Unpacked and Ready for More
Sorry it took so long to update this space again, folks, but for some reason or another, when we got back to Vernon, we were extremely tired. I know, weird, right?
Well, the collection is safe and sound and the truck has been returned, and so we begin a new chapter in the ongoing project. This one involves getting some promised funds from the H.O.T. committee, which are necessary to creating the space that will become the collection’s permanent home. Along the way, we’ll have a fundraiser or two (or three, or four) to help us scare up some volunteers and some more funds for additional materials necessary to this collection and its maintenance.
And yet, even though I’m enjoying sleeping in my own bed, I find myself craving a Tim Horton’s coffee and cruller, and yes, even poutine. Hey, don’t knock it ’til you’ve tried it, folks. It was a wonderful trip and I know I speak for all of us on the board when I say we will cherish the deepening friendships we forged while in Toronto and look forward to seeing the family again when we get ready to open and christen the museum properly.
Please stay plugged in for more updates. I’ll try to give you regular reports on what is going on and our progress. Thanks everyone for your well-wishes, both on the road and off. We appreciate the support and are so glad to finally be moving forward with our plans.
Ron Hutchinson
June 24th, 2012 at 6:51 am
Hi! I’m Ron Hutchinson, Founder of The Vitaphone Project (www.vitaphoneproject.com)
For over 20 years, we’ve worked with collectors, archives and studios to seek out the soundtrack disks for 1926-30 early sound shorts and features. We then work to arrange their restoration so they may be seen and heard again. To date, we’ve been involved with over 125 shorts and 10 feature restorations.
I’m writing because my longtime friend, Joe Showler, had contacted me shortly before his death. As you may know, on his own Joe had arranged for the restoration of BEN POLLACK AND HIS CALIFORNIANS (Vitaphone, 1929) which has a young Benny Goodman in the band along with Jack Teagarden. Joe said he wanted The Vitaphone Project to get all the elements he had of this short so we could ensure it got to the right place for safe keeping, sharing and possible updated restoration.
Unfortunately, I was unable to get back to Joe to make arrangements before he died. I understand that all these elements (disk, 35mm and possible 16mm film, etc.) now reside at the Teagarden Museum in Vernon, Texas.
I would like to appeal to the Museum to consider helping us meet Joe’s wishes by allowing our Project to get this material, donated if you wish, to the UCLA Film & Television Archive. They are the ones that have restored virtually all of the Vitaphone shorts, and also hold the film and disk elements of many.
This would be very timely, as we are just launching the next round of 50 Vitaphone restorations in conjunction with UCLA, Warner Brothers, The Library of Congress, and The Vitaphone Project. Joe’s restoration was not state of the art and some of the picture was cropped. A stellar restoration could now be done and I can get this film into the pending pipeline of restorations, which is already funded. The museum would ultimately get a DVD of the finished new restoration.
Please let me know your thoughts on this. I hope you’ll consider this proposal, as it will not only fulfill Joe’s wishes, but will also result in a much superior restoration of this important short.
All the best,
Ron Hutchinson
The Vitaphone Project
(732) 463-8521
Mike "Bob" HOPE.
December 27th, 2012 at 5:08 am
What fantastic news; well done and good wishes to all the team involved.
Wish you All every success from J.T Fans in the U.K.