London After Midnight is a 1927 American silent mystery film directed by Tod Browning and starring Lon Chaney, Marceline Day, Conrad Nagel, and Henry B. Walthall. The movie is based on Browning’s story “The Hypnotist” and follows the investigation of a wealthy man’s murder by Detective Burke (Nagel) and the mysterious hypnotist Professor Edward C. Burke (Chaney).
Despite being a highly anticipated film of its time, London After Midnight has been lost for decades. In fact, no known copies of the original film exist today. So why was such a significant piece of cinema history destroyed?
The answer lies in a series of unfortunate events that led to the disappearance of the only known print of London After Midnight.
Firstly, in 1967, MGM Studios had a vault fire which resulted in the loss of several films from their catalogue. London After Midnight was among them.
Secondly, MGM had created two versions of London After Midnight: one with sound effects and one without. The version with sound effects was destroyed during World War II when it was being shipped to England for preservation.
Thirdly, Browning had passed away before the release of the sound version, which meant that he couldn’t approve or disapprove it. The silent version was his final cut; hence preserving that would have been ideal but unfortunately has been lost as well.
Lastly, film reels were often reused during that era due to budget constraints and lack of storage space. As a result, many classic films were destroyed or lost forever due to neglect or ignorance.
Despite efforts by film enthusiasts over the years to locate even just a fragment or still image from the movie, nothing has been found so far.
In conclusion, London After Midnight is undoubtedly one of Hollywood’s most significant losses and showcases how fragile our cultural heritage can be when not preserved correctly. Its mysterious plot and iconic makeup designs made it one of the most notable films of the silent era. The loss of this film emphasizes the importance of film preservation and serves as a reminder to cherish and protect our artistic history.
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