it came from one of her contacts in Germany, a member of the German Titanic Society. In one horrific incident we nearly managed to tape over it...we'd just finished watching it (it's dubbed on a regular PAL cassete) and instead of 'rewind' 'record' was pressed. Cue near hysteria when we noticed half an hour later...but it turned out that the taping was done *after* the movie. She also has the German version of...Atlantic, isn't it? And, of course, the splendid German propoganda film, for which she provided a running translation (and editorial commentary!).

Inger

 

[Mike Herbold]

Inger:
There's also a translation of the '43 German propaganda film on Bill Walden's website:

Bill Walden's Home Page

Let us know if you find that copy of "In Nacht und Eis". You could probably cover your flight to the States by charging admission to that one.

 

[Inger Sheil]

Have the copy right here, Mike! It's plonked down on the shelf with all the rest of our collection (hers rather more extensive than mine, as most of my tapes are back in Oz). Monika is my housemate. I'll see if I can persuade Moni to let me freeze frame the text sections as the pop up onscreen, then ask her to translate and transcribe them.

 

[Edmund Turner]

Hi Karine, the film you mentioned starring Dorothy Gibson was called "Saved from the Titanic" but it later changed to "A Survivor of the Titanic" it opened to packed houses in Britain and Dorothy playing herself, wore the same water stained white satin evening dress,black shoes and sweater that she wore on the night of April 14.It was filmed in April/May 1912 and was 10 minutes long . Unfortunately the film was lost in a fire that devastated the Eclair studios in March of 1914
Ed

 

[Mike Herbold]

Inger:
I'm warming up the Guiness (Gads, do you guys really drink it warm?). Stephen Bottomore is apparently on a two week holiday, but I'm trying to find out from him where we all might find copies of "In Nacht und Eis" and "Atlantis".
Regards,
Mike Herbold

 

[Senan Molony]

Drinking Guinness warm is a crime.

Guinness should be drunk im nacht, eis-kalt.
If you drink too much it could leave you in a nebel.

Wet und wetter!

(German joke that will have them rolling in the aisles... in a methodical manner, of course)

 

[Inger Sheil]

Ok, this calls for a Guinness poem all in German:

Ein gutes Guinness, kalt und herb
das schmeckt zu jeder Zeit
so gut is es, dass mancher Mensch
es trinkt bis das er speit.

And just to be nitpicky it should be "bei Nacht" and eiskalt is one word.

Yes, you guessed right, I'm Inger's German flat-mate.

Well, my copy of "In Nacht und Eis" is a copy of the video of a friend who taped it off TV some time ago. He said after Cameron's "Titanic" was released most of these films were on TV, including "Atlantik" and some strange 1984 film about the inquiry, a film I have here but haven't watched yet.

So long,

Monika

 

[Mike Shetina]

Atlantic has much information on Atlantic the 1929 english version. I have it on video in a two pack that also includes a thirty minute documentary with footage of SOS Titnaic which you can find at SOS Titanic
Saved From The Titanic
Naucht Und Eis
Titanic 1996
Titanic 1997
Titanic 1953
A Night To Remember
Titanic 1943
Cavalcade
History Is Made At Night
Chambermaid On The Titanic
Raise The Tianic
No Greater Love
Atlantis
Atlantik
Titanic: Adventure Out Of Time
Starship Titanic
Britannic
There, an exhaustive list to Titanic films and games.
Just some info,
Mike Shetina

 

[Mikael Jonsson]

Was In nacht und Eis recorded on Olympic?
How many of you have seen it? I would love to read a review of it.

best regards, Mikael

 

[Mikael Jonsson]

And what is this film I found on ebay?

ebay:1580299456

A lost film about Titanic recently found. very Interesting.

 

[Neil McRae]

Strange. In the IMDB profile for "Saved From the Titanic" (click on the link in Mike's above post), someone has posted a user comment for the film, and judging by the language they use I would guess they're pretty young. I suppose it's possible he could be lying or thinking of another movie or had just seen a piece somewhere but...

 

[Veronika Kelemenová]

Karine: You are right. My friend in Germany has seen it,too. But nobody on this page believes me!!!!!!!!!

 

[Inger Sheil]

Veronika, I think we'd be delighted to believe that a lost copy of the Dorothy Gibson film had surfaced in Germany. You'll note that one of the people posting in this thead was Randy Bigham - Dorothy Gibson's biographer. If the film had been located, it would have caused a major stir in both Titanic and silent film circles. Perhaps you could ask your friend a few specific questions about the film, or invite them to come here to answer them? That way we could clear up which 1912 film your friend in Germany saw.