Tweet Vitaphone Opera Shorts Thread

Hijacking this from a different thread:

Guys, Ron Hutchinson from The Vitaphone Project here. To set the record straight on this, like any other restoration, the status is tied directly to funding. While without question we want to see these done, any lapse between discovery and actual restoration is solely impacted by available funding --- about $100K. I am sure it will happen and I have some other options in the works. But we must realize that unless someone complaining about the delay wants to come up with the bucks themselves, they should sit tight. I own the disks and can vouch for the fact this is an extremely important film to restore. Something is brewing now, so think good thoughts. WB is always in the forefront of restoration funding and is currently underwriting over 50 new Vitaphone shorts restorations. So please, no criticism of them.

As an analogy, there are about 25 operatic shorts from 1926-29 needing restoration. Since 1992, I frequently get complaints from self-proclaimed opera buffs about why they haven't been restored. The answer is that while individuals have funded nearly 150 Vitaphone vaudeville and bandshorts, not one person, ever, has stepped up to fund an operatic. So I tell them to put their money where their mouth is, or stop complaining!

'Nuff said!

Well, hell, had I known I'd certainly pony up some dough for an opera short. I can't fund a whole one, but really, I'd be happy to give some dough. I love the Vitaphone opera shorts I've seen.

Have you considered using kickstarter for this and addressed to a specific short. Say one with a well known singer (like Gigli or someone) to get the ball rolling?

Here are the restorable operatics/classical Vitaphones. I was able to slip in three into the upcoming pipeline. Bottom line is after 21 years if no one has ever actually stepped up to fund one of these (unlike nearly 150 vaudeville & band shorts) they can't be that important. Or are opera fans just cheap? If someone (not me) wants to do a Kickstarter to raise the $5000 for one short, I wouldn't mind. Just no deductibility thru UCLA. Here's the list:

Beniamino Gigli in “Cavalleria Rusticana” 1927
Charles Hackett & Rosa Low in “Romeo et Juliette Tomb Scene” 1927
Gigli in selections from “Opera La Gioconda” 1927
Giuseppe De Luca singing “Largo al Factotum” 1927
John Charles Thomas in two selections 1927
Marion Talley, DeLuca, Gigli and Jeanne Gordon in quartette from “Rigoletto” 1927
Martinelli in “Celeste Aida” 1927
Martinelli in duet from Act IV of “La Juive” 1927
Martinelli in Selections from “Carmen” 1927
Rosa Raisa & Giacomo Rimini duet from “Trovatore” 1927
Schumann-Heink in three selections 1927
Schumann-Heink singing “By The Waters of the Minnetonka” & others 1927
Schumann-Heink singing “Danny Boy and others” 1927
Pasquale Amato in “A Neopolitan Romance” 1928
Charles Hackett in “Faust”, asst. by Chas. Baromeo 1929
Charles Hackett singing “Il Mio Tesoro Intanto” & “O Paradiso” 1929
Martinelli singing “M’Appari” from “Martha” 1929
Francis Alda singing “Ave Maria” 1930
Martinelli in “Prison Scene from ‘Faust’” 1930
Martinelli in Temple Scene from “Aida” 1930
Martinelli singing “Celeste Aida” 1930

Or are opera fans just cheap?

Given the price of opera tickets and the required donations for subscription seats, no they're not cheap.

I expect they are, however, unaware.

$5,000 for a short does not sound like it's all that expensive.

I'm not saying I won't do it, but I've got several irons in the fire right now. I'll think about a kickstarter campaign and poll my operatic buddies.