Blotto - Preservation

All English language prints in circulation today derive from pre-print material as edited for the l937 reissue. In l993 safety preservation elements were struck from a nitrate composite lavender (fine grain master) which was several generations removed from the camera negative. As a result the picture continues to look fuzzy, not dense, and not sharp. The search continues for any surviving l930 English elements in printable condition.

 


The French version, UNE NUIT EXTRAVAGANTE, barely survived all these years behind The Iron Curtain. The nitrate was housed at the Czech National Film Archive in Prague. We have just converted a worn dupe negative, missing the titles section, containing jump cuts and soundtrack problems. The film appears to be abridged as well.

The 35mm Spanish preservation elements were step-printed in l988 and look best of all, although even these were manufactured from a nitrate composite dupe negative, which came from a lavender, generated by the camera negative, both of which are no longer extant.

A search has been authorized to upgrade all these elements, beginning with the property at 7l8 North Bedford Drive.

-- by Richard W. Bann --