Lost Media: London After Midnight

Over winter break, I fell into a rabbit hole regarding lost media. Scouring various online forums took over majority of my free time as I looked for more information regarding many pieces of lost media, particularly films. Simply put… I was hooked.

Lost media refers to anything ranging from literary works to films to television broadcasts—anything that has been lost to time. Rumors can run rampant within communities dedicated to this subject—given that there is always a shroud of mystery. Many lost media have little to no evidence of their existence, yet countless people dedicate time to finding them. There is something fascinating, almost thrilling, of finding a piece of media that people haven’t seen or interacted with for years. Most of the time, there is no monetary compensation or any type of reward for these pieces of media—just eager communities waiting for the rediscovery. One of the biggest subcommunities of lost media is dedicated to lost films, particularly early silent films.

Before home media, the film industry was quite different. Films really only had value during their theatrical release, and afterwards, they were worthless to studios. These films took up space in the studios’ vaults and were very expensive to maintain. Despite churning out many of these moving pictures, there was never any consideration to archive them for historical purposes. Most of the time, they would be recycled for silver or sold. According to various sources, 75% to 90% of all silent films are permanently lost.

Even if studios kept copies of their films, fires were a common occurrence. Film stock was produced with nitrate which was highly flammable. Two of the most famous occurrences were the 1937 Fox vault fire and the 1965 MGM vault fire. The 1937 vault fire caused majority of Fox’s silent films created before 1937 to be destroyed, and the 1965 MGM vault fire destroyed the last known copy of Tod Browning’s London After Midnight, a movie shrouded with lore and considered the “holy grail” of lost films.

Tod Browning was a legendary director, who created one of the most influential movies of the 20th century. Dracula (1937), starring Bela Lugosi, was the first talking film based on the Bram Stoker novel, and the titular Dracula continues to be a cultural icon. The success of Dracula would serve as the starting point to Universal’s Classic Monsters. Bela Lugosi’s portrayal would serve as the mold for other vampire films that came in its wake. However, before Tod Browning directed Dracula, he had already started to experiment with the horror genre. In 1927, he created London After Midnight, starring Lon Chaney. London After Midnight experimented with horror and supernatural tones. It was a commercial hit albeit a lukewarm reception. It would be one of Lon Chaney and Tod Browning’s most known works, yet no one has laid eyes on it since 1965.

The film continues to be one of the most sought after, with rumors of its discovery swirling around from time to time.

Despite being lost, the original screenplay and some of the movie stills exist. Using the screenplay and movie stills, Rick Schmidlin was commissioned by Turner Classic Movies to produce a 45-minute reconstruction of what the movie would have looked like. Though an honest attempt and a spectacular feat, there was something missing—the essence of the film itself. It gave a great idea of what moviegoers saw back in 1927; however, it can’t replace watching the film itself. Close to a century of its creation, it still garners more attention than most lost films. The only known poster for the film was auctioned off and bought for $478,000 in 2014 by Kirk Hammett of Metallica.

*The only known poster for the film was auctioned off and bought for $478,000 in 2014 by Kirk Hammett of Metallica.*

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Even with such a status and attention, the discovery of London After Midnight would not sell for the same amount, or even in the same stratosphere, as the poster did. Despite being a lost film, Warner Brothers still holds the rights to the film, which essentially means that any person who were to come across the film would probably pay not much for it. Given its status, it would be hard to sell it without Warner Brothers trying to take action. If any money was to be made for a found reel, it would most likely be by a private collector.

In fact, many people believe that somewhere in a private collection, London After Midnight exists waiting for it to become public domain so Warner Brothers cannot block the sale of it. As of right now, the film is slated to enter public domain in 2022, so we shall just wait to see whether these rumors have a basis.

Despite not having any economic incentive, many people hope, myself included, that one day, as they are scourging through boxes of an attic or an estate sale, they come across an old film reel with “The Hypnotist” written on it. That one day, it will be screened in its entirety.

There’s a beauty in it. Films give us a window into the time and society they were produced in. There is something exhilarating of finding a piece of media that hasn’t been seen by anyone for decades—to be the first person to do so. To discover a piece of history that has been lost to time. Perhaps one day we will see a copy of London After Midnight, though chances are relatively low. But if the curiosity of this film is too much, there is always the 2002 reconstructed version of it and the 1935 “talkie remake” Tod Browning did with Bela Lugosi.

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