Although you ’d be tempt to believe that all the films that have ever been nominate for Oscars — specially the 1 that actually walked out with a slight Au man — have been cherished , cared for , reckon after , and gather away for lover to enjoy for many days to come in , you ’d be wrong . Sadly enough , plenty of celluloid are considered “ lost , ” and not in the “ someone misplaced them somewhere but they ’re probably o.k. ” way , but more like “ do n’t exist anywhere . ”
The number on lost flick are scandalous — it ’s believe that the bulk of American silent films have been lose , and when it come to the early years of sound films ( from 1927 to 1950 ) , it ’s estimated that about one-half are lost ( the use of 35 mm “ safety movie ” after 1950 has helped curb losses in a handsome way ) . Although drive persist in place to quite literally find and restore those lose film , it ’s still wearisome going — and it ’s no surprisal that the Academy Film Archive is also in on the Holman Hunt with its “ Oscar ’s Most Wanted ” search , because a few of its own honorees arecurrently still neglect .
1.Song of the Flame(1930)
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This Alan Crosland - maneuver melodic drama hit the projection screen as an adaptation of the Oscar Hammerstein II and Otto A. Harbach Broadway light opera of the same name . The film was quite notably photographed entirely in Technicolor and was the very first color picture show to include a widescreen sequence , thanks to the Warner Bros. outgrowth known as “ Vitascope . ”
Clearly contract - edge visually , the film was also a bit of a wonder in the sound department , and was nominate for a Best Sound Recording Oscar for the 3rd Academy Awards . The flick is considered lost , but sound platter for five of its nine reels still exist ( thanks to another Warner Bros. mental process , “ Vitaphone , ” which commemorate the movie ’s soundtrack separately ) .
2.The Case of Sergeant Grischa(1930)
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It seems like 1930 might not have been a good class for the Best Sound Recording nominees , because yet another one of those Oscar hopefuls is also considered helpless . No print of the Herbert Brenon - calculate drama ( based on the German novel of the same name ) are believed to exist , which may be a good thing — historical inspection of the film were not genial .
3.The Broadway Melody(1929)
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The first of a string of other MGMBroadway Melodyfilms ( three not - quite - sequels attain screens in 1936 , 1938 , and 1940 with standardized plotlines ) , the 1929 Harry Beaumont melodic — the studio apartment ’s first — was a Brobdingnagian hit . The motion-picture show was n’t just commercially profitable , it was also the first sound film to win Best Picture ( it also meet nominations for Best Director and Best Actress ) .
Although the intact motion-picture show has not been lost , a massive piece of it has — the production was one of the first to use a Technicolor sequence that helped spawn the trend in other musicals of the fourth dimension . tell color sequence is presumed lose , and only a inglorious and whitened version has live .
4.The Private Life of Helen of Troy(1927)
Mostly Paper Dolls
This Alexander Korda silent pic has a few distinction under its toga — it was nominated for an Academy Award in 1929 ( the very first year of the Oscars ) for an prize that was give out just once . As the Oscars came into being during the conversion between silent film and talkies , one picky award that only utilise to silent pic made its way into the first ceremony : Best Title Writing . The Private Life of Helen of Troywas name in the category , which honored those responsible for for the intertitles that explicate action between aspect . While author Gerald Duffy did n’t win and died before the ceremony took stead , he was the very first person to be posthumously nominated for an Oscar .
The entire movie is not lose , but a large chunk of the center is missing . As of now , the British Film Institute has managed to keep two sections of the film ( from its beginning and terminal ) that run about half an hour long .
5.The Way of All Flesh(1927)
A number of Victor Fleming ’s mute cinema have been suffer over the year , but hisThe Way of All Fleshhas its own special note that set it apart from the plurality , even if it ’s for a especially sorry reasonableness .
Emil Jannings gain the Best Actor accolade for his dramatic portrayal of a put one across ( and occasionally intoxicated ) bank cashier who falls very far from grace as the moving-picture show twine on . Jannings ’ profits is noteworthy for a identification number of reasons — he was the very first histrion to win the honor at the first ceremonial and it was give to Jannings for two roles , not just one ( he also get the award for his work inThe Last Command)—but it ’s also the only Academy Award - win performance with no know copies ( or even sections ) usable .
6.A Star is Born(1954)
The Judy Garland - starring George Cukor classic notoriously had enough behind - the - scenes drama to satisfy even the most satanic film trivia fan , but underneath all of its many personal dramas there was a far more proficient snafu — the loss of many minutes of footage . Despite quite a little of production trouble ( including a switch from take in WarnerScope to shoot in CinemaScope after two entire weeks of product ) , the picture ’s first trailer were a huge succeeder . Which makes it all the more unknown that Cukor chopped 15 minutes from the film before its premiere , include a bit from the “ take over in the Trunk ” chronological succession and plenty of non - melodious drama .
While the musical segment has been restored and is let in in late house releases of the film , the other footage ( let in a number of fit focus on James Mason ’s Norman Maine character ) is consider lost in its original class , despite many renovation efforts ( the 1983 restoration of the film arrive with a “ reconstructed ” rendering of some scene , using production stills and soundtrack ) .
The film was nominated for a slew of Oscars in 1954 , including Best Actress , Best Actor , Best Art Direction , Best Costume Design , Best Original Song , and Best Original Score , though it did not take the air away with any Academy Award .
7.The Patriot(1928)
Our friend Emil Jannings ca n’t seem to capture a rupture . This Ernst Lubitsch - directed semi - biographical tale of Czar Paul I star Jannings as the mad czar , but like his other big lost film , The mode of All Flesh , no complete transcript remain .
In fact , The Patriotis the only film nominated for Best Picture that does not have a complete surviving copy . While the film did n’t ultimately make headway at the 2nd Academy Awards , it was the only dumb plastic film nominated that twelvemonth ( it was n’t until 2012 that another soundless film was even nominated for the honour , whenThe Artisttook home the figurine ) . The film did win that yr — pull out in the Oscar for Best Writing Achievement — to go alongside its other nominating address for Best Actor , Best Art Direction , and Best Director .
As of now , the celluloid ’s trailer is preserved by the UCLA Film and Television Archive , and one reel of the film has been found and preserved by the Cinemateca Portuguesa .
8.Chase of Death(1949)
This campaigner for the Best Short Subject , Two - reel Oscar ( from 1936 until 1956 , the Oscars separate between short films with “ Two - reel ” and “ One - reel ” sections ; the award is now lie with as “ Best resilient Action Short Film ” ) is considered lost . The Academy Film Archive presently has a case file subject for the film , and is actively look for it .
9.The Kiss(1958)
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Another short , this 19 - second John Hayes film was nominated for Live Action Short back in 1958 , but ultimately lost out to Disney’sGrand Canyon . The celluloid mark a stiff kickoff for Hayes , who go on to manoeuver a routine of B vitamin - movie literary genre picture , such asWalk the Angry BeachandGarden of the Dead . The Academy Film Archive is also actively searching for copies of the film .
