Saturday, October 31, 1987

October 1987 Helsinki


Arthur von Gerlach: Vanina (DE 1922). Based on Stendhal. With Asta Nielsen (Vanina) and Paul Hartmann (Octavio). At the time, only a fantastic colour fragment had survived, but it was electrifying and unforgettable. Courtesy Enno Patalas / Münchner Filmmuseum.

I viewed many films on the viewing table to prepare program notes and to transcribe the dialogue / the intertitles. We had spoken earphone commentary before electronic subtitling was introduced in 1999. I myself often spoke the earphone commentary to German films. Many German classics of the 1920s had no intertitles (most famously, Der letzte Mann). Many German classics were destroyed in Germany during Hitler, and prints surviving abroad had French, English, etc. intertitles.

1 Oct 1987  I send my article "Dr. Kracauer's Cabinet" to the anthology Elokuvateorian valtavirtauksia [Main Currents in Film Theory]
1 Oct 1987  Nju (DE 1924). D: Paul Czinner. English / Spanish intertitles. SEA viewing table 35 mm, together with VP Makkonen
1 Oct 1987  Celebrating the 25th anniversary of Pentti Pajukallio at SEA, one of our most senior and venerable colleagues, at Ankkuri, Pursimiehenkatu / Kankurinkatu, Punavuori
3 Oct 1987  Onni pyörii (FI 1942). D: Toivo Särkkä. SEA Orion 35 mm
4 Oct 1987  La Roue (FR 1920-1923). D: Abel Gance. SEA Orion 35 mm. /18 fps/ 5 h. Cin. fr. With intermission. Meeting Matti Suurpää.
5 Oct 1987  Les Affaires publiques (FR 1934). D: Robert Bresson. SEA viewing table 35 mm. Bresson's first film has recently been redisovered, to the dismay of the director, as we learn from Vincent Pinel.
6 Oct 1987  Les Affaires publiques (FR 1934). D: Robert Bresson. SEA Orion 35 mm. Cin.fr. [2]
6 Oct 1987 Le Reflet de Claude Mercœur (FR 1923). D: Julien Duvivier. SEA Orion 35 mm. Cin. fr. [2]
6 Oct 1987  M*A*S*H (US 1970). D: Robert Altman. SEA Orion 35 mm
6 Oct 1987  This Is Elvis (US 1981). D: Malcolm Leo, Andrew Solt. SEA Orion 35 mm. (the beginning)
7 Oct 1987  Syncopation Animation - programme curated by Jayne Pilling (BFI). NB: Annabel Jankel & Rocky Morton = Cucumber Studios
- Susan Young: Carnival (GB 1985)
- Len Lye: A Colour Box (GB 1935)
- Oskar Fischinger: Studie Nr. 6 (DE 1929)
- Dave Fleischer: Betty Boop in Snow-White (US 1933)
- Norman McLaren: Boogie Doodle (CA 1940)
- Oskar Fischinger: Allegretto (DE 1936)
- Evelyn Lambart & Norman McLaren: Begone Dull Care (CA 1944)
- The Art of Noise: Close (to the Edit) - Version 2 (GB 1985). D: Matt Forrest. [Three music videos were made to the track, the first one by Zbigniew Rybczinski. This is the second one.]
- Len Lye: Musical Poster No. 1 (GB 1942)
- Friz Freleng: Three Little Bops (US 1957)
- Elvis Costello: Accidents Will Happen (1979). D: Annabel Jankel & Rocky Morton
- Tom Tom Club: Genius of Love (US 1982). D: Annabel Jankel & Rocky Morton
- Tom Tom Club: Pleasure of Love (US 1984). D: Annabel Jankel & Rocky Morton
- John Hubley: Rooty Toot Toot (US 1952).
- Russell & Challice: Virgin Megastore Ad (1985)
- Peter Gabriel: Sledgehammer (GB 1986). D: Stephen R. Johnson / Aardman Animations
- Donald Fagen: New Frontier (US 1983). D: Annabel Jankel & Rocky Morton
8 Oct 1987  Les Misérables I (FR 1925). D: Henri Fescourt. SEA Orion 35 mm, Cin. fr. [2]
8 Oct 1987  Les Misérables II (FR 1925). D: Henri Fescourt. SEA Orion 35 mm, Cin.fr. [2]
9 Oct 1987  Mikko Piela views House of Strangers on my video system
9 Oct 1987  L'Hirondelle et la Mésange (FR 1920/1984). D: André Antoine. SEA Pulsar viewing table, 35 mm, I transcribe the intertitles for the translator, new reconstruction of the masterpiece shot in 1920 and edited only now at la Cinémathèque francaise [2]
9 Oct 1987  At last I find a way to calculate the accurate duration of a silent film, based on the fact that there are 52 frames in one meter.
