THE BIG PARADE on May TCM Schedule

[Gagman 66]

Everyone,

These is some good news, and some not so good. To start with, it seems very unlikely that we will be getting TCM debut's of BARDELYS THE MAGNIFICENT, or THE WHITE SISTER in May. Or even Chaney's THE MOCKERY/ I'm pretty sure BARDELYS will be shown on TCM prior to the Flicker Alley DVD release, so that pushes it back to at least June. This was just posted by TCM Prorgamer (Chuck Tabesh) an hour or so ago.

Sounds like they are running finally THE BIG PARADE again for the first time in 5 years, but it is not the brand new 2004 restoration everyone has been waiting to see for years! That pretty much tell's me that He is not expecting to see the new version ready to go in the forseeable future in broadcast format. As that is what He had been long holding out for. Hugely disappointing. On the other hand many people have never seen any version, and it's great to have it back on the schedule period. Hopefully, this will at least be a fresh broadcast master of the 1983 Thames Silents edition from Kevin Brownlow's Photoplay Productions? That would be great.

gagman66

Posts: 3,055
Registered: 2/12/03
Re: May schedule
Posted: Feb 20, 2009 5:08 PM in response to: tcmprogrammr Edit Reply

tcmprogrammr,

Well, at least you are finally running the film again. Thank you. Any update on when the new version might finally see the light of day???

How about some of these other movies? THE WHITE SISTER (1923), BARDELYS THE MAGNIFICENT (1926), THE MOCKERY (1927), Etc. All ongoing projects that we have read about several times on these boards over the past few months. Did you manage to get INCENDIARY BLONDE, or any other rare Betty Hutton features?

Really appreciated the premier of Frank Borzage's THE POWER AND THE GLORY last month. A gorgeous print too. It's also great that you picked up Victor Seastrom's THE PHANTOM CHARRIOT and will be running it soon. Thanks for any news.


tcmprogrammr

Posts: 219
Registered: 10/1/05
Ignore Member
Re: May schedule
Posted: Feb 20, 2009 3:29 PM in response to: gagman66 Reply

Sorry, it won't be out until Monday. But then for sure. Gagman, I don't think you'll be too happy - we're playing "The Big Parade," but the restored version isn't available yet.


gagman66

Posts: 3,055
Registered: 2/12/03
Re: May schedule
Posted: Feb 20, 2009 2:53 PM in response to: tcmprogrammr Edit Reply

tcmprogrammr,

Thanks so much sir. I sure hope "the one movie" is among the handful of titles that I have been waiting so long for? And if so, that it gets confirmed! Rest assured, we always appreciate all your efforts. Keep up the good work!

[drednm]

still a great film, Jeff..... maybe it will earn a few more John Gilbert fans....

[Moraldo Rubini]

Glad to see you posted this. After seeing a screening of The Crowd the other night, I was mentioned that now The Big Parade is my next must-see to check off the list. I'd prefer to see it in a theatre first, but it's nice to know that TCM will be playing it soon. After hearing about the restoration over the last few years, I'd be interested to know its status. I keep expecting it to show up in a revival...

[Gagman 66]

Moraldo Rubini,

The new version is forth-coming from Warner Home Video, but I have no idea how soon it will be ready? It was supposed to be out before the end of the year, but that appears remote at best, based on the comments during the Warner Chat last week. At least the way that I took them. Robert Israel and His Orchestra have preformed to the original 1925 Axt-Mendoza score at live a handful of times, at screenings of the new restoration since late 2004, most recently at a festival in late 2007. But this music to my knowledge has never been recorded.

I'm just not impressed with the news about Warner's working on getting the Thames Silents MGM titles out on DVD. We already knew that along time ago. IIt seems unlikely that we will see anything this year. Unless, We can get more information from Kevin Brownlow saying otherwise. The term "discussions" would seem to indicate that nothing has really been done yet with these projects? At least not in terms of matching up the old scores with the new prints. Bruce Calvert had said they were actively working with Kevin Brownlow, but that is not what I read in the transcript of the Warner's chat. It merely said that they had been talking with Photoplay Productions.

<Eric_Peterson> Do you have any plans to follow in the footsteps of FOX regarding their deluxe treatments of silent films and early talkies? I could easily see WB putting together a set centered around the works of King Vidor, Erich Von Stroheim, & Victor Seastrom, & Ernst Lubitsch. I for one would happily open my wallet for such a deluxe set.<warnerbros> Indeed. Many of you have wondered...Where's THE BIG PARADE, THE WIND, THE CROWD, etc.We want to honor these films in the way they were presented by Kevin Brownlow in the Thames series of silents. To that end, we have been in discussions with Photoplay (Kevin's company) to work together to update the restorations on all those premiere silent pictures. Meanwhile, we will be releasing about 20 other silent films through Warner-Archive.com in addition to those already announced

I would love to be proven wrong. In fairness, the older 1983 Thames Silents edition is not a bad print at all. Much better in-fact that allot of other Silents look. It is the only version I have ever seen, and you will not be disappointed. Wish they were not airing it so late at night in May.

[Moraldo Rubini]

Thanks 66. And I hope if anyone hears of a revival playing this film in a theatre anywhere, that they'll announce it on the board. I'm willing to fly for this one...

[Gagman 66]

Moraldo,

I have been repeatedly told that festivals keep on passing up on screening the new restoration of THE BIG PARADE, as it is 149 minutes long. The Thames Silents edition ran 126 minutes. It frustrates me too that it is not screened more often. If I run across any information about the film running at an up-coming event I will let you know. No need to wait until the middle of May to see the film, I can mail you a copy tomorrow. Send a PM. I have both an Laser-disc transfer, and the print that runs ofn TCM, and they are slightly different, though both have the Carl Davis score.