Lost Japanese Films

[Jasper Sharp]

Talking of lost films, something that keeps coming up in conversations recently has been the following title:King Kong Appears in
Edo (Edo ni arawareta Kingu Kongu, 江戸に現れたキングコング,
Kumaga Sôya, 1938)
It's listed in the jmdb simply as キングコングCan anyone confirm it ever existed? It seems to good to be true. There's some information on the web, namely http://www.tcat.ne.jp/~oguchi/Ape%20Movie%201900-1939.htmlIt appears it only screened for one week only at most then disappeared, but I've never even heard of its production company Zenshou Kinema (Zenkatsu Kinema?) before - it makes me realise just how much weird stuff in the prewar period there was. So sad its all vanished!JasperMidnight Eye
www.midnighteye.comDate: Wed, 3 Dec 2008 13:39:06 +0000From: macyroger at yahoo.co.ukTo: KineJapan at lists.acs.ohio-state.eduSubject: Re: Lost Japanese Films








Dear Christiane Gruen,
You ask -
"Therefore we ask if anybody knows of any Japanese films, 
which are believed lost, that they please post to the list or get in touch with 
me at the email address listed below."
Alas, for Japan, the question is overwhelming, if not 
mocking, since most Japanese films are lost.  Of the many thousands of 
films made before 1940 (such as to be found on the JMDb website) all but a few 
hundred, I believe, are lost.  And plenty after this date are also 
lost - for example, Jasper Sharp points out, in his new book that most pink 
films have not been preserved. 
So, for practical reasons, our focus is on what films are 
preserved.  We have had recent threads on this list as to the availability 
of information on which films are preserved - see 'Film archive 
catalogues' and 'Japanese governmental 
agencies/film culture promotional policies'.  
Due to the lack of easy availability of preservation information, Professor 
High's pointer to his book is particularly useful.
 
The discussion on your website as to what might constitute 
a 'lost film' is valuable.  But whilst we have your attention, may I ask 
one question and make one suggestion, please?
 
Question: (Assuming the Deutsche Kinemathek is the 
institution in Germany that holds information on films preserved in 
Germany,)  Is it one of those institutions that puts on line the listing of 
those films it has preserved?  If so, what is the link, please.  If 
not, a listing of any East Asian films up to 1945 that are held would interest 
scholars, particularly as there are a few films that may have reached Berlin via 
Moscow.
 
Suggestion: There is another category of found films that 
are hidden, in so far as there is no budget to produce projection copies.  
Publicity for these might produce the positive result of procuring sponsorship 
for their projection and distribution.  For example, the only copy of a 
1923 film by Conrad Wiene, DIE MACHT DER 
FINSTERNIS, (with Russian actors and, presumably, a 
Russian script) exists at Waseda University, Tokyo with English titles - see the 
report by Dr. Uli Jung in Filmblatt, Summer, 2003.  Perhaps your 
institution could find the budget to combine the revival of this hidden German 
film with that of a Japanese film in a similar state?
 
sincerely,
Roger Macy
 
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Christiane Gruen" <Christiane.Gruen at gmx.de>
To: <kinejapan at lists.acs.ohio-state.edu>
Sent: Tuesday, December 02, 2008 3:52 
PM
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