Missing Reels

The book explores the significant loss of early motion pictures, attributed to their disposable nature and the recycling of materials during wartime. It highlights how the unstable nitrate film contributed to the deterioration of many films, leading to substantial gaps in cinematic history. Notably, it reveals that 80% of Western films produced before World War I are lost, along with 15% of films made between 1930 and 1950, emphasizing the cultural impact of these missing works on the film industry.