Deb Stoiber's Posts

Working in a facility that stores over 24,000 reels of nitrate film can sound daunting, but actually…I love it.  Everyday is a new adventure, as I wind through reels of film discovering new information.  One of the most frequent questions I am asked is: How do I know that I am looking at nitrate?

Well, first off, nitrate motion picture film was manufactured circa 1893 until 1951.  If a film was made after 1951 it is most likely not nitrate. In 1951 companies such as Kodak began the manufacturing of film stock to a newer compound called acetate (commonly referred to as ‘safety’.) Original nitrate stock was highly flammable… unlike acetate, which does not burn. One of the most common and simple ways to see which stock you have is to look at the edges of the film!

For example, Kodak printed clearly in black letters on the edge of the film indicating the stock.

As you can tell it is pretty simple and straightforward.

Now, if you see this information printed with WHITE LETTERS ON A BLACK BACKGROUND you are looking at print-through, or information coming from a previous generation of the source.  Always look for the clear black writing! In this photo, you can see the words ‘Agfa’ printed clearly in black and the words ‘nitrate film’ are in white.

This white lettering does not mean your film was manufactured on this stock.   It is print through!

The physical material is a story of its own, regardless of the images and sound printed on the film.  This is what we look for to help us identify when the film was made: if it is an original, a censored, foreign, or altered film.  This is what helps us preserve the images for tomorrow.

Oh, and if you are unsure of what materials you have in your home, here’s a reassuring hint: 8mm, super-8mm, and 16mm film stock were never manufactured on nitrate, regardless of the maker.  So if you have these around the house, don’t worry… they are safe!

Tune into future blog entries for more tips on how to identify your home movies…

The United States Post Office is one service that everyone uses, almost daily.  We use it to send all sorts of things – letters, photographs, gifts.  But how do you ship dangerous goods? 

Nitrate film is considered a class 4 flammable solid, cannot be shipped using regular methods, and must meet strict handling and documentation requirements. In other words, you cannot send it through your mailbox!

Using the standards of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) http://www.icao.int/ and the International Air Transport Association (IATA) http://www.iata.org/index.htm the United States follows set standards for shipping goods by air transport at both domestic and international levels.  Every aspect is tested, monitored, and regulated ranging from strength of shipping containers to size of labels, to specifically formatted declaration forms.  Every dangerous good is given a four digit number to identify the material in any country-regardless of the native language.  The person packing the hazardous material must be a trained and certified shipper, with his or her certificate lasting only two years before re-training is required.

Since 9/11, air transport in the USA has been under strict scrutiny, and changes were made not only to declaring goods, but to the regulation of maintaining safe passage.  So while many Americans saw an increase in security at the airport, they were unaware of the many changes made in shipping consumer goods across the country.   

Over the years, the motion picture department at GEH has been involved in extensive shipping of nitrate film both in the USA and around the world.  By sending nitrate film to places such as Los Angeles, Amsterdam, Sweden, Australia and Japan, we have truly made ourselves an international archive.  And here goes another shipment out the door…

Last week I received the March edition of Turner Classic Movie’s ‘Now Playing’ guide.  I always get excited when this arrives in my mailbox.  Breaking the seal, grabbing a highlighter and, like a kid in a candy store, I scan the rows of featured films.  I ask myself important questions, such as “How much open space is on the DVR?”  “How many can I watch in a day without drying my eyes out?”  But most importantly, I ask “What are the silent films of the month?”

 Most Sunday nights, TCM offers a silent movie, usually around midnight, Eastern Time.  This March 7^th is one of my favorites-SHOW PEOPLE (1928). 

Directed by King Vidor and starring Marion Davies and William Haines, it tells the story of a young girl who goes to Hollywood to become a dramatic actress and finds herself cast in slapstick comedies.

  Cameo appearances are made by such popular actors as Charlie Chaplin, Douglas Fairbanks, John Gilbert, and Mae Murray.  A funny, sweet and revealing story, SHOW PEOPLE is a wonderful behind the scenes look at life in the movies.  But while the title says it is about the people of show business, that isn’t the only thing you will see.  According to the TCM website: “Studio scenes were taken at the, by then, derelict Essanay studios, where such comedy greats as Chaplin and Mabel Normand had gotten their start. Shortly after filming, the whole place was demolished.” 

