The Case:
A Kentucky man was searching his grandfather’s Ohio attic when he stumbled upon a reel of 35mm nitrate film in a canister marked “Dangerous Hour - Eddie Polo.”
Could this snippet of film be an actual copy of an Eddie Polo silent film? Eddie Polo was a legendary stuntman in the 1920s silent film world, but very few of his films remain.
In its early days, silent film was seen as a transitory production, and movie companies such as Paramount and Universal dumped entire archives into the Pacific Ocean, melted nitrate prints to extract the silver, or used the flammable stock for special effects on their back-lot sets.
History Detectives ventures to Kentucky and Ohio to determine whether this reel could be one of thousands of silent films once thought to have been lost forever to film history.
Related Content
Technique:
Video:
Related Links
Explore
-
Also in Emerging Modern America: 1890-1930
McKinley Casket Flag
Did this flag once drape the casket of President William McKinley?
-
Related Investigation
Special Agent Five
How did this tale of robbery and murder help FBI director J. Edgar Hoover consolidate his power?
-
Related Investigation
Dempsey Fight Bell
Is this the bell that sat ringside at the world's first boxing superstar's legendary match?
-
Also with Gwen Wright
Frank Zappa Collage
Is the artist who created this piece Frank Zappa?
-
Also with Gwen Wright
Marshall House Flag
Did this piece of fabric come from a flag that cost a Union colonel his life?
-
Also with Gwen Wright
Society Circus Program
Why are some of New York's wealthiest planning a circus at the depth of the Great Depression?
Comments
This is a place for opinions, comments, questions and discussion; a place where viewers of History Detectives can express their points of view and connect with others who value history. We ask that posters be polite and respectful of all opinions. History Detectives reserves the right to delete comments that don’t conform to this conduct. We will not respond to every post, but will do our best to answer specific questions, or address an error.