There Is Something I Must Do, There Is Something I Must Do: Hold a Blogathon!

Happy Mother’s Day, blogosphere! After you pick out a nice bunch of flowers for your mom, we’d love to have you join us as we celebrate the biggest mother of a party the Internet has ever known: For the Love of Film: The Film Preservation Blogathon III.

The first Film Preservation Blogathon raised funds to help the National Film Preservation Foundation repatriate and restore The Sergeant and The Better Man, two of the more than 100 silent-era American films found in New Zealand Film Archive. Both films are available on the NFPF Treasures 5: The West box set, which will be among the prizes that will be raffled at random to 10 lucky donors. The second Blogathon raised funds to help the Film Noir Foundation restore blacklisted director Cy Endfield’s 1950 film The Sound of Fury. The restoration will begin in January 2013, and the film will repremiere at NOIR CITY 12 in San Francisco in 2014.

This year’s event has us working with the good people at NFPF again, and the theme this year is ACCESS. Among the trove of films found in New Zealand were three reels of the 1923 melodrama The White Shadow. Directed by Graham Cutts, it was also the first film Alfred Hitchcock had a major role in creating (assistant director, screenwriter, film editor, production designer, art director, set decorator). The film was restored in New Zealand and repremiered by AMPAS last September at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Los Angeles. If you weren’t there, you’re probably sitting around hoping some repertory theater near you will book it so you can see it.

Silent film scorer extraordinaire Michael Mortilla

That’s where we come in. NFPF is committed to making many of the films they have rescued available for cost-free viewing by streaming them on their website. But online hosting ain’t cheap. NFPF estimates that it will cost $15,000 to stream The White Shadow for four months and record the marvelous new score written for it by Michael Mortilla. It is the mission of this year’s For the Love of Film Blogathon to raise that money so that anyone with access to a computer can watch this amazing early film that offered Hitchcock a chance to learn his craft, with a score that does it justice.

And without further ado, that’s exactly what we plan to do for the next six days. I’ll be your host today and tomorrow, and then this floating fundraising festival moves to Farran Smith Nehme’s blog Self-Styled Siren. My esteemed blog partner, Rod Heath, will host the final two days at his solo blog This Island Rod.

Remember, this is a fundraising blogathon. Run around the Internet and read all the amazing posts from the knowledgable film blogathoners who will be participating and DONATE today! Several lucky donors will win some great prizes in our random drawing, including Roger Ebert’s 2011 memoir Life Itself!

The blogathon home page moves to This Island Rod on May 17.

Monday, May 14

Today’s winner of a DVD box set from NFPF is Catherine Grant, one of our blogathoners and biggest supporters. Thanks for your donation today, Catherine!

Over at Shadowplay, David Cairns is given the neglected director of our project film some attention. He reviews Graham Cutts’ musical comedy Car of Dreams.

Darren Mooney of The MOvie Blog is back again with another fascinating Alfred Hitchcock Presents episode, “Breakdown.” The second episode he examines today is “Mrs. Bixby & the Colonel’s Coat.”

Film instructor Michael G. Smith joins the party with a review of the Blu-ray of the very popular Hitchcock film Notorious. It’s a great read over at White City Cinema.

Our great supporter Jacqueline T. Lynch of Another Old Movie Blog takes a deep dive into the train sequence in North by Northwest. You’ll want to take this ride, trust me.

The great Ed Howard is back with another of his masterful reviews, this time of Hitch’s The Manxman, at his essential blog Only the Cinema.

We’re thrilled Dave Enkosky has joined the blogathon with one of my favorite overlooked Hitchcock films Number 17. Read all about it at KL5-FILM.

The utterly fabulous Catherine Grant has posted her contributions over at Film Studies for Free: “Audiovisual Alfred Hitchcock Studies“, with new essays by Christian Keathley (on Strangers on a Train) and Catherine (on Rope) plus links to LOTS more viewing and Filmanalytical‘s somewhat more in-depth look at film criticism and issues of editing in Rope.

Lee Price continues his look at Hitch and Michael Powell over at 21 Essays with their new uses for old places. What a great idea, Lee!

