Tweet APRIL FOLLY (1920) project

[silentfilm]

Have reconstructed reel one of the film, which is missing. Reels 2-5 exist in good shape. Basic plot has Marion Davies as an author reading her manuscript. We then see the story she's reading with Davies playing a woman who poses as Lady Diana in order to deliver a diamond to South Africa. She is pursued by a famous jewel thief. Story is a little over the top, but I think that's the joke. She's not a very good writer, judging from the reaction of her publisher.

Anyway..... constructive criticism appreciated.

You got me intrigued. Picture looks good from the few scenes shown.

We want more!!!

Do you have an original logo from the original studio/production company that can be added (i.e. Paramount)?

I'll look for stills in the Brazilian resources.

Neat ads... Thanks

Let me know when to write my check, Ed.

Bob

Let me know when to write my check, Ed.

Bob

Thanks, Bob.... will be interesting to see reaction to a film with a missing reel. Guess I have nothing to lose.

Neat ads... Thanks

Check the stills from A SCENA MUDA (non microfilm version)... their Portuguese synopsis are usually useful in order to reconstruct scenes, as it was my case with ALL DOLLED UP.

[Danny Burk]

Let me know when to write my check, Ed.

Bob

Thanks, Bob.... will be interesting to see reaction to a film with a missing reel. Guess I have nothing to lose.

When it's that or nothing - easy choice for me.

Hi ED,

I would like to see the reaction to this film you are working on with a missing reel as I just acquired the lost "The Microscope Mystery 1916" with Constance Talmadge and I am having it transferred from the 3 existing reels to digital media.

Any advice on if reel 1 is at UCLA and not accessible and reel 4 is still to date ........lost. Would the public be interested in reels 2,3 and 5 restored if this film is also missing 1 to 2 reels?

Thanks in advance,
Dana

Hi ED,

I would like to see the reaction to this film you are working on with a missing reel as I just acquired the lost "The Microscope Mystery 1916" with Constance Talmadge and I am having it transferred from the 3 existing reels to digital media.

Any advice on if reel 1 is at UCLA and not accessible and reel 4 is still to date ........lost. Would the public be interested in reels 2,3 and 5 restored if this film is also missing 1 to 2 reels?

Thanks in advance,
Dana

Hard to say. For my missing reel 1, I created a 4-minute synopsis with stills and bits of film to set up the story. My guess is some (many?) film fans might not be interested, but then, what's the alternative? With 2 missing reels, your problems probably more than doubles, but then it might depend on the simplicity of the story. If you're looking at Kickstarter, if the fans don't support it, you've lost nothing but the time involved in setting up the campaign.

Thanks Ed,

Perhaps if UCLA says the 1 reel is "inaccessible and not currently set for restoration", would donating the 3 reels eventually to ULCA and negotiating with them to put a priority on restoration if they have 4 out of 5 reels improve the progress of allowing public to view in near future??

I have never worked with UCLA and will be there in August to discuss this with them as well as see the VHS Man From Red Gulch that is only available for viewing at UCLA, but I definitely plan on trying to get the 3 reels out to the public and what UCLA does with their donations, deposits, etc is up to there staff/funding priorities?? I guess?

Since you are the kickstarter expert , I will check back with you when I get the 3 reels transferred.

It looks good, Ed....certainly whetted my interest for the rest of it.

A few niggly things:
1) The credits stay up too long; I started to get impatient. You can snip a few seconds off each card and not be missing anything.
2) "Film opens..." feels like a sentence fragment; "The film opens..." would read better.
3) "The story begins..." may I suggest should be "Her story begins..." to make it clearer that this is a framing device for the movie proper? I was a little confused, and the viewer won't have the benefit of your explanation in this thread that that's what is going on here.

But this is little stuff; a really fine piece of work overall. I don't know that we'll miss reel 1 all that much with this reconstruction.

---Mark