Talk:List of incomplete or partially lost films

Question
Isn't "The Jungle" a lost film? It says so on its home page here on Wikipedia.

Alvarez50 (talk) 19:40, 9 March 2017 (UTC)

Curious Definitions
Two points: Since many of these listed films exist only in sound form or as a handful of seconds, while others of comparable or greater survival are presented in the List of lost films article, could someone, anyone, figure out what the point of difference is?

And second: Who decides what the differentiating point is between "lost footage" and "footage that was edited out of the work to make the finished product"? Really, some of these entries are pushing the edge of tolerance...174.91.217.178 (talk) 06:26, 18 November 2009 (UTC)


 * I agree. Freaks, King Kong, etc. should not be included. Perhaps something like List of films cut without the director's approval List of films cut over the director's opposition would be appropriate for some of these. Clarityfiend (talk) 01:18, 24 September 2012 (UTC)


 * Looks like there may be some WP:POINTiness to come regarding this. If it keeps up I would suggest an RFPP. MarnetteD | Talk 22:56, 28 September 2012 (UTC)


 * I concur with your thoughts about this and it should be noted that Clarityfiend has already begun the other list/category that the IP is trying to reinsert. Thus, barring the IPs actually adding to this discussion, they should stop trying to reinsert the info to this article. MarnetteD | Talk 00:49, 29 September 2012 (UTC)

Merge proposal
I propose to merge this list to the article List of lost films. I believe it might be easier to work on just one list. The comment field can be used to specify how much of the film is lost. --Bensin (talk) 21:48, 15 March 2009 (UTC)
 * Oppose There's plenty of material to justify two individual articles.  Lugnuts  (talk) 08:13, 16 March 2009 (UTC)

Lost Horizon
It is true that Frank Capra claims in his autobiography to have personally destroyed the first two reels, but it appears that book is not always accurate and is often self-serving. Lost Horizon was heavily reedited but not in the simple way that Capra claims--getting rid of the first two reels--and there are even some questions as to how much Capra was involved in the editing. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 76.168.82.207 (talk) 08:01, 5 January 2012 (UTC)

Marilyn Monroe
How Come Marilyn Monroe's Somethings Got To Give is not listed? I would do it myself but I don't know how lol.
 * Interesting subject. It was an "abandoned" film, which might be different category.  The definition here is vague and ambiguous. -- This is an "incomplete" film, but was never really a "lost" film. -- I'm adding to the article's definition to clarify.

Fritz Lang's Metropolis
Certainly this is one of the most famous partially lost/incomplete films. Unless the definition excludes films with recently rediscovered footage re-added/restored?
 * added: excluding those having been since restored.
 * Oh, (almost) complete film is found; see List of rediscovered films. --George Ho (talk) 05:37, 7 April 2012 (UTC)
 * Hmmm... this one qualifies either way, it seems (?)
 * According to this NY Times article, it seems that the complete copy was found. -- That article (at the bottom) also refers to other recently rediscovered films (I didn't check to see if they are included on the WP list).
 * Already referenced by another source, but good try. --George Ho (talk) 06:44, 7 April 2012 (UTC)

http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Film/Metropolis

Actually, two scenes from metropolis are still missing. Therefore, we ned to put Metropolis back on this list. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 137.164.79.11 (talk) 18:08, 17 May 2012 (UTC)

Is this list necessary
I ask as there's a preponderence of too many lists on wikipedia. The partial information submitted on this page could easily fit into the notes sections on LIST OF LOST FILMS. The fact that a soundtrack survives while the visual elements are missing doesn't make it partially incomplete, it is still Lost. If not then every existing silent film is partial cause all of them had written music. Some silents are lost but full vitaphone recorded tracks of orchestral and sound effects scores are lost. We don't need a whole new lists section for every little discrepancy about a film. That's what the Notes-columns are for on existing pages.Koplimek (talk) 02:18, 9 February 2013 (UTC)


 * I count about ten films with just soundtracks left. You could make an argument for getting rid of them. In fact, at least two films are on both lists: The Terror and Bride of the Regiment. However, are you seriously suggesting deleting the rest (as they wouldn't qualify as lost films)? Clarityfiend (talk) 03:46, 9 February 2013 (UTC)
 * no just the opposite, they qualify as lost films which is why they should go in the lost film page. My point is that there are too many lists. And make that eleven films with a soundtrack left if you add Scarlet Seas. I fear it's too late to delete this page and merge it's info on the lost film page as wikipedia hardly ever lets pages that have grown extensive like this get deleted. A lost film should apply primarily to the visual elements lost rather than the aural part. Unnecessary lists confuses people.Koplimek (talk) 04:45, 9 February 2013 (UTC)


 * "Too many lists"? What next, too many articles?  Lugnuts  Dick Laurent is dead 11:02, 9 February 2013 (UTC)
 * You bring up a point, perhaps more appropriately too many lists that verge on saying the same thing. "Too many articles", some would say yes, some would say no. But some articles run way too long for their subject matter. Some are so long they're reading like dime novels rather than taught subject for the purpose of an encyclopedia. Also others I see have brought up the issue in the past. cheers! Koplimek (talk) 14:24, 9 February 2013 (UTC)


