Early San Francisco film wins preservation grant

The San Francisco-based National Film Preservation Foundation, which recently made headlines around the world when it fostered the return to the United States of numerous silent films from New Zealand, has announced that an early, rare short film depicting the development of San Francisco has been selected for preservation.

Twin Peaks Tunnel (1917), made to promote the development of Western portions of The City, is among 57 films green-lighted for preservation through NFPF grants. An original copy of the film, now in the possession of the grant awardee, the Niles Essanay Film Museum in Fremont, is being described by those working on it as a "unique historical and cultural artifact."

According to Robert Byrne, who will help oversee work on the movie, its value lies not only in its rarity, but also in the historical detail contained within its moving images. “This film is an amazing time capsule of Bay Area history, and we're thrilled at the prospect of returning it to the screen,” stated the Bay Area film preservationist.

Twin Peaks Tunnel was shot by the Pathescope film company for a local real estate firm. It documents construction of what was then claimed to be the longest municipal tunnel in the world. Reportedly, the film includes footage of the construction of the tunnel, the clearing of Sutro Forest, as well as development of the Westwood Park residential district. The film also includes footage of various city officials and engineers.

In the mid-teens, work on the Twin Peaks Tunnel received considerable coverage in local newspapers. Various civic and business concerns heavily promoted the project. And at least three workers died after an explosion took place in the tunnel in 1917. The tunnel opening in 1918 was big news. It also helped shape the growth of The City.

Today, Twin Peaks Tunnel is considered a “sponsored film.” Akin to industrial or educational films, such films were made for sponsoring organizations, though sometimes they enjoyed public exhibition. Such is the case with Twin Peaks Tunnel.

According to Niles film historian David Kiehn, research has uncovered that the film was produced for the Baldwin and Howell Real Estate Company, located on Kearny Street in San Francisco. Newspaper advertisements also indicate that it was first shown, most likely in a storefront, on October 13, 1917. It was popular enough that it screened continuously for weeks thereafter, noted Kiehn. Its extended run was unusual for the time, as most films shown in theaters ran for just a few days or a week, seldom longer.

Twin Peaks Tunnel has likely not been seen since. “Due to its now obsolete 28mm format, it was probably seldom, if ever, screened after its initial exhibition period over eighty years ago,” said Byrne.

An original 28mm print of Twin Peaks Tunnel was donated in July of last year to the Niles Essanay Film Museum. Byrne stated that the Baldwin and Howell markings on its box and packing material associated with the print indicate that the vintage copy the Museum received was the same print originally shown in San Francisco. Examination of the print itself supports this conclusion, noted Byrne, since the print features original splices between individual shots as well as between shots and inter-titles.

Because of its obsolete format, and due to the fragility of the material itself, not even Byrne or Kiehn have seen the film in motion. “Once the restored print is complete, the film premiere will be just as eye opening for us as it will be for the audience,” said Byrne.

The local film preservationist also noted that there is still work to be done on the film. The print has some yellowing, some splices need repair, and there is light dirt and scratching. Fortunately, no apparent chemical decomposition has taken place, and the film sprockets are said to be in good condition. Twin Peaks Tunnel is a short film with an approximate length of 1,087 feet, or about 24 minutes.

The Niles Essanay Film Museum is one of 27 institutions which will receive preservation funds made available through The Library of Congress Sound Recording and Film Preservation Programs Reauthorization Act of 2008. Byrne, a Bay Area film preservationist, will oversee the project.

The NFPF preservation grants provide support to create a film preservation master and two access copies of each work. Films saved through the NFPF programs are made available for on-site research and are seen widely through screenings, exhibits, DVDs, television broadcasts, and the internet.

According to Byrne and Kiehn, that’s the plan for Twin Peaks Tunnel. The film has already been promised a local screening at the Niles Essanay Film Museum, and will be made available to a worldwide audience over the internet through the Internet Archive website.

The Internet Archive is home to the Prelinger Archives, which houses a large collection of sponsored films. There, Twin Peaks Tunnel will join related footage of the construction and opening of the Twin Peaks Tunnel (shown below) which may or may not be a continuation of the incomplete film now in the possession of Niles. Only time and a good deal of preservation work will tell.

For more info: To learn more about the National Film Preservation Foundation, visit the www.filmpreservation.org. To learn more about the Niles Essanay Silent Film Museum, visit the www.nilesfilmmuseum.org/

Thomas Gladysz is an arts journalist and author. Recently, he wrote the introduction to the new edition of Margarete Böhme's classic novel, The Diary of a Lost Girl (PandorasBox Press). And, his interview with Allen Ginsberg on the subject of photography was included in Beat Memories: The Photographs of Allen Ginsberg (National Gallery of Art / Prestel). Gladysz loves reading and writing and old movies. More at www.thomasgladysz.com.

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