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In 1991 a group of film buffs and record collectors met to discuss the possibility of seeking out the shellac soundtrack discs that accompanied early 1926-1930 Vitaphone (and other) talkie shorts and features. The Vitaphone Project was formed to accomplish this goal as well as to partner with the studios (particularly Turner/WB), film archives (UCLA, LOC, BFI), and private collectors worldwide in order to get these films restored and seen again. Of particular interest were the nearly 2,000 talkie short subjects, featuring vaudevillians, bands, opera singers, and comedians made by Vitaphone from 1926-1929. In many cases 35mm picture elements exist without an accompanying soundtrack.
Since its inception The Vitaphone Project has located over 3,000 12- and 16-inch shellac soundtrack discs in private hands, has assisted on the restoration of over 35 shorts and 12 features, and has developed nearly $300,000 in private funding for restorations. There are still over 80 shorts for which picture, but no sound, exists.
We need your help to continue to locate soundtrack discs, mute film elements, underwriters, and relatives of people who worked on these films. Loaners of discs get their own copy of the completed restoration, and underwriters of restorations (currently a tax deductible $4,500 through UCLA) also get a copy as well as on-screen credit.
Vitaphone News - Volume 1,
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Vitaphone
Sheet Music!
Vitaphone News - Volume 2,
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USA
TODAY Article
Vitaphone News - Volume 3,
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Vitaphone
Pictures!
Vitaphone News - Volume 4,
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Complete list of Restorable Vitaphone Shorts!!
Vitaphone News - Volume 5,
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Frequently
Asked Questions!! - VERY INTERESTING!
Vitaphone News - Volume 6,
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Visit with
Bob Gitt at UCLA
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Vitaphone DataBase
Vitaphone News - Volume 8,
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Links to other great sites
Vitaphone News - Volume 9,
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Notes for Vitaphone Varieties Volume 1!
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Notes for Vitaphone Varieties Volume 2!
Vitaphone News - Volume 11,
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Vitaphone News - Volume 12,
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Vitaphone News - Volume 13,
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Vitaphone News - Volume 14,
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ALL DONATIONS ARE WELCOME!
Your generous donations help to keep our Project going. Escalating printing and mailing costs make your support even more important than ever. While not tax-deductible, your donation allows us to continue spreading the word and seeking out disks and film elements for future restorations. Large donations for actual restorations go directly to UCLA Film and Television Archive (where support is tax deductible).
NEW! NEW! NEW! NEW! NEW! NEW!
We've just added a new thank-you gift for a donation of $50. It's a set of twelve 3x5 note cards and envelopes, each with a terrific vintage Vitaphone short still. Twelve different cards include pictures of bands, vaudevillians, the Vitaphone camera booth guys, and more. A unique way to send your friends a note the old fashioned way. Just specify you'd like the note cards when contributing. If you've sent in a donation lately, thanks! If you are receiving Vitaphone News and have not made contribution lately --- or ever -- please consider doing so now. In addition to thank-you audio CDs listed below, we are adding a few new items:
Selected from the 70+ Vitaphone disks acquired earlier last year are two new CDs:
2011 DISK-OVERIES VOL. 1 -includes soundtracks for 1929 shorts by Molly Picon and Dave Apollon, Ruth Etting with Arden & Ohman, Phil Baker and more.
2011 DISK-OVERIES VOL. 2 includes tracks from REDSKIN, a Vitaphone 1929 theatre holiday promo, Charles King in the lost 1929 MGM Colortone CLIMBING THE GOLDEN STAIRS and Al Trahan, plus more.
The above 2 CDs are individually for a $50 contribution, both for $75.
Also new...
For a $50 donation receive our DVD of twenty band, singing and vaudeville excerpts from 1930-39 British Pathetone shorts. Includes the bands of Billy Cotton, Harry Roy and Jack Hylton (recording at HMV in 1932!), plus Sophie Tucker, two clips with Al Bowlly, and many fun music hall and vaude acts. Just request our PATHETONE DVD when contributing!
For donations of $50, you can choose from one of the listed CDs, or you can receive a great Shaw and Lee caricature T-shirt.
And the following audio CDs are still available as thank-you gifts. These are unique, non-professional (but highly listenable) recordings of rare early talkie material. No fancy notes or packaging, but we are sure you'll enjoy them. Just let us know your choice (number of CDs is in parentheses)
If you wish to send a check (not tax deductible) please make it payable to RON HUTCHINSON (NOT The Vitaphone Project) and send it to:
THANK YOU!!
Movies and books related to Vitaphone can be purchased through Amazon.com by clicking on the items here!
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| VITAPHONE NEWS | ISSN 1066-5951 | |
| Corresponding Secretary & Editor | Ron Hutchinson | 5 Meade Court Piscataway, NJ 08854 (732) 463-8521 FAX: (732) 463-8521 medusashaircut@erols.com ron@vitaphoneproject.com |
| Database: | Patrick Picking | patrick@picking.com |
| Co-Founders: | John Newton | newtonjj2@aol.com |
| Sherwin Dunner | sherwindunner@yahoo.com | |
| Vince Giordano | vincegiordano@optonline.net | |
| Vitaphone Project Web Page Designer | Patrick Picking | patrick@picking.com |
| Vitaphone Project Web Page | http://www.vitaphoneproject.com | medusashaircut@erols.com ron@vitaphoneproject.com |
| Jeff Cohen's "Vitaphone Varieties" Site | http://vitaphone.blogspot.com | |
| Leonard Maltin's Site | http://www.leonardmaltin.com | |
| Talkie King | http://talkieking.blogspot.com | |
| Nitrateville | http://www.nitrateville.com | |
| "The Vitaphone Project" | ||
| OVERSEAS PROJECT EMMISSARIES UK: Malcolm Billingsley AUSTRALIA/NEW ZEALAND: Paul Brennan SCANDANAVIA: Jonas Nordin |
