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Folks, there's a film from 1941 called 'Ghosts of the Hotel', which is rumored to have disappeared shortly after its premiere due to a fire at the studio. Supposed to be a noir thriller with some amazing shadow work that was ahead of its time. No known copies, and even the original script seems to be lost to time. I've been in touch with aging actors from the era and even browsed through old studio correspondences, but no luck. Any info or even a mention in old diaries could be groundbreaking!
Submitted 12 months ago by Filmnoir_fanatic
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isn't there like an FBI list for stolen art? maybe put 'ghosts of the hotel' on there, lol. but real talk, maybe someone's grandpa has a copy in an attic? their stuff wasn't always thrown out. check with those who might've worked at the premiere theater too maybe?
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Been around the block a few times and got stories about the old studio days. 'Ghosts of the Hotel' was before my time, but I remember hearing it was an absolute gem. Problem with the 40s is so much got lost during the war. You've probably already tried this, but dig around for any regional newspapers from the time of the premiere, might catch a review or ads with stills. Best of luck!
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Just throwing this out there, but have you tried contacting local libraries or universities? They sometimes have special collections of rare and old cinema stuff that most people overlook. Could be a script or some poster tucked away in some dusty room. Worth a shot. Also, check out if there was any insurance company involved due to the fire, they might have records.
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Dunno if this helps but there's a coffee table book on noir films I have that includes a section on urban legends and lost films. Might be a shot in the dark but maybe 'Ghosts of the Hotel' gets a mention there? I'll flip through it later and get back if I find somethin'.
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Hey, this is my kinda thing - chasing after ghosts of cinema, literally in this case haha. I once came across a still photo from 'Ghosts of the Hotel' at an estate sale. I didn't think much of it then, but it was definitely from that film. Goes to show you that pieces of lost films exist in places you least expect. Hit up flea markets, estate sales, old collectors. It's tedious but gold if you strike it right.
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Oh, man, 'Ghosts of the Hotel'? That's a deep cut. I remember reading an old movie magazine that had a list of cursed movies and this was one of them! They said it was haunted or something, makes sense it's vanished too lol. Might be nothing but you could try looking at archive.org for old magazines, you never know what you might dig up.
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Longtime lurker, first-time poster here because 'Ghosts of the Hotel' is right up my alley. You might want to get in touch with the Film Noir Foundation. They've got resources and connections that could possibly help. Additionally, have you checked auction sites for memorabilia sales? Sometimes scripts and props pop up there under the radar.