Kieron Webb: Bryony Dixon be made in the surviving materials. insurviving the made be to improvements significant really for sible make pos now it techniques restoration ital new combination of photochemical and dig the era, but in thepre-digital restored fully Only rights-owners. by the BFI the and years the over done been has work re-printing or re-mastering Some restoration. full archival from benefited have DVDs and many in circulation prints to Hitchcock’s prominence, none of the due available been always have films these It’s although that surprising reassessment. for ripe is and completists among except toreputation. their and materials to both film the totion make difference areal in aposi was Archive ery, BFI the National and rediscov and restoration of in need most were these of his films Of all films. surviving nine first his at again to look moment propitious a BFI, the this seemed for so priority atop is work his of reassessment and preservation The Hitchcock. Alfred genius, celebrated most its film than British to represent better who and TurnerDickens, candidates, and obvious were 2012 London the Festival. for guns Shakespeare, big their out BFI, the wheeled including tions, Britain’s the Olympics, institu and cultural Jubilee the Queen’s of In this year Diamond His early work is still relatively unknown unknown relatively still is work early His Bryony Dixon Kieron & Webb Hitchcock Restoring — London : Curator of silent film, BFI National Archive, London Film Conservation Manager, BFI National Archive, London The Lodger Lodger The (1926) was was (1926) - - - - - it proved invaluable as a guide for checking checking for aguide as invaluable proved it asource as French the we couldn’t use version although In instance, shots. this different from entirely upalmost made is closely very look you if French the which and version, release temporary studio practice, which was vital in vital was which practice, studio temporary con about too alot We learned predilections. and new preservation masters. DCPs) tinted, them of three titles, thenine of (and 35mm prints restored facility, to produce own its at work restoration the of much doing as well as laboratories, digital external with worked have and rights-holders, and archives partner with research source print detailed undertaken have experts technical and rators surviving prints of of prints surviving in Hollywood). this in We two see can practice common camera, a second with a filming (rather shots than alternative from compiled example, made or second “export” negatives for Pictures, International British in theBlitz. censor records for the silent era were destroyed film British films,the and silent Hitchcock’s of any for survives paperwork on. production No evidence of the film prints themselves to go the restoration process, as we only had the lot about Hitchcock’s filmmaking style and style filmmaking Hitchcock’s about lot a –welearned time same the at titles nine There was a definite benefit to doing alldoing to benefit adefinite was There cu of BFI’sThe consisting team restoration The Ring (1927) Ring The British –the