Ben Alpers brings us a terrific essay on Hitch, Michael Powell (again!), and cinematic reputation at a truly stellar blog, U.S. Intellectual History. Glad to have you back, Ben!

The morning laugh from Hilary Barta at Limewrecks. He takes on Notorious today, and I’m still laughing. (OK, I like silly humor…) Here’s his second entry for the day, a poem to the Hitchcockian version of an all too common form of Hollywood harassment.

I’ve had my morning Coffee, coffee, and more coffee served by Peter Nellhaus as he takes a look at the Korean film M, which may have been inspired by a dream about Hitchcock.

Josh Zyber talks about a famous glass of milk and more at Hi Def Digest. Welcome to the blogathon, Josh. We look forward to reading your afternoon post!

Allan Fish, great champion of early cinema who blogs at Wonders in the Dark, has come up with a truly stellar post on lost films he’d most like to have back, focusing attention on the preservation mission of this blogathon. It’s an honor, Allan.

Sean Gilman has honored us with another post on The End of Cinema. Today, he takes a look at Hitch’s Stage Fright, with a story built on a lie.

The Hitchcock kiss is the subject of Hind Mezaina‘s second contribution. Take a look at her blog The Culturist and enjoy!

Casey Maddren has a very interesting post on the film preservation resources and results in Mexico’s film industry at her blog Reality Is Scary. A very unique and useful post, Casey. Thanks!

Cinema Sight‘s Wesley Lovell, Peter J. Patrick and Tripp Burton are counting down their 10 favorite Hitchcock films all week. Great insight into the tastes of three great film critics!

WB Kelso is back with more Hitch ads on Scenes from the Morgue. Up today are Saboteur and Frenzy, and then a drive-in double-feature of To Catch a Thief and The Man Who Knew Too Much. Wow!

WB Kelso also graces us with a thoughtful look at Saboteur at Micro-Brewed Reviews, a cool site with a great banner! Check it out.

Leticia at Critica Retro is our first foreign-language contributor. Her Brazil-based blog (with translator button) discusses the film lost-and-found business, including the amazing discovery of missing footage from Metropolis. Le is only 18 years old and interested in silent and classic film. Bravo e obrigado, Le!

Christianne Benedict of Krell Laboratories is back with another great post, this time on the Robert Bloch book that formed the basis for Psycho, and the movie’s own inventions. “Why she wouldn’t even harm a fly!”

Danny Miller posts his inaugural contribution to the blogathon at MSN’s Hitlist with a profile of color film pioneer Natalie Kalmus.

Joe Thompson returns again this year with a post on the 1963 Film Daily Year Book of Motion Pictures and its references to Hitchcock. Go take a look at The Pneumatic Rolling-Machine Carrier Delusion.

Sunday, May 13

Today’s winner of a DVD box set from NFPF is Katherine Kehoe. Thanks for your donation today, Katherine!

Kicking off our blogathon right here on Ferdy on Films is Rod Heath with an amazing post on arguably the best film Alfred Hitchcock ever made: Vertigo.

John McElwee’s Greenbriar Picture Shows offers a great rundown of Hitch’s The 39 Steps, with fascinating ads, production styles, and a fabulous production history. Terrific post, John! Thanks!

Darren Mooney at The MOvie Blog goes into Hitch’s television vault to present a truly masterful account of an episode from Alfred Hitchcock Presents “Revenge.” Great stuff, Darren. And in his second post of the day, Darren reviews another Alfred Hitchcock Presents program, “Lamb to the Slaughter.”

Our good friend Peter Nellhaus has poured us a great cuppa at Coffee, Coffee, and More Coffee: a screencap that features a certain director making his usual cameo appearance. Thanks, Peter!

Bob Fergusson at Allure has provided one of my favorite kinds of posts: posters of a number of Hitchcock films in other languages. Check it out!

My favorite movie poet Hilary Barta has come up with a terrific limerick for Strangers on a Train to kick this day off over at Limewrecks. And here’s another one!

Rhett Bartlett of Dial M for Movies has made the best use of Tumblr since Cute Boys with Cats was started: the last frame of every surviving Hitchcock film. Way to be creative, Rhett!