 George Eastman House holds the original nitrate camera negatives for SHOW PEOPLE in its vaults.  It is not available on DVD or video, but is fully preserved at GEH.  For more information on SHOW PEOPLE (and to vote on the TCM website for its release on DVD) please see   http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title.jsp?stid=2609.  Enjoy!

The George Eastman House has recently completed the preservation on THE OLD FOLKS AT HOME (Fine Arts Film Co., 1916.)  Directed by Chester Withey and starring Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree, Josephine Crowell, Elmer Clifton, and Mildred Harris [aka Mrs. Charles Chaplin], it is the story of the rural Coburn family, living a simple, yet happy, life on the homestead.  While John runs a modest campaign for state senator, his wife keeps their home and son in loving comfort. 

When the votes are counted, the family is thrilled to learn that Mr. Coburn has been elected!

Years pass, and we see the family in a new environment.  John is now running the state, and has little time for his former life.  Still, they go back to the homestead once a year, and try to stay in touch with their son, Stevie, who has turned to gambling and a scandalous woman.  Stevie becomes involved in a murder, and mother and father must make a difficult decision-help their son, or have him face the consequences with the state. 

The foundation for this preservation was a nitrate print brought to Eastman House in 2003 by Ted Larson and Harold “Rusty” Casselton.  These beloved film professors, historians, and film collectors were internationally known and respected restorers of rare and silent films.  Both collectors have passed on but will always be remembered for their enthusiasm and knowledge of film.  Ted and Rusty, on their way to Cinefest in Syracuse, NY, would visit Eastman House and talk to students of the Selznick School about film collecting and how they fell in love with cinema.  Over the years, the warm relationship with Ted and Rusty and the motion picture department evolved and an agreement was reached for some of their rare nitrate prints to be conserved at Eastman House.

 Although neither Ted nor Rusty survived to see the preservation of this film, the Eastman House is proud to carry on their work: to preserve, show and to inspire a love of film. (Preservation funded by the National Endowment of the Arts.)

Ted Larson

Rusty Casselton

We conduct regular inspections of our nitrate motion picture collections. This week the list included a wonderful 10-part silent serial preserved in 2001 by the Eastman House, titled THE CHINATOWN MYSTERY. 

What is a serial film?  Basically it is a series of films telling a continuing story where the audience needs to return to the cinema week after week in order to see the entire plot.  In order for this to work, producers of these films knew they had to create enough suspense and drama in their plots to keep the public interested. If someone in the audience missed a week, a foreword was usually added to remind the audience of the previous action.  In modern terms, think of such television shows as Lost or Flash Forward. Both shows start each episode with a summary of the show plot, and ends with a twist, making the public demand more and more from the creators, and extending from season to season. 

But what makes a successful serial?  According to In the Nick of Time: Motion Picture Sound Serials by William C. Cline, “The basic ingredients of a good serial-already clearly ordained in the silent form-consisted of a Hero, a Heroine, a Villain, his Henchmen, a Prize, and the Perils. ….Optional additives were to make the Hero or the Villain-or both-a mystery figure whose identity was revealed only in the final episode, to give the Hero an able and compatible Assistant, to place in jeopardy a likable Pawn, and to surround the protagonists with a substantial cast of believable solid characters.”  

What makes THE CHINATOWN MYSTERY a good serial is that it has all these characteristics.  A strong Hero (played by Joe Bonomo) who finds himself in the center of the action: 

A lovely heroine (played by Ruth Hyatt [sp]) whom is vulnerable, but anxious and willing to help our hero: 

Our Villain (Francis Ford) who is attempting to make a formula to create diamonds: 

And our case of believe side characters to help move the story along:

What will happen next?  Will our Hero save the Day?  What, or who is the Mysterious Figure in the Chinatown Mystery?  I won’t give it away, but I will mention that in its heyday, audiences were definitely in for an on-the-edge-of-your seat ‘to be continued…’ thrill ride. See you next week!