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ARCHIVES AT WORK 87 | 10.2012 JFP the sequencing and continuity of the British reaction shot from Patsy as she points out the version. This practice also explained the feeling tea leaf to Hugh, and the arrival of Levet, the of “wrongness” about Champagne (1928), in stranger, right on cue. which shots are clumsily juxtaposed and several shots exhibit sub-standard acting. For this title, Of course presentation is the key to getting unless another print turns up one day, we don’t to the hearts of the audience. At the time of have the finished film as Hitchcock produced it. writing, four gala screenings have taken place, Hitchcock paid scrupulous attention to details, to great acclaim: The Pleasure Garden (1925), so if something was wrong in filmmaking terms at Wilton’s, a little gem of a Victorian London – even if he disliked the subject matter, as we music hall, with a score by 24-year-old musical know he did with Champagne – there was rea- prodigy Daniel Patrick Cohen, and the orches- son for us to question our source material. It tra bathed in coloured lights that changed in was as we were pondering this that Claire West, time with the film’s tints; Blackmail (1929), who did the comparison work on all the differ- with Neil Brand’s powerful score, at the British ent elements, discovered the words “2nd Neg” Museum, where the dénouement of the film scratched into the leader of Reel One. takes place; The Ring (1927), at the Hackney Empire, a theatre Hitchcock would certainly Gainsborough, the company which took have known, with a vibrant new jazz score over from Famous Players-Lasky at the by Soweto Kinch; and The Lodger (1926), with Islington studio, and for whom Hitchcock Nitin Sawhney’s full orchestral score, tri- made his first four films, seems to have umphed at the Barbican concert hall. been less-well-funded, and, as well as do- ing almost no marketing by comparison with THE RESTORATIONS better-heeled companies, preserved no nega- tives, so we were obliged to work from prints. Restoration work on Hitchcock’s nine sur- An unexpected compensation, however, has viving silent films as director will have taken been that for The Pleasure Garden (1925), over three years to complete when it finishes The Lodger (1926), and Downhill (1927) we later this year. The team has striven through- have evidence of the original tinting scheme, out the project to make the restored films the which we have been able to restore. products of thorough print research, intensive comparison and selection of source materials, The most exciting outcomes of the resto- rigorous and innovative scanning, and, finally, ration process have been to the first and last sensitive reproduction of the films’ original of Hitchcock’s silents – the astonishing quality textures in 35mm print and DCP. which was possible with a combination of wet- and dry-scanning from the original negative The BFI National Archive restored the of Blackmail (1929), and the reinstatement of films in close collaboration with Deluxe 142 in footage to The Pleasure Garden (1925). Working London, and as a result the work was spread with five different elements, we were able to re- across multiple locations. Additionally, the position small details which make the film flow commission of new scores for seven of the better and add to our knowledge of Hitchcock’s films meant their reconstruction was carried style. There was no debate about where the out in collaboration with the composers. The pieces of this puzzle would fit – the scripting is project’s focus, however, has been the indi- so logical that they wouldn’t fit anywhere else. vidual design of restoration for historically A good case in point was a seemingly random significant films. close-up of a cup of tea, found in one print but not the others. Close observation reveals that INTERNATIONAL SEARCH floating in the cup is a tea leaf – which ac- cording to an English “old wives’ tale” foretells Starting in 2009, we undertook a search for all the arrival of a stranger, for good or evil. It fits existing film elements. It is testament to the into a scheme Hitchcock has created of omens continuing respect in which Hitchcock’s work which warn Patsy against involvement with the is held that we were actively approached by character of Levet. The shot fits exactly with a several archives and collections with details of

90 Tea leaf close-up insert shot from restoring and presenting the films properly. for presented it opportunity inthe hilarating ex also and copies fragile or singular either in existing ultimately films of picture in its ing sober both been has films, report silent the a film’s of Hitchcock’s case In the existence. of nature the on back areport foremost and for reference. Any restoration project is first useful copies original and materials source both in identifying work technical subsequent the enabled and informed has restoration, of foundation crucial the always research, print This completed. was work comparison and tion Conservation Centre, where detailed inspec Archive’s the BFI National at assembled were restorations or benefited the project greatly. er elements that have sources become in the oth six and prints nitrate four were discoveries Fortunately, however, among the important them. from derived prints access were archives in other many those of and collections Archive the BFI National within were copies the extant of the majority that revealed the search pected, ex been have might as Overall, holdings. their of our FIAF colleagues and lending institu lending and FIAF our colleagues of tions from three continents, these copies Thanks to the generosityand enthusiasm The Pleasure Garden (1925) ------tertwined aspects: choices affecting the latter latter the affecting choices aspects: tertwined in are critically reconstruction and Scanning accordingly. tailored were elements original the of scanning the for plans that this stage authentic editorial reconstruction. It was at their as well as materials, source the for route determined the appropriate most restoration this analysis of conclusions The followed. then elements film available the of quality graphic photo and provenance, technical teristics, charac the physical of analysis A thorough hose that exist only as vintage nitrate nitrate vintage as only exist that hose 2. negatives original which for films hose 1. groups:into three categorized broadly be can silents Hitchcock’s the demands of reconstruction. to adjusted be will methods scanning as just the former, of by the results informed be will

prints ( prints Champagne and ( exist of each for exist that materials The t t and Theand Lodger The Blackmail Manxman, The Pleasure Garden ANALYSIS OF ELEMENTS ); ); ); ); , Downhill , , 91 - - - ­