Aurora from Once Upon a Screen has a dynamite entry on Hitchcock’s visual signature. A really meaty entry for your Sunday reading. Thanks, Aurora!

We’ve got a wonderful post from Rachel at The Girl with the White Parasol on one of my favorite actresses in one of her best performances: Teresa Wright in Shadow of a Doubt.

The marvelous Lee Price is contributing to the cause at his blog 21 Essays with a look at Hitch and another British director you might have heard of, Michael Powell, working on Blackmail.

The great David Cairns at one of my favorite blogs Shadowplay joins the fun with a little bit of Hitch, a little bit of Cutts, and one of silent-era heartthrobs, Ivor Novella. Go see his Sunday Intertitle feature and enjoy!

Ron Deutsch is the Chef du Cinema, and has he cooked up a feast for us. Not one, but three Hitchcocks, with recipes to match! DO try this at home, folks.

Actors responses to taking direction from Hitch. My illustrious blogathon partner Farran Smith Nehme has all the amusing anecdotes at Self-Styled Siren.

Our buddy Larry Aydlette proves that a picture is worth 1,000 words, or that several pictures are worth several 1,000 words in his case, at a tumbler he created especially for the blogathon: Hitchcock: Dial S for Sensuality.

Sean Gilman is spending one week with Hitchcock and us at The End of Cinema. He starts with seven films considered lesser Hitchcock efforts.

Old movies aren’t the only things that need restoration. Hind Mezaina has posted a short video on her Dubai-based The Culturist about restoring old Hitchcock posters!

Hitchcock and Lorre: kind of goes together like ax and murderer. Over at Grand Old Movies is a thorough account of the fruitful collaboration of these two men. Don’t miss it!

John Weagley offers us an amusing vignette on the Hitchcock Blonde. Go enjoy over at Captain Spauling on Skull Island!

Our good friend Pat Perry has graced us with a fine post on Mr. and Mrs. Smith. Go check it out at Doodad Kind of Town!

Christianne Benedict of the wonderful blog Krell Laboratories has got two posts up: a reminiscence about her relationship with Hitchcock and a reevaluation of Under Capricorn. Guaranteed good reading!

The generous and talented fellow Valentino fan Donna Hill has graced us with a post on Hitchcock moms this Mother’s Day over at Strictly Vintage Hollywood. Thanks, Donna!

Kirk Jusko has offered us a front row seat at his blog Ancient Celluloid for his look at Rear Window. Welcome to the party, Kirk!

WB Kelso from Scenes from the Morgue (newspaper, that is) is back this year with vintage ads for Rear Window, North by Northwest, and The 39 Steps. Nice to see you again, WB!

Film critic Betty Jo Tucker reminds us that Hitch wasn’t an overnight sensation by discussing some of his early flops at Memosaic. Welcome aboard, Betty Jo!

Jason Hedrick of Ecstatic is thrilled to be a part of his first Film Preservation Blogathon. Show him we appreciate it by reading and commenting on his Instant 3 picks, which include Hitchcock’s early film The Manxman.

Andrew Davies has an intriguing post about the films that Vertigo spawned up at his wonderful blog Davies in the Dark. Go check it out.

Charissa Faire understand the stakes in this blogathon as she talks about her most-coveted lost film 4 Devils, directd by F.W. Murnau. Learn more about film preservation at her terrific blog devoted to silent film, The Loudest Voice.

Sean Axmaker has provided us with a valuable post at MSN/Videodrone on the silent films of Tod Browning and Lon Chaney that, fortunately, have been preserved and are available for viewing. That’s what we hope will happen with more films. Thanks, Sean!

It’s always great to have Buckey Grimm, a man who really knows his film preservation, participating. Take a look at his Mindless Meanderings for more on what preservationists do.

We are absolutely thrilled to have a student film archivist blogging for the blogathon. Kimberlee at the AMIA Student Chapter at UCLA has posted an intriguing essay on fashion designer Carolina Herrara and her work’s connection to Vertigo. This is a unique and fantastic essay you won’t want to miss!

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