The following images are frame
enlargements from an old Paramount Pictures short subject that was
filmed on the Cole Bros. Circus back in the mid-1930s. (It is copyrighted 1937, so the filming could
have taken place either in 1936 or 1937.)
One wonders if Cecil B. DeMille saw it, since he was working for
Paramount at the time it was released.
If so, it might have inspired him to think about making a
circus film of his own.
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Monday, January 26, 2015
1937 Cole Bros. #1 (From Eric Beheim)
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4 comments:
Questions for Eric: Where did you find a copy of this film? Is it available digitally (I checked You-Tube with no results)?
I bought my print many years ago from a film collection who advertised it in THE BIG REEL. At the time, I had no idea that it was a sound film that had originally been released by Paramount back in the 1930s. (If it's not on Your-Tube, it MUST be fairly obscure and hard to find.)
I honestly didn't realize this had become so rare.
This was sold by Blackhawk Films years ago, as part of a package of Paramount short subject titles they licensed from NTA. They sold it in 16mm sound, and 8mm silent versions. Blackhawk's 16mm printing negative is in private hands now.
There is also a terrible, flickering bootleg video transfer of one of the Blackhawk 16mm prints floating around.
I suspect some of this footage may have been shot well before 1936-37.
Bill Carter
Cole Bros. Circus
According to David Shepard, who now owns all of the old Blackhawk negatives, this film was indeed licensed to Blackhawk by NTA. That license expired about 1972 and the film was later bought outright by Raymond Rohauer, the man who acquired the original negatives to many of Buster Keaton’s old films. It is now owned by the Cohen Collection, Rohauer's successor. David had no idea how many prints of this title Blackhawk sold during the years they offered it. Compared to the Castle Films shorts, HERE COMES THE CIRCUS and CLYDE BEATTY’S ANIMAL THRILLS, the numbers won’t be nearly as high.
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