silent movies

Another silent movie I can’t show

This entry was posted in Movies Writing and tagged copyright silent movies YouTube on by

In the past few days, I’ve been working on accompaniment for the 1928 public domain silent film The Passion of Joan of Arc. I uploaded it to YouTube, but you won’t be able to see it. When the upload finished, YouTube informed me:

Copyrighted content has been detected in your video “The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928) with new accompaniment”. As a result, your video can no longer be monetized and has been blocked in 243 territories. The copyright owner may be either monetizing it, or receiving analytics about it in other territories. This is not a copyright strike and does not affect your channel.

(more…)

Silent film restorations and copyright 3

This entry was posted in Commentary Movies and tagged copyright silent movies on by

In January, I posted the 1925 silent film The Lost World to my YouTube channel together with my original accompaniment. A hundred-year-old movie is supposed to be out of copyright. The video is downloaded from the Internet Archive, which I took as confirmation of its public-domain status. Last week YouTube took it down, citing a copyright complaint by Flicker Alley. The issue is that Flicker Alley claims to hold copyright on the restoration of the movie which I downloaded.

So far I’ve taken two steps. I contacted Flicker Alley disputing the copyright claim. They responded promptly, insisting their copyright is valid. I then submitted a counter-claim to YouTube. What happens next depends on Flicker Alley’s next response. If they persist, I’ll have no choice but to keep the movie permanently off the Internet. Accompanying silent movies is a hobby that I don’t make a cent from, and it isn’t worth it to me to pay a lawyer to dispute the matter in court.
(more…)

Upcoming silent film: Peter Pan

This entry was posted in Movies and tagged fantasy silent movies on by

It’s time for another silent film with my live accompaniment at the Plaistow, NH library! This time it’s the 1924 Peter Pan, with Betty Bronson in the title role and Ernest Torrence as Captain Hook. Anna May Wong, one of my favorite silent actresses, has a small part as Princess Tiger Lily. The show is on Friday, April 11, at 1 PM. Admission and popcorn are free.
(more…)

Silent Film: It’s a Gift

This entry was posted in Movies and tagged silent movies on by

Snub Pollard is mostly remembered for his supporting roles in Harold Lloyd comedies, but he starred in some films. In It’s a Gift, he plays a Rube Goldberg-inspired inventor who creates assorted devices and demonstrates an automobile fuel which is vastly more efficient than gasoline. Maybe a little too efficient. There’s even a flying car.
Continue reading →