9 Oct 1987  Les Misérables III (FR 1925). D: Henri Fescourt. SEA Orion 35 mm, Cin. fr. [2]
9 Oct 1987  Les Misérables IV (FR 1925). D: Henri Fescourt. SEA Orion 35 mm, Cin. fr., the first half an hour [2]
9 Oct 1987 Night train Helsinki - Tampere, night bus Tampere - Pirkkala
11 Oct 1987  Lion of the Desert / Erämaan leijona / Löwe der Wüste (US/Libya 1980). D: Moustapha Akkad. SEA Orion 35 mm (I sample 15 min). Omar Mukhtar (Anthony Quinn), the liberator hero of Libya, vs. Mussolini (Rod Steiger)
12 Oct 1987  I adopt self-adhesive strips for program plan construction
12 Oct 1987  Outi Mehto views L'Hirondelle et la Mésange in my room
12 Oct 1987  Casanova (FR 1927). D: Alexandre Volkoff. SEA Pulsar 35 mm, Cin. fr., reel I, transcription of the intertitles for the translator
13 Oct 1987  The Scarface Mob / Poliisi taistelee (US 1959). D: Phil Karlson. SEA Orion 35 mm
14 Oct 1987  Casanova (FR 1927), reels II-VII. D: Alexandre Volkoff. SEA Pulsar 35 mm, Cin. fr. transcription of the intertitles for the translator
14 Oct 1987  The James Dean Story (US 1957). D: Robert Altman. SEA Orion video projection
15 Oct 1987  Flash Gordon (GB/US/NL 1980). D: Mike Hodges. SEA Orion 35 mm. Presenting the film archive to two school classes: Suutarilan yläasteen lukio / Leena Vahala. Helsingin 1. normaalikoulu / Elina Harjunen
16 Oct 1987  Kohlhiesels Töchter (DE 1920). D: Ernst Lubitsch. [X] SEA viewing table 35 mm, transcription of the intertitles for the translator
16 Oct 1987  Hintertreppe (DE 1921). D: Leopold Jessner, Paul Leni. [X] SEA viewing table 35 mm, transcription of the intertitles for the translator
16 Oct 1987  Vanina I, (DE 1922) D: Arthur von Gerlach. SEA viewing table 35 mm, transcription of the intertitles for the translator
17 Oct 1987  Vanina II-III, SEA viewing table 35 mm, transcription of the intertitles for the translator
17 Oct 1987  Die Strasse (DE 1923) D: Karl Grune. SEA viewing table 35 mm, transcription of the intertitles for the translator
17 Oct 1987  I translate Die Strasse, Vanina, Kohlhiesels Töchter
18 Oct 1987  That's Not All Folks! - programme curated by Jayne Pilling (BFI). SEA Orion. D: Tex Avery
- Who Killed Who (US 1943)
- Symphony in Slang (1951) 16 mm
- Red Hot Riding Hood (US 1943)
- Outfoxed (US 1941)
- Blitz Wolf (US 1942)
- Bad Luck Blackie (US 1949)
- Little Johnny Jet (US 1953) 16 mm
- Little Rural Riding Hood (US 1949) 16 mm
- TV of Tomorrow (US 1953)
- Magical Maestro (US 1952)
- North West Hounded Police (US 1946)
18 Oct 1987 Casanova (FR 1927). D: Alexandre Volkoff. SEA Orion 35 mm, Cin. fr. - sampling the beginning and the ending on screen
19 Oct 1987  Der Feind im Blut (DE 1931). D: Walther Ruttmann. SEA viewing table 35 mm nitrate, Swedish commentary, German dialogue, 61 min
20 Oct 1987  Fantasia sottomarina (IT 1939). D: Roberto Rossellini. SEA Orion 35 mm
20 Oct 1987  La nave bianca (IT 1941). D: Roberto Rossellini. SEA Orion 35 mm
21 Oct 1987  Kohlhiesels Töchter (DE 1920). D: Ernst Lubitsch. [X]  SEA Orion 35 mm. I speak the live voice earphone commentary in Finnish.