 * I see nothing wrong with having two lists, one for completely lost films and this one. These are two completely different animals; one is wounded, the other dead. However, we should arrive at a consensus as to which list should contain soundtrack-only movies. Clarityfiend (talk) 15:07, 9 February 2013 (UTC)


 * I've gone ahead and deleted the soundtrack-only entries, since they were (or are now) in the other list. Clarityfiend (talk) 22:10, 10 February 2013 (UTC)

New issue Issue revisited
I question whether including the likes of Greed, Body and Soul, Noah's Ark, A Star is Born and 2001: A Space Odyssey is justified. Is footage that was deliberately edited out for general release really "lost"? Clarityfiend (talk) 15:06, 9 February 2013 (UTC)


 * Deliberate editing of films can only make the films be "lost" or "incomplete" if a reliable source characterizes them as such. Binksternet (talk) 00:44, 11 February 2013 (UTC)


 * I've removed Taxi Driver (color change only), Star Wars and Night of Dark Shadows (cuts before initial release); I can't find any source that supports their inclusion here. Clarityfiend (talk) 19:30, 11 February 2013 (UTC)

Daria: Is It College Yet?
In the "Alternative version" for Is It College Yet?, it details how the first broadcast of this animated film was slightly longer than all subsequent broadcasts and DVD releases. I used to be a big Daria fan, and I can remember reading somewhere on a fan site that MTV somehow lost part of the film. I'm not optimistic that I'll ever find a reliable source for this, but I thought that I'd mention it here for anyone who's particularly interested in missing films. Epa101 (talk) 22:27, 20 November 2014 (UTC)

Using the Wayback Machine, I have found the fan site in question: see here! If you go about half-way down, it says:
 * The time-edited version is the one used for both the stand-alone DVD release and the Daria: The Complete Animated Series box set. MTV's official explanation is that this was because the video and audio tracks for the uncut version were lost, and since separate audio tracks were needed to replace the soundtrack for video distribution (due to music licensing issues), they had no choice but to use the edited version.

This is not a robust source for Wikipedia, I know, but it sounds like a plausible explanation to me. Epa101 (talk) 22:44, 20 November 2014 (UTC)

London After Midnight
Removed a statement about a 9 second surviving clips that referenced to an infamous hoax youtube clip. 72.188.95.203 (talk) 16:15, 12 December 2014 (UTC)

King Kong
Okay I know I've seen this listed on here before and elsewhere, but what about how King Kong (1933 film) has a scene of giant spiders cut? Wouldn't it go on this list? Wgolf (talk) 06:13, 14 January 2015 (UTC)


 * No. According to the article, Cooper cut it because it "stopped the story". If we included directorial cuts, we'd have to include pretty much every film ever made. Clarityfiend (talk) 10:36, 14 January 2015 (UTC)
 * That's true-I just remember hearing the story that it was in the film, of course since I don't know anyone living who saw the film when it was first released. (The only person I know of who saw the film in the 30s was my grandfather who died last year, which he remembered it quite well as he put it that when your 8 years old that monkey was creepy at the time)

But yeah since DC's as well as the number of trailers that even have scenes not in the film. Wgolf (talk) 21:42, 14 January 2015 (UTC)

Is "Darker Than Amber" (1970) partially lost?
By the unfootnoted description under Critical Reception, it sounds like it may be: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darker_than_Amber_(film)#Critical_reception

Phantom in ca (talk) 01:55, 30 July 2016 (UTC)

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Ivan the Terrible
Ivan the Terrible Part 3 does not appear on the list. As I understand it the film was completed but destroyed by Soviet censors. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 193.39.159.73 (talk) 08:46, 11 June 2018 (UTC)

Should Who Killed Captain Alex? be added?
The original audio/video track for Who Killed Captain Alex was deleted because the creator had to make space for other films on his computer. I would say that the original qualifies as a lost film, since all that exists is a low-quality production with a video joker. TheWhistleGag (talk) 18:44, 13 September 2020 (UTC)
 * Looking at it, I think not. The original version does not seem to have been released, so the current version is the only one seen by public. Further, what we have is just a low quality copy. If it was a 1920's film, finding a low quality copy would count as finding the film. --Killer Moff- ill advisedly sticking his nose in since 2011 (talk) 07:56, 27 September 2020 (UTC)

Moonshine (1918) should no longer be on this list
A complete version of this film was found in Paris by Lobster Films and was subsequently released on the Buster Keaton: The Shorts Collection 1917 - 1923 by Kino Lorber. I would edit it myself but feel hesitant because of the table. Franzfergidon (talk) Franzfergidon (talk) 21:48, 2 July 2022 (UTC)

Southwest Passage
3D elements for this one have finally been found, and it's apparently being prepped for Blu-ray release in 2024, so we can cross it off: https://forum.blu-ray.com/showpost.php?p=20814038&postcount=80449 2601:2C6:8280:D3B0:5D61:C94E:733C:E118 (talk) 12:47, 19 January 2023 (UTC)


 * Forums are generally not reliable sources. Also, it says "some missing elements were found", which means what exactly? Best to wait until it is released and then evaluate what they have. Clarityfiend (talk) 13:23, 19 January 2023 (UTC)