We use the phrase “long lost” more often than is probably warranted, but this story certainly qualifies.
Several years ago a contractor was cleaning out a barn in Nelson that he’d been hired to demolish. He found a 35 millimeter film projector and seven reels of nitrate film. Among those was a short film that had not been seen in decades. The film, called “Their First Misunderstanding,” stars an 18 year old woman named Mary Pickford, who would become one of Hollywood’s first and biggest stars.
Larry Benaquist founded the Film Department at Keene State College. He helped put together the effort to restore this film, and he explains the process to All Things Considered host Brady Carlson.
Keene State is hosting a screening of “Their First Misunderstanding” and several more Mary Pickford films on October 11th. If you can't make it to that event, you can seea clip of the film on the Los Angeles Times website.