Larry Weeks and The Grim Game?

[houdini's ghost]

If all Larry did was have a contact print made, there will be considerable loss of image.
It's just weird, Larry Weeks--Houdini's biggest fan, was entrusted with the only print of this film fifty years ago by Bessie Houdini's family.
The guy was a miser and he was and is sick in the head. So, he sat on the print, asking $50,000 (and other fanciful prices) for it, for fifty years.
Larry Weeks got the film for free. He wasn't capable of grasping the implicit responsibility of owning the only print of an important film from the time when motion pictures were still in their infancy.

[Jonathan Townsend]

What I was getting at is the question of who owns the rights to the film. IE who could reproduce and sell the item if they felt there was a market?

[Joe Pecore]

I believe the copyright has expired on The Grim Game, thus it is public domain.

[Richard Kaufman]

Anything copyrighted from 1923 and earlier is public domain. In this case the matter has nothing to do with the rights, and everything to do with who actually has the only print.

[Jonathan Townsend]

And other than a couple of Houdini fans, who wants to see the film?

IE - what might be done (say a paypal account?) to get a print moved to DVD and make Mr Weeks happy to have his money asked and our archivists happy to have the item in safe keeping?

Come to think of it - the way some folks have succesfully gotten what they want in magic - it might be much easier to take the script and make an extreme low budget remake of the thing and post to YouTube and then feign indifference to the original for a while - maybe even deny it exists and see if that brings the original out. nothing like cheap imitation (or call it tribute etc) to get a reaction in this market. :D He should feel flattered folks care about the item - and Houdini is actually dead so it's no insult to him.

[Richard Kaufman]

There are quite a few silent film fans out there and, when combined with the Houdini fans, certainly would make the film a viable realease as part of a burn-on-demand program like Warner Archive, MGM, and others are doing now.

[JohnCox]

I'd think Kino would be thrilled to release The Grim Game.

[Jonathan Townsend]

One step at a time. If your 'effect' is to get a copy from Mr Weeks - what method do you feel is optimal?

[JohnCox]

I don't see Weeks as an option anymore. I'm focused on finding another print.

[Richard Kaufman]

They've found a treasure trove (literally) of silent films in Russia that were long thought lost, so perhaps it will turn up there.

[JohnCox]

Really? I hadn't heard of that. Interesting. You know, these kinds of finds still happen. There was just a big discovery in Brazil. Thing is, people need to know to look for the Houdini films by name. They aren't always marked "Houdini" and therefore might not make the priority pile. This is part of my mission in regards to his film work, letting these people know they exist and the titles so they know what to watch for. In my travels through film and studio archives it is almost always news to the archivists that he even made films.

[JohnCox]

I see Larry Weeks was at the Official Houdini Seance this year.

http://www.wildabouthoudini.com/2011/11 ... udini.html

[JohnCox]