A Look Behind the Scenes at ASIFA-Hollywood:

I have been emailing back and forth with Mark Kausler of late on film preservation issues. ASIFA-Hollywood has always been active in animation preservation but of late other things seemed to have taken precedence. Sometimes it is like that guy on Ed Sullivan trying to keep all of the plates spinning in the air.

The thing is, the clock is always ticking on old film stock so I have been trying to move the ball forward on a number of one-of-a-kind films in Mark`s collection so that they can be viewed by future generations.

I have talked before in these pages about Mark`s 1938 Cinecolor Mexican sound cartoon The Bees that is currently in the pipeline at UCLA. That one is safely on its way to preservation.

I have also talked a little bit about MARS (Universal Oswald 1930, 16mm) the one-of-a-kind Walter Lantz film taken from a Nitrate print that has since fallen to dust.

Other films from Mark`s collection that exist nowhere else (or not is this good of a copy) are THIS AND THAT FROM HERE AND THERE (John McCrory, 1930, 35mm nitrate print, sound, about 600') an Untitled 35mm Nitrate negative with footage of a couple of cartoon kids, silent, Academy aperture with missing sound track. And this Gem a 35mm Nitrate print of A KICK IN TIME, with full Paramount logos both front and rear, and only a couple of splices.

A KICK IN TIME is a Fleischer cartoon I have never seen. It is a Hunky and Spunky cartoon from 1940. There are not that many Fleischer cartoons that I have not seen so I really think this one needs preserving. Mark has been unable to find any other print of this cartoon in any of the film archives so this is very possible the only print in existence. Mark tells me that the Nitrate stock seems to be stable and the print is in great shape but as with any film this old the time is mounting up.

This is your money at work. That is right, part of your membership dues goes to the Preservation Fund. So if you are a member of ASIFA you are helping to save our animation film heritage. If you are not a member of ASIFA-Hollywood here is another great reason to join. And, of course, if you want to send money to the Preservation Fund earmarked for the animation preservation that would be okay too.

ASIFA has been talking about putting out a DVD of the animations we have preserved over the years. It is quit a large number including a lost Emile Cohl film. So in the future you might be able to see your money in action at home in your own DVD player not just in the Jerry Beck AFI screening. I will update you as the story develops. And don`t forget the ASIFA members meeting and screening tonight at the Glendale Library (see details below)  ¶ 8:39 AM