US Library of Congress finds most silent-era movies have been lost
Library of Congress cites 'alarming and irretrievable' loss of more than 70pc of the movies created between 1912 and 1929
Nearly three-quarters of feature-length silent films made in the US have been lost, and the legacy that put Hollywood at the forefront of the movie industry from 1912 to 1929 is endangered, the Library of Congress says.
The first comprehensive study of American feature-length films of the silent era unveiled by the library on Wednesday paints a distressing picture, with 70 per cent lost.
Classics films such as The Great Gatsby in 1926, the 1917 version of Cleopatra and actor Lon Chaney's 1927 London After Midnight are among movies considered lost in their complete form.
"The Library of Congress can now authoritatively report that the loss of American silent-era feature films constitutes an alarming and irretrievable loss to our nation's cultural record," Librarian of Congress James Billington said.
About 11,000 silent feature films of United States origin were released between 1912 and 1929. Only 14 per cent, or about 1,575, exist in their original format.
Of the films that did survive, 5 per cent are incomplete and 11 per cent of those that are complete are in lower-quality format or in foreign versions, according to the study.
"We have lost most of the creative record from the era that brought American movies to the pinnacle of world cinematic achievement in the 20th century," Billington said.