The Original Footage of 1930s Broadway Shows — Page 3

Miles Kreuger isn't willingly selfish, and he isn't purposely mean, but, as some other who've met him have gently pointed out, he is eccentric. But a lot of people know about his collection and have known about it for a long time, and it will eventually find a more accessible, more secure home. Meanwhile, let Miles enjoy it, as it gives him great pleasure.

If someone had a collection of lost works of Picasso in their coat closet in a box, you'd want them preserved. Why should these be treated any differently? Once the film deteriorates- that's it, it's gone forever. These should be donated to an institution that can take care of them and make them available to everyone.

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Wait 70 years.

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Cheers to the future treasured bootlegs of "The Wedding Singer", gentlemen.

Updated On: 3/4/11 at 12:23 AM

Miles Kreuger's collection has been in the same place for a good, long time. That helps protect it. Because it's temperate LA, even without air conditioning, his house is almost climate controlled. He just has to worry about the occasional rain and the leaky roof. And meaning him no harm, he's not young. The collection will be somewhere else, far sooner than later.

Like the Scarecrow, I am much more worried about fire than rain.

And speaking of the Scarecrow, Miles is wrong about having the only footage of Fred Astaire. There is, in a can at the Library at Lincoln Center, a film shot in 1932 by Fred Stone (of Montgomery and Stone, the original Scarecrow and Tin Man from the 1906 musical of The Wizard of Oz) which shows Stone's daughter, Dorothy (get it?) dancing in the lead role in "Gay Divorce." She replaced Clare Luce and her father shot a good deal of the show, including the "Night and Day" number with Fred.

The footage was discovered by "eccentric dance expert" Betsy Batos, who gave it to the Library on the condition that nobody can see it until she completes a documentary film on the dance.

I'm still waiting....

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Updated On: 3/4/11 at 02:10 AM

One good note to add to this awful story. The color films were most likely shot on Kodachrome, the only home movie color film available until the 1960s. The great thing about Kodachrome is that it doesn't fade! All those beautiful color films of the 1939 NY World's Fair were shot on Kodachrome and they look great, with no preservation.

So there's a good chance that the color films will hold up.

BROADWAY: THE GOLDEN AGE

When will this be out? So anxious!

^Is it the second act of Carrie?

I get the feeling everyone here seems to think Miles Kreuger has the unlimited resources to digitally preserve his archives, or that possible contributors are beating his door down to do so. It's doubtful. Even the Library of Congress probably wouldn't guarantee more than storage space. When even companies like Rodgers and Hammerstein answer to Dutch concerns who couldn't care less about such history, who here can complain? Who here is willing to maintain a Kickstart account for such a purpose? Who here is ready to write a check?

(the sound of crickets chirping)

I thought so.

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Updated On: 7/11/12 at 01:00 AM

I have some of his released video clips on my YouTube and have linked to them before. By any chance, do any of you know if he has more footage of the original Broadway production of Show Boat?

I'd pass out if he does.

He lives in L.A.? Is eccentric and has mounds of old, rare stuff? Would he happen to live near West Hollywood?

I ask because my older brother has known an "eccentric, older" man with a "very large, rare Broadway collection" who lives near WeHo for years. In fact, this man is the reason I was listening to the Carrie soundboard waaaaay back in the day, before most of the world got it thanks to the proliferation of digital copies and the internet. It would be absolutely insane if that man is Miles Kreuger; I've read his Show Boat book from cover to cover God-knows-how-many-times.

I'd happily volunteer to help him preserve his collection if I could. Free of charge and without sneaking away with anything, even if my hand will twitch at everything Show Boat.

This is California--that collection is an earthquake away from being totally pulverized!!

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And not everything he has is the only copy. Just wait until you guys see what I just uncovered for the next BROADWAY: THE GOLDEN AGE film.

Seriously, you're gonna drop your glass of water on the floor, shattering it like I did when I saw it.

Does it have anything to do with "A Little Night Music"?

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Me too, how frustrating that next to nothing of the original Night Music staging seems to have been filmed (damn the Tonys for not featuring it that year--though Pippin got a slot--at least I think that was the same year).