Bryony Dixon ARCHIVES AT WORK Restoring Hitchcock 87 | 10.2012 JFP & Kieron Webb 3. and the films which no longer survive directly from the camera negative. Over time, in the form they were released (The Ring, as the negatives were repeatedly handled and The Farmer’s Wife, and Easy Virtue). acquired into archive collections, the overlap- ping shots were disassembled and joined end- Let’s start with the first group, those films for to-end. When printed, the sequence appears which original negatives exist: The Manxman, as a fade-out and fade-in rather than a mix, Blackmail, and Champagne. Although the and this is the way many have been seen in existence of the original camera negative en- archive access prints. Inspection of the nega- sures the best image quality in the restoration, tives at these points, judged in their narrative our understanding of its “nature” and correct context, can lead to a reasonable decision to reproduction is always enhanced by the corre- overlap the scans and make the dissolve. The sponding evaluation of contemporary release effect will look quite authentic, even as part prints. These can indicate the original edit, of a digital process, because the unevenness length of intertitles, and grading. We are for- of the fades is incorporated in the negatives. tunate that this is the case for The Manxman Again, this decision is easier if contemporary (1929), but it is almost the sole example within prints are available because the opticals will the project. The nitrate print confirmed the be incorporated in them. black and white release of the film, as indi- cated by the instruction “B/W” which was In the second group of Hitchcock’s silents scratched on the negative’s leaders, and pro- are the films that exist as nitrate prints: The vided additional frames for a shot that had Pleasure Garden, Downhill, and The Lodger. been abbreviated in the negative by damage. The Lodger, hitherto perhaps the best-known of Hitchcock’s silent films, survives as an as- Famously, Blackmail was released as sortment of nitrate print reels. Comparison Britain’s first part-talking feature, and two with Ivor Montagu’s typewritten list of inter- negatives were assembled: one for the silent titles (one of the few pieces of documentary version and one for the sound. Although the evidence relating to Hitchcock’s silents, apart silent negative was in a parlous state dimen- from press books) revealed that the film’s con- sionally, described below in the section about tinuity is nevertheless embodied almost fully. scanning, it was incredibly complete. Indeed, it is a fascinating locus of how optical effects The Pleasure Garden is sui generis among the were being produced at this time. Examining restorations, not least because it is Hitchcock’s the negative demonstrates that the optical first film as director. It is also the film which has effects, the fades and dissolves which are so been unequivocally transformed by reconstruc- important in the B.I.P. films, were produced in tion and restoration. For a long period, the film three ways: in the camera; as “(over)lap” dis- had circulated in what were apparently two solves; and in the lab as dupe negatives which versions. The first was the BFI’s viewing print, were then cut into the original negative. The derived from the sole nitrate print in the collec- latter method is, of course, how opticals were tion. The other was a print from the Raymond made in the subsequent decades of sound pro- Rohauer collection. Such were the differences duction. However, the sophisticated optical between the two that it was possible to believe printers and duplicating stocks designed for the film had been released originally in two ver- the purpose were not available in the 1920s, sions. The restoration team’s patience in pursu- and it is interesting to see that producers ing the international search was rewarded with wanted to include opticals even at the expense the discovery of four nitrate prints – one from of image quality. the BFI, one from EYE Film Institute Netherlands (who also loaned a nitrate print of Downhill), “Lap” dissolves were made up of the two one from the Cinémathèque française, and one shots to be mixed. Fades were created at the from Southern Methodist University in Dallas end of the outgoing shot and the start of the (which is preserved at George Eastman House). incoming shot. These were bi-packed in the The fifth copy was an acetate low-contrast printer, in contact with the print stock, and the positive, the master for the Rohauer printing effect was therefore generated for each print negative, and was kindly lent by Douris UK Ltd.

