A lost cinematic treasure survives in a single, marked print at a university library.
In short: The 1931 film East Lynne, a pre-Code melodrama, was once an Academy Award nominee for Best Picture. Today, it exists in only one known print, complete with editor's marks. While bootleg copies circulate, they are incomplete, missing the final scene of this scandalous tale of a nobleman's daughter.
Directed by Frank Lloyd, the 1931 production of East Lynne serves as a notable example of pre-Code Hollywood cinema. Based on the 1861 novel by Ellen Wood, the screenplay underwent such significant changes from the source material that Arline de Haas was commissioned to write a new novelization for a Grosset and Dunlap edition. The film features Ann Harding as Lady Isabella, a trophy wife seeking excitement, whose pursuit of a more interesting life results in scandal and ruin. The cast also includes Clive Brook, Conrad Nagel, and Cecilia Loftus.
The film's journey to the present day is marked by rarity. Only one surviving print is known to exist, currently housed at the University of California Los Angeles's Instructional Media Lab in the Powell Library. This specific reel is not a pristine copy; it contains ink marks, a frame with crosshairs, and several frames marked with an 'X' to indicate intended removal during the editing process. Because the copyright was renewed, the film will remain protected until 2027, making public access restricted to those who arrange an appointment at the library.
This 1931 version was the third adaptation produced by Fox, following earlier releases in 1916 and 1925. Despite its current obscurity, the film was a significant contender in its time, earning an Academy Award nomination for Best Picture in 1931, though it ultimately lost to the RKO-Radio film Cimarron. The story itself has seen numerous interpretations across decades, ranging from short films in 1912 and 1915 to a 1982 British television production, reflecting the enduring, if often scandalous, appeal of Wood's original narrative.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: East Lynne (1931 film)
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