Colleen Moore in Her Wild Oat (1927)

The Academy is pleased to present the results of the latest preservation efforts by the Academy Film Archive: two recently rediscovered films that were thought to be lost, The Curse of Quon Gwon and Her Wild Oat. In December 2006 the Library of Congress selected Quon Gwon to be added to the National Film Registry. Her Wild Oat features the quintessential 1920s flapper, Colleen Moore, in one of her few surviving comedies.

The Curse of Quon Gwon (1917) (fragment)
The first known feature made by Chinese-Americans, and one of the few American silent feature films directed by a woman, this drama was thought to be completely lost until filmmaker Arthur Dong discovered two surviving reels in the possession of the lead actress’s daughters while he was researching a documentary. Dong was authorized to bring the nitrate 35mm negative of reels 4 and 7, as well as ten minutes of additional 16mm footage, to the Academy Film Archive for preservation, returning this rare glimpse into early 20th century Chinese-American culture to its place in film history. The Curse of Quon Gwon was produced in Oakland, California.

Directed by Marion Wong. With: Violet Wong, Harvey Soo Hoo, Marion Wong, Chin Shee. Mandarin Film Company. 35mm, silent, 35 min.

Her Wild Oat (1927)
In this feature comedy, presented by the Academy in a newly restored print, silent film star Colleen Moore plays a woman who owns a small lunch wagon and falls for a duke’s son, played by Larry Kent, who is pretending to be his own chauffeur. With her savings, she pursues him to a resort hotel, only to be mistaken for a duchess. Moore, whose career exploded when she adopted her signature flapper haircut, was the top box office star of 1927, and her career continued into the sound era. Her final film role was Hester Prynne the 1934 version of The Scarlet Letter. Many of Moore’s films have been lost to nitrate decomposition, so the return of Her Wild Oat is a rediscovery to be cherished.

Directed by Marshall Neilan. Presented by John McCormick. Adaptation by Gerald C. Duffy, story by Howard Irving Young. Titles: Duffy and George Marion Jr. Cinematographer: George Folsey. Editor: Al Hall. With: Colleen Moore, Larry Kent, Hallam Cooley, Gwen Lee, Martha Mattox, Charles Giblyn, Julanne Johnson. First National Pictures. 35mm, silent, 70 mins.