21 Oct 1987  Hintertreppe / Backstairs (DE 1921). D: Leopold Jessner, Paul Leni. [X] SEA Orion 35 mm. English intertitles
22 Oct 1987  Vanina (DE 1922). D: Arthur von Gerlach. [2] I speak the live voice earphone commentary in Finnish.
22 Oct 1987  A Hard Day's Night (GB 1964). D: Richard Lester. Sampling 15 min, including "And I Love Her". SEA Orion 35 mm
23 Oct 1987  Visiting the Helsingin Sanomat: Helena Ylänen introduces me to Mikael Fränti and Pertti Avola. We discuss the London Film Festival programme.
23 Oct 1987  L'uomo dalla croce / The Man with the Cross (IT 1943). D: Roberto Rossellini. SEA Orion 35 mm. Rossellini visits the bloodlands of Ukraine. I sample 15 min
23 Oct 1987  Wege zu Kraft und Schönheit / Tie voimaan ja kauneuteen / Road to Strength and Beauty (DE 1925). D: Wilhelm Prager. SEA viewing table 35 mm
23 Oct 1987  Sylvester / La Nuit de la St Sylvestre (DE 1924) D: Lupu Pick. SEA viewing table 35 mm
24 Oct 1987  Maailman kaunein tyttö (FI 1953). D: Veikko Itkonen. SEA Orion 35 mm
24 Oct 1987  Editing the translation of Andrei Tarkovski's Sculpting in Time into Finnish: struggling with diskettes that do not always have enough storage space
25 Oct 1987  Chuck Amuck - programme curated by Jayne Pilling (BFI). SEA Orion. D: Chuck Jones.
- Ali Baba Bunny (US 1957)
- For Scent-imental Reasons (US 1949)
- Rabbit Seasoning (US 1952)
- One Froggy Evening (US 1955)
- Rabbit of Seville (US 1950)
- Duck Dodgers of the 24½th Century (US 1953)
- Steal Wool (US 1957)
- Feed the Kitty (US 1952)
- Bully for Bugs (US 1953)
- To Beep Or Not to Beep (US 1963)
- What's Opera Doc? (US 1957)
25 Oct 1987  Die Strasse (DE 1923) D: Karl Grune. SEA Orion 35 mm (the beginning and the end)
25 Oct 1987  Translation of Andrei Tarkovski diskette: everything has disappeared
27 Oct 1987  Die Strasse (DE 1923) D: Karl Grune. [X] SEA screening room 35 mm, Peter von Bagh, Erkki Huhtamo
27 Oct 1987  Cartoons Spoof Hollywood - programme curated by Jayne Pilling (BFI). SEA Orion
- Tex Avery: Thugs With Dirty Mugs (US 1939)
- Chuck Jones: Past Performance (US 1953)
- Friz Freleng: Slick Hare (US 1947)
- Hanna & Barbera: Blue Cat Blues (US 1956)
- Bob Clampett: Coal Black and De Sebben Dwarves (US 1942)
- Chuck Jones: Duck Amuck (US 1953)
- Hanna & Barbera: Flirty Birdy (US 1945)
- Friz Freleng: You Oughta Be In Pictures (US 1940)
- Bob McKimson: What's Up Doc? (US 1950)
- Bob Clampett: Bacall to Arms (US 1946)
- Chuck Jones: Scarlet Pumpernickel (US 1959)
28 Oct 1987  Erkki Huhtamo views Francesco giullare di Dio and Die Strasse
28 Oct 1987  Wege zu Kraft und Schönheit (DE 1925). D: Wilhelm Prager. [X] SEA Orion 35 mm, 24 fps
29 Oct 1987  Risto Raitio views Trinidad
29 Oct 1987  Sylvester / La Nuit de la St Sylvestre (DE 1924) D: Lupu Pick. [X] SEA Orion 35 mm
29 Oct 1987  La macchina ammazzacattivi / The Machine That Kills (IT 1948). D: Roberto Rossellini. SEA Orion
30 Oct 1987  Varieté (DE 1925). D: E. A. Dupont. [X] SEA viewing table 35 mm
30 Oct 1987  Zur Chronik von Grieshuus (DE 1925). D: Arthur von Gerlach. [X] SEA viewing table 35 mm. English intertitles.
30 Oct 1987  Berlin die Symphonie der Grossstadt (DE 1927). D: Walther Ruttmann. [X] SEA viewing table 35 mm
31 Oct 1987  Further struggle with the Tarkovsky files. Finally everything gets printed out.