92 16mm reduction prints. Five of these are being are being these of Five prints. 16mm reduction in only as existing confirmed be currently can Virtue Hitchcock’s film last forGainsborough, The Ring theyreleased: were in which in theform ist narrative’s sense. to the made improvement the vast tive of indica synecdochically is example one This prints. Rohauer and Dutch the from frames of comprised is a table;hat of flight the the onto hat throws his Mander Miles shot, one level. In local the at made be could insertions small how overall,also but reconstructed be could film the how to see only not possible footage of the other copies. It was therefore the with intricately overlapped it incomplete, certainly although a“key” as because, acted print nitrate Dutch The negative. one been gether, it clear became that there had only restored extremely carefully, lab of a mix using extremely restored were films other the for Intertitles picture. the “sequences”, as digitally repaired to similar negative in the length correct and could be inthe they existed because intact, titles nal origi use the could we which filmfor only the background. ablack on text by white simply illustrated and dialogue, as solely almost used B.I.P., of style elegant more and to sparse the way gave cards. These by “art” illustrated ingly ap Again,there intertitles. of employment for their interesting particularly films are silent 1920s, the of Hitchcock’s productions narrative the sophisticated of examples as Considered negatives, are the earliest-generation sources. Wife Farmer’s of positives duplicating Acetate sources. the best of to restoration prior completeness and quality for compared florid, ofGainsborough style iscorrespond literary, times The at Pictures. International British and Gainsborough companies, tion produc two the between adifference pears films, we decided to afford them due atten due to them afford films,decided we tion in the restoration work. intion the restoration Lastly, there are the films which do not ex not do Lastly, which arefilms the there to examined be could theprints Once Given the importance of intertitles in the intertitles of the importance Given (1927), which nine the of one theonly is , APPROACH FOR INTERTITLES The Farmer’s Wife Farmer’s The , made in1960s the , made original from The Ring Ring The , and , and Blackmail Easy Virtue Easy and and was was Easy Easy The The ------. era negative precise but narrow splices, demanded inten demanded splices, narrow but precise dangerously combined with its incredibly stock, the film theof curl but astonishing, is in Blackmail tones photographic the of reproduction The scanning. of results the with happy very similarly, been wehave handling has been most intrusive. most been has handling where tail reels, of and head the at occurred these anticipated, As scratching. of because scanning wet-gate from benefit would which in Deluxe’s theatre to those identify scenes reviewed were scans the and resolution, 4K at of prints Centre. nitrate The Blackmail 1. of film. the exposures differing two from combined scan a outputs which flash”system, Pleasure Garden of prints nitrate the from achieved been have results good handling.sive By contrast, avoid this in the case of the of this in the case avoid to keen extremely wewere and in definition, loss perceptible but aslight entails scanning gate. However, in printing, wet-gate as just Garden – films silent last and first Hitchcock’s for copies gate. nitrate The awet- with scanner, the of tial use equipped ini the marked project Hitchcock The project. from the government’s Screen Heritage UK year,last funds with filmscanner ARRISCAN an acquired Archive BFI National The master. into thedigital edited and scanned tuation. These new film elements were then fluc grain,and to movement, introduce again printed and negative on stretch-printed were These frames. of individual by film-recording followed was inPhotoshop card each of tion reconstruc Careful techniques. digital and Tsuneishi. by Fumiko described usefully very been has materials ARRISCAN’s original with wet-gate

pp. 63-72. pp. Preservation Restoration”, Film of Journal Film Digital to Box aWooden “From Tsuneishi, Fumiko The challenges of managing the OFASPECTS THE RESTORATION PROCESS were scanned exclusively with the wet- the with exclusively scanned were

1 – were scanned at the Conservation the Conservation at scanned – were Our experience mirrors that, and, mirrors experience Our SCANNING AND COLOUR AND SCANNING . The negative was scanned dry, scanned was negative The using the scanner’s “double- The Pleasure Garden Garden Pleasure The Blackmail Blackmail 85, October 2011, 85, October The Pleasure Pleasure The ’s negative cam

