Van-ar-chy, a silent film from 1919 starring entertainer and filmmaker Billy B Van, was rediscovered through an unexpected chain of events. Kohei Okita, a film student in Sendai, Japan, purchased several old film reels at an antique store while researching early cinema related to the concept of anarchy. Upon examining the reels, Okita found the comedy but did not immediately recognize the performer. Through internet research, Okita connected with John Tariot, an archivist specializing in Van’s work, who identified the film as Van-ar-chy, one of the productions created in the New Hampshire communities of Newport and Sunapee.
Billy B Van operated during a significant era of American cinema. The performer, who lived from 1870 to 1950, began his career in Broadway and vaudeville before transitioning to filmmaking. He established the Equity Motion Picture Company and operated a studio in Georges Mills, New Hampshire, where he produced silent comedies featuring locations around the Lake Sunapee region. The rediscovery of Van-ar-chy carries historical weight, as it documents both an obscure early American film company during a period when much silent cinema has been lost and captures scenes of Newport and Sunapee as they appeared in 1919.
Screening plans have been arranged for early November at the Newport Opera House, organized by the historical societies of Newport and Sunapee. The program will also include Where Are Your Husbands?, another Van comedy that was recovered from the Library of Congress collections in 2017. Tariot noted in a statement that the discovery provides insight into the world in which Van created his films, not merely the physical locations. He indicated that additional Van films remain missing and may be located in archives or private collections, with the search continuing.
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