Some stories you chase, while others fall right into your lap.
This is one of the latter variety, and it all started because of a friendship I made with a guy named Charlie. Charlie and I both worked at the Angola Travel Center this past summer. I managed the Visitor Information Desk for the Niagara Tourism and Convention Corp. and Charlie -- a retiree -- worked in the janitorial department for McDonald's. Charlie would often approach my desk when things slowed down and talk about a myriad of things that he had encountered over his many years of living. Charlie communicates in a stream-of-consciousness style of speech that I find quite entertaining. I guess you could say that Charlie loves to talk as much as I love to listen, so it was no wonder that we became fast friends.
One day, out of the blue, Charlie asked me if I'd ever heard of a movie called "Diplomatic Courier."
I admitted that I hadn't.
"It was made in 1952 and it stars Tyrone Power," Charlie said. "I was stationed in Italy during the war when they filmed some of the scenes. I think I may even be in a few of them. I've never seen it, though. By the time I was sent home, it had already come and gone from the theaters.
"I sure would like to see it someday, if just to try and spot some of the fellows that didn't make it back home," he added, before shuffling back to his duties keeping the restrooms spick-and-span.
That settled it for me right then and there. I thought, I'm going to give Charlie a copy of that movie as a surprise Christmas present.
When I got home that day I logged onto Amazon.com and searched for "Diplomatic Courier." "Title Not Available," came back the reply.
I tried the Web sites for Blockbuster and Media Play and got the same result. Someone must have it on e-Bay, I thought. No such luck there either. I did a search for hard-to-find videos and unearthed the site RareVHS.com. Surely these guys could help me find "Diplomatic Courier" for Charlie. I called their toll-free number and spoke with a fellow named Jason.
After checking his database, he told me that he didn't have the movie and that it had never been released on video.
"But," he added, "there is one guy who can get it for you."
Now, dear readers, I would like to interject right here and apologize for the long introduction to the true subject of this column, but I thought it necessary to illustrate a most salient point first offered by famed religion professor Joseph Campbell -- follow your bliss.
You see, when I got the notion to find a copy of "Diplomatic Courier" to give to Charlie, my altruism was steeled by an inner voice that was telling me that an adventure might be offered up in the process. Fortunately, I listened to that voice.
For had I not, I never would have made the acquaintance of one Sidney P. Bloomberg of San Francisco, the bloodhound for obscure, lost or forgotten movies.
When Jason gave me Sid's number, he cautioned, "If he doesn't answer, keep trying back. He doesn't have an answering machine."
Luckily, I got Sid on the first try and immediately was introduced to his encyclopedic knowledge of vintage Hollywood films.
"I'm looking for a movie that you've probably never heard of. It's called 'Diplomatic Courier,'" I said, with little in the way of hope that a copy of it even existed.
"Oh, sure -- 1952, Tyrone Power and Patricia Neal," said Bloomberg. "I've got it here somewhere. Are you a Bronson collector?"
"Excuse me?" I replied.
"Charles Bronson. It was his first film, a bit part. Seeing as how he just died, I thought that you were a collector."
Amazed by his off-the-cuff knowledge of a movie that 99.99 percent of America has never heard of, I told Sid the whole story of Charlie and my surprise Christmas gift. Sid then asked me what I do for a living and I told him that I write for the paper. With an innate sense of self-promotion that would have made P.T. Barnum beam from ear to ear, Sid said, "That settles it, you've got to interview me."
At 84 years old, Sid Bloomberg remains as mentally sharp as a man one-quarter of his age. To speak with him is to have a door opened and to be able to step back into the days when the Hollywood studios were at the zenith of their power and influence.
Sid got his start in show business working alongside his mother, who was the assistant manager of the Fulton Theatre in Jersey City, N.J. Shortly thereafter, he became a publicist for 20th Century Fox and spent the better part of his adult life interacting with the mega-stars of the movies' golden era.
"Having to deal with Bela Lugosi at Universal was frightening. I'm serious," Sid told me. "They had a separate cafeteria for those guys -- Lugosi, Karloff, Lon Chaney Jr. -- because they were so scary-looking."
