Found Films

[David Hopkins]

I read Aaron's posting with great interest. Too bad that those of us not in 
Tokyo won't get a chance to see this series.

As you may remember, I collect 78rpm records and have several that are 
benshi style "eiga kaisetsu." I've long suspected but have never been able 
to confirm that these are intended to go along with a home, silent, digest 
version of the film. Usually four sides, which would be about in the range 
of the 14 minutes Aaron notes for one. Interestingly enough, even into the 
sound era, the eiga kaisetsu record phenomenon continues, and still in the 
benshi style, not as radio dramatization a la Lux Theatre of the Air. Why 
consumers would choose to have a benshi version of a talkie is a mystery to 
me.

Aren't there similar digest versions of Uguisu and Tokyo Koshinkyoku?

Availability? It would be fun to try and reproduce the original experience. 
Most of what I've found are really minor ones.

I have only one of an American movie (and only one disk, not the complete 
set)--Ronald Coleman's Beau Geste (maybe 1925 or so?).

David Hopkins
Tenri University