No - it's generally assumed that nothing exists. Sad - or perhaps not - we might be terribly disappointed.

In mentioning this, let me hasten to say that the choreographer probably has not, repeat not, had any contact with the widow, and it would not be of any value to try to contact them on the matter.

I have deliberately left out identification so that my informant won't be bothered. It's a nice will o' the wisp, I am afraid, at this point in time. But wouldn't it make the basis for a great who dunnit?

I knew Dr. Ostwald rather well, casually, since I worked down the hall from him at Langley Porter Psychiatric Institute. I typed the manuscript for his book on Robert Schumann, which won the Deems Taylor Award for a musical manuscript after it came out. One of my memorable employment moments occurred when I had a question about a quote and Dr. Ostwald stood by me, translating directly from the German, so the passage would be accurate. For the Nijinsky manuscript and his subsequent others, (including a biography on Glenn Gould, who was a class mate to Dr. Ostwald's wife Lise), Dr. Ostwald acquired a Mac, so didn't require someone to word process for him.

Dr. Ostwald never elaborated where he saw the film, and yes, he was the psychiatrist-author of "Nijinsky: A Leap Into Madness." His viewing of a Soloviev film would depend on your particular sources.

It would be very interesting also to see footage of Idzikowsky. Hard to mistake them unless the film would be very fuzzy or grainy, or shot from far away, since facially he and Nijinsky were very different. Such mystery!

I distinctly remember reading in the Nijinksy biography by Richard Buckle that an important opportunity to film Nijinsky and The Ballets Russes was missed when the company was in Hollywood during its first US tour (I believe it was 1916). The dancers were introducued to a variety of Hollywood stars, plans were made to film, but nothing came of it.

Also mentionned in the book is that Nijinsky, acting as head of the company for the tour, often did not danced as advertised. Idzikovsy and others would appear in his name. Therefore any film of Nijinsky should be viewed with caution (especially if Carnaval is on offer i.e. the face makeup was quite heavy).

I would very much want to see any contemporary of Nijinsky dance, I am sure that a very good impression of his dancing could be extrapolated from the footage, given the large critical literature available from that time.

Here is a link to it:

http://wywy.essortment.com/firsttalkies_refn.htm

LAST EDITED ON 22-02-03 AT 06:44 PM (GMT)

From the website of the Balanchine Foundation:

"From 1927 to 1931, Balanchine staged dances and musical numbers for revues, variety shows, and operettas in London and Paris as well as creating choreography for Dark Red Roses, the first feature-length talking motion picture made in England."

It was on the set of Dark Red Roses that Balanchine heard of the death of Diaghilev.

The New York Public Library have a wonderful collection of dance related material, do they know anything about a Nijinsky film? Perhaps one of our American friends could ask?

Title United News / United Newsreel Corporation.
Imprint U.S. : United Newsreel Corporation, 1945.

LOCATION CALL # STATUS
PerfArts-Dance *MGZIA 4-5001
Descript 1 videocassette (10 min.) : sd., b&w NTSC ; 1/2 in. (VHS)
Contents Japanese surrender more territory -- Quisling convicted of treason -- Allied powers occupy Vienna -- American troops enter Tokyo.
Summary Newsreel containing various items on events following World War II. Vaslav Nijinsky appears in the segment titled "Allied powers occupy Vienna," beginning at ca. 8:30 min. into the tape. In ca. 10 sec. of footage, he walks down a street in what the narrator describes as his first public appearance in 27 years of mental illness. This segment was included in the documentary Vaslav Nijinski, une āme en exil (c2000)