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As a practicing projectionist Davidson regards cinema of the early years of the century is
the screening of the film as a vital part of the art derived from seeing films in an artificial and
of collecting. He feels that the film should be inherently absurd situation: in a silent cinema in
shown under the best possible conditions. An black and white. Davidson sees appropriate
original print of a 35 mm colour duplicate is presentation as one of the principle roles of a
mandatory because the original tints are National Film Archive. It is only from viewing a
retained. "Black and white film was an invention carefully arranged screening as it was originally
of the talkie era", he explained: planned that an audience can derive the greatest
In one particular scene of Vaughan Marshall's satisfaction from the "Silent Film".
Environment made in 1927 this chap is delivering Because of the way these films are discovered,
a painting to a house in the middle of the night. and the fact that many films, although lost, are
He gives a quick knock on the door and buzzes still owned by those people who hold the rights,
off. You then see the owner of the house open there arises the delicate and legally sensitive
the door and there's the painting. Now in the situation regarding the copyright laws.
original print that whole scene was dark blue and Davidson's attitude to this problem is
you knew it was nighttime. In the copy they've straightforward and in many respects quite
got now in Canberra, and in any other copies sensible:
that will exist from now on, you see him there
and it's obviously in the daytime and people look If a man makes a film he owns that film. But a lot
at that and whinge, `That's not the night, it's the of the films that I've got were sold across the
middle of the day.' Of course it was, but it was counter -- particularly the ten-minute features.
never shown like that. They were sold at six pence a foot to the
Furthermore, although films did not talk they exhibitor and he was allowed to run them
were never shown silent. Even remote country whenever he liked, it was his property. The idea
cinemas could provide a pianist who could of the film companies then was that they called
improvise appropriate music as the film was themselves "film manufacturers". They
being shown. Cinemas in the cities could manufactured the film and they sold it at so much
frequently recruit entire orchestras and sound a foot and it was up to the exhibitor to get his
effects men. When Davidson screens his films at money back from that. I don't think that anyone
home he always plays suitable recorded music: should carry on with sour grapes if a film that
I saw a bad 16mm copy of Murnau's Faust, was presumably lost suddenly turns up. The man
which I've got an original 35mm print of. Now I who found it should be recognized for it. I don't
run that here, tinted scenes, the right music think people should hand him a piece of paper
behind it, the right backgrounds, and everything - and carry on saying, "This is ours". They should
especially the part where Faust provokes the be happy that the film exists. Nevertheless
Devil at the crossroads. There I play the music conflict over copyright laws still exists and
out of Fantasia, `The Night on Bald Mountain', clarification about legitimate ownership of old
and it fits in beautifully. I saw the same film being films is needed, both for the guidance of the film
screened at the Melbourne University to I'd say collectors and the original holders of film rights.
every part of two hundred students. It was on In addition to the legal aspects of film collection,
16mm, in black and white, dead silent! It just two more problems arise as the number of films
wasn't the same picture. If those two hundred- held by a collector increases. Storage is a
odd students saw that film, and they'd read the perpetual dilemma. Ideally all film should be
write-ups on Faust - and there's only good write- stored in a fireproof vault at a constant
ups on it - they'd wonder what in the hell are predetermined temperature and humidity. Since
people talking about. How could they enjoy this such a chamber is beyond the resources of most
stuff? But they didn't see Faust. They saw a bad film collectors, and since there is no central film
copy, silent. That just wasn't the way it was archive established to which collectors can send
meant to he, it wasn't like that! their irreplaceable films, storage is carried out on
Finally, it is also necessary that the film be an individual ad hoc basis. As Davidson
shown at silent speed. At 24 fps the original explained, some people, for some as yet
sense of timing is thrown completely askew. undefined reason, wrap their films in newspaper.
Davidson's concern for the art of presentation is There is also a collector in Caulfield who hoards
yet another indication of his love for film. It is a his films under the galvanized roof of his house
unique, pleasurable, and informative experience and never screens them:
to attend his screenings; it is an experience that They all have different methods. I like to put mine
is enjoyed by too few people in Australia today - on spools in a trunk and label them. Others will
especially those whose appreciation of the
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