and and The The 93 - - - - - ­

Bryony Dixon ARCHIVES AT WORK Restoring Hitchcock 87 | 10.2012 JFP & Kieron Webb Reproduction of the tones and tints found fr in three films, The Pleasure Garden, Downhill, and The Lodger, has also constituted a major Les Jeux olympiques de Londres en 2012 furent le cadre aspect of our restoration project. In the ab- d’une série d’événements culturels exceptionnels. La Natio- sence of scripts or other primary documen- nal Archive du British Film Institute a choisi de célébrer cette occasion avec le projet le plus ambitieux qu’il n’ait tation, it appears that these are the only jamais mis en avant : la restauration des neuf films muets Hitchcock films which were released domes- d’Alfred Hitchcock qui ont survécu. Le défi était de taille, tically in tinted and toned prints. Perhaps it is de la recherche de fonds à la rareté des matériaux d’ori- gine. Les résultats sont cependant plus que satisfaisants fortunate therefore that they survive only as et vont permettre à plusieurs générations d’étudier les pre- prints, because the prints themselves are the miers travaux d’un réalisateur dont la renommée n’en finit witnesses, often contradictory, to the films’ pas de grandir. Le travail de restauration a été l’occasion de plusieurs nouvelles découvertes pour les chercheurs qui tinting and toning schemes. Examination travaillent sur Hitchcock. L’absence de scripts, de dossiers de has been aimed at determining the colour studio, même d’évaluations de censure, a imposé à l’équipe schemes of British release prints, and these du BFI de pratiquer une véritable expertise sur l’art de faire un film chez Hitchcock de manière à s’assurer du bien fondé have been followed in the restorations. des diverses décisions qu’il fallait prendre et des interven- tions pratiquées. En cours de route, les chercheurs ont appris Following earlier work on Ponting’s The Great à mieux connaître l’homme et l’activité des studios britan- niques dans les années 20, ainsi qu’à se familiariser avec White Silence (1924) and Mander’s The First Born l’histoire complexe des matériaux d’archives. Bien qu’il ne (1928), we aimed to reproduce the colours in s’agisse pas de la première restauration numérique entre- the digital intermediate grade. This allows, of prise par le BFI, les techniques mises au point pour le pro- jet « Hitchcock muet » ont assurément aidé à améliorer de course, for practically limitless control over col- façon notable le travail final et du coup à assurer la conser- our and contrast, as well as the opportunity to vation à long terme de l’héritage de ce génie du cinéma. independently alter regions of the frame and parts of the image’s tonal range. These latter es possibilities were particularly advantageous in the reproduction of the tinting and toning Los Juegos Olímpicos de Londres de 2012 inspiraron una scheme of The Lodger, which combines blue serie de eventos culturales fecundos en Gran Bretaña. El toning and amber tinting in many night-time Archivo Nacional del BFI decidió celebrar el acontecimiento exterior sequences to mimic the foggy atmos- con un proyecto ambicioso: la restauración de las nueve películas mudas de Alfred Hitchcock que perduran hoy día. phere of the narrative. Having graded the col- El reto fue considerable – desde la obtención de Fuentes ours, we are very happy with their subsequent de financiación hasta el manejo de la escasez de material duplication in a variety of preservation and original –, pero los resultados fueron altamente satisfacto- rios y permitirán a los jóvenes de hoy y a las generaciones presentation formats: 35mm colour negative futuras disfrutar y estudiar las primeras obras de un direc- and prints; DCP; and HD video master. tor cuyo prestigio sigue creciendo. El proceso de restau- ración condujo a varios descubrimientos que constituyen una primicia para los estudiosos de Hitchcock. La ausencia Every ten years since 1952, the BFI’s maga- de guiones, fichas de los estudios, o incluso de aprecia- zine Sight & Sound has conducted a worldwide ciones de la censura, obligó al equipo del BFI a sumergirse poll to find the “greatest film of all time” as de lleno en el proceso mismo de dirección cinematográ- fica de Hitchcock para asegurarse de que sus decisiones e voted for by critics and historians (and indeed intervenciones eran las que él deseaba. Recorriendo este several FIAF archivists). It is timely that we camino, aprendimos más sobre el hombre mismo, sobre were able to bring audiences all nine of his sur- la práctica de los estudios británicos de los años 1920s, y sobre la compleja historia del material-fuente de los archi- viving silent films just as Hitchcock’sVertigo , vos. Esta no es desde luego la primera restauración digital after many years of climbing up the list, finally del BFI, pero las técnicas desarrolladas durante el proyecto toppled Citizen Kane from the No. 1 spot. With “Silent Hitchcock” contribuyeron de manera significativa a mejorar el resultado de los trabajos de restauración y a any great artist, early works are always reveal- asegurar la salvaguarda a largo plazo del legado de este ing, and we hope that peeling back the years genio de la cinematografía. of damage to these films will encourage all of us to look again at the work of a master.

94 The Lodger (1926) at the Barbican concert hall, London

The Ring (1927)