The quest goes on

The Daily Telegraph covers today the research of a remaining copy of the first film version of Wuthering Heights.

Inquiries in Hollywood, New York and Paris by the Brontë Museum have so far drawn a blank on the whereabouts of what is thought to be the first recorded version of the classic novel, shot in 1920.
Only a few stills and photographs taken during filming in and around the Brontës' home in Haworth, West Yorkshire, are so far in evidence.
The film, which at the time was billed as "Emily Brontë's tremendous story of hate", was on six reels and lasted for around 90 minutes.
It was made by the Soho-based Ideal Film Company, later taken over by the Rank Organisation and now part of the Carlton TV-media empire.

"We have contacted an impressive number of people and organisations, from the Academy of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles and the Library of Congress, to Kevin Brownlow, an acknowledged expert on silent films, but so far no one seems to have a copy," she said.
"It would be wonderful to have in our collection. We have a huge number of programmes and stills of all the many adaptations and in recent years there has been a huge interest in the films.
"We get a lot of researchers coming to look at our drama archives."
(...)
The search was launched after the museum was given an album of photographs presented originally by the film's producer, A V Bramble, to Jonas Bradley, the head teacher of the local school at Stanbury, who acted as his consultant and adviser.
Bradley, a founder member of the Brontë Society and an authority on the family, spent four days showing Bramble potential locations.
Mrs Dinsdale said: "Previous curators have tried to find this film, but not got very far. We decided that the time had now come to make a concerted effort.
"We want to hear from anyone who has any information about the film. Were you there?
"Did your grandparents talk about the fascinating events in the village, which must have caused quite a stir? And ultimately, has anyone got a copy of the film?"

The Media Release from the Brontë Society can be read here.

Note: We don't know for certain if the picture is really from the 1920 WH version (it's taken from here) but si non è vero, è ben trovato :P.
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The new is also covered by the BBC here

Categories: In_the_News, Movies-DVD-TV, Wuthering_Heights