Sid started his business of locating hard-to-find videos about three years ago. He doesn't believe that there is such a thing as a "lost movie."
"The Library of Congress has a copy of just about every film ever made, so how can you say that they're lost?" Sid asks incredulously. "I don't take the tack that I can't find a movie. They'll all come my way eventually."
I asked Sid how he manages to procure a copy of a movie that was never released on videotape. He explained to me his methodology, but swore me to secrecy on many points.
"Don't go giving away the trade secrets on me now," Bloomberg admonished me.
What I can tell you is that most of the movies are available because a projectionist or theater manager smuggled out a copy of the old reels and had them converted to video format when the technology presented itself.
"Most of them will only deal with someone like me, who knows and understands the old days at the studios," Sid explained.
"Are there any movies that you haven't been able to find?" I asked.
"A few. 'The Pioneers' from 1941 with Tex Ritter -- I've got quite a few people waiting on that one. Also a made-for-television movie called 'Stolen Women/Captured Hearts.' It's from 1997, I think. It stars Michael Grey Eyes, an Indian actor.
"You're near Canada, right?" Sid asked. "Maybe your readers can help me. I'm looking for two movies right now that were filmed in Canada. One is called 'Wolf Dog,' it's from the '80s and stars Allison Hayes. The other is called 'Footsteps in the Snow,' it's from the mid-'50s, a Veronica Lake picture."
I asked Sid what his favorite movie of all time was.
"I get asked that all the time," Sid replied. "I don't have a single answer. I can tell you that 'Detour' is the greatest B movie ever made. 'Witness for the Prosecution' ranks right up there. 'The Maltese Falcon' is another one. I've got to tell you, though, that 'Kiss Of The Spiderwoman' with William Hurt is a film that I could watch over and over. Of course, I haven't been out to a movie in 10 years. 'Queen Margot' was the last one I went to see -- French film with Isabelle Adjani. My God, what they charge to see a picture these days -- even at the senior rate."
"Is there anyone in today's Hollywood who stacks up to the stars of yesterday?" I asked.
"Susan Sarandon, James Spader, Debra Winger -- they're all timeless. I tell you who has got 'it' -- Reece Witherspoon. Did you see her in 'Election'? She's what Hollywood should be all about -- true acting. Now, all they do is come at you with special effects."
I decided to see if Sid could help me place a movie that I once caught part of on the late, late show. All I could remember about the movie is that it starred Burt Lancaster and he spent most of the movie in the suburbs running through people's backyards and swimming through their pools.
"'The Swimmer.' It was based on a novella by Cheever," came the quick reply from Mr. Movie Encyclopedia.
Sid says that during the busy holiday season he receives 350-500 requests per day for otherwise irretrievable movies. If he has or is able to locate the movie you are seeking, the usual fee is $45. I had Charlie's copy of "Diplomatic Courier" in my hands less than a week after first talking to Sid.
If there's an old chestnut that you haven't seen in years and can't find in the video stores, you can reach Sid at 415-931-3676. You can also write him at Sidney Bloomberg, 735 Taylor St., Apt. 306, San Francisco, Calif. 94108-3807.
If you do contact Sid by mail, make sure that you use proper stationery and a No. 10 envelope.
"One woman from Georgia sent me a request written in lipstick on a store receipt. I wrote her back and told her that I wouldn't do business with her just on the principle of the thing alone."
Just before we got off of the telephone, Sid asked me if the Maid of the Mist was still running.
"I was on it almost 60 years ago. I took my mother. I was in the Navy at the time and I felt so in my element with all of that water spraying down on us."
That may be so, but Sid is truly in his element when he is immersed in the challenge of unearthing another of Hollywood's lost treasures.
Thanks to him, Charlie finally got to see the long-lost faces of his brothers in arms that made it in the movies but didn't make it back home.
| Niagara Falls Reporter | www.niagarafallsreporter.com | December 23 2003 |