Historic Films Archive Discoveries

In 1915 actor/director Francis Ford, older brother of John Ford, directed and starred in THE HEART OF LINCOLN for Universal Pictures. As Moving Picture World described it in its January 30, 2015 edition “The part of Lincoln played by Francis Ford transcends any previous stage picture of the Great Emancipator with stirring battle scenes that wronged old Abe’s’ tender heart ... the supremist satisfaction to all." Both Ford brothers were obsessed with Lincoln and older brother Francis portrayed him in at least seven films. All considered “lost” save for the recently unearthed 1912 two reeler, WHEN LINCOLN PAID. Historic Film’s summer intern Daniel Martin, a student in Film Preservation at Toronto Metropolitan University, discovered the five 16mm reels while organizing a vault of Historic Films’ uncatalogued films.

Historic Film’s CEO Joe Lauro says, “These prints were likely struck for the emerging home and non-theatrical markets which begun in earnest after Kodak introduced 16mm film in 1923, the majority of silent era nitrate 35mm films are long gone but on occasion their 16mm counterparts, all on “safety” film have re-emerged.

In 1967, director Bert Tenzer produced and directed a wacky “Summer Of Love” comic Sci Fi extravaganza titled "2000 YEARS LATER". Described in it’s day as “A satirical film on fads in the USA, TV host (Casey Kasem!) on a late night show tries to convince his viewers that they should return to Rome and Roman ways…” The film includes the most gorgeous coverage of the March 1967 Los Angeles “Love-In” and rather high budget depictions of Roman battles. Historic, with the cooperation of the Tenzer estate, has given the film, unseen since 1969, a 6K redo, which includes a startling amount of outtakes like the Sunset Strip riots, LA topless bars, and Go-Go clubs. Besides the cast that includes Terry Thomas, Edward Everett Horton, and the band Peanut Butter Conspiracy the Roman outfits were designed by “topless” inventor Rudi Gernreigh. Lauro says “ these sorts of discoveries are what keeps me, after 40 plus years, in this business”.