Re: [AMIA-L] The Fall of Jerusalem

[Bob Birchard <bbirchard@EARTHLINK.NET>]

Northeast Historic Film wrote:

> August 22
> THE FALL OF JERUSALEM
>
> Historians of early cinema are baffled by a film discovered by Northeast
> Historic Film being screened on August 22 in Bucksport, Maine.  The print was
> donated to NHF by Alan Kattelle. Preservation by Haghefilm, courtesy George
> Eastman House.
>     The Fall of Jerusalem, as it was called when it was distributed in the
> early 1920s, is a biblical epic from the Old Testament and concerns the
> Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar's taking of the city.    None of the film
> scholars who have seen the  film have been able to identify its national
> origin, the original title or any of the actors in the film.  (A clip was
> shown at AMIA screenings night in Portland.  Many hmmms and a general
> agreement that it was probably produced in the early teens. No answers.)
>     The Fall of Jerusalem is a compelling, strange film. It was distributed
> by the Wholesome Film Company of Boston, a firm that opened in Boston in 1924
> and operated, we think, well latter part of  the 20th century.
>     It was probably imported from overseas, when "epic" films were enjoying a
> boom in the United States, although even that is uncertain. Historian
> Jan-Christopher Horak, who will introduce the film at the Alamo Theatre in
> Bucksport, has done an exhaustive search for reviews in contemporary film
> journals and trade periodicals, as well as in censorship records in New York
> and Pennsylvania, but has found no clues, nor even a list of credits. The
> mystery continues...
>
> The beautifully tinted silent film will be shown Thursday, August 22 at 7:30
> p.m. at the Alamo Theatre, 85 Main Street, Bucksport. There will be live
> piano accompaniment by Sylvia Moskovitz, who played for the National Film
> Registry film gala at Northeast Historic Film.  Tickets are $9 and $7 for
> Northeast Historic Film members, seniors and students. For more information
> call 207 469-0924.
>
> For frame enlarements see
> http://www.oldfilm.org/collections/preservationInfoLinks.htm

There seems to be (to my eye at least) some inconsistency in the frame
enlargements.  The first frame looks like American character actor Edward
Connelly (but nothing in Connelly's filmography suggests any films with Biblical
themes).  The other bottom two frames look like they come from a European
film--German or Hungarian from the look of of the costumes and make up.  Could
this unknown film have been cribbed together from pieces of foreign product and
an unfinished American film?


--
Bob Birchard
bbirchard@earthlink.net
http://www.mdle.com/ClassicFilms/Guest/birchard.htm