‘Pulp Fiction,’ ‘Roger & Me,’ ‘Mary Poppins’ Join US National Film Registry

“Pulp Fiction,” “Roger & Me,” “The Magnificent Seven,” “Mary Poppins,” “Judgment at Nuremberg” and “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” are among 25 films selected by the Library of Congress this year to be added to its National Film Registry, http://variety.com reports.

The registry is composed of U.S.-made pics dating from 1912 that are deemed “culturally, historically or aesthetically significant” enough to warrant preservation. The list is expanded annually by 25 titles selected by the librarian from suggestions by the facility’s curators, members of the National Film Preservation Board and the public. The 2013 selections bring the number of pics in the Registry to 625.

Eligible films run the gamut of Hollywood classics, silent films, documentaries, independent and experimental motion pictures. This year’s picks are the usual eclectic mix that include MGM’s 1956 sci-fi classic, “Forbidden Planet;” John Wayne’s much-praised turn in John Ford’s 1952 drama “The Quiet Man;” the Charles Vidor- directed film noir classic, “Gilda,” with Rita Hayworth; and the 1962 animated film, “The Hole,” a meditation on nuclear catastrophe by animators John and Faith Hubley.

From the silent era comes “The Virtuous Vamp” (1919), a spoof on workplace featuring Constance Talmadge; “Ella Cinders” (1926), a film with Colleen Moore considered an archetype of 1920s comedy; and “Daughter of Dawn,” an indie pic featuring an all-Native American cast.

The library recently issued a report confirming that 70% of silent films produced by U.S. studios have been lost and that only 14% exist in their original 35mm format.

The recognition for Michael Moore’s “Roger & Me” comes as the distinctive docu about the impact of auto industry job losses on his hometown of Flint, Mich., is to mark its 25th anniversary. And it’s also an example of a modern title that is vulnerable to film deterioration and thus in need of the Registry’s TLC.

“Over the years this movie has received many acknowledgments, but this is certainly the one I cherish the most,” Moore said. “Last year I learned that there were no usable prints left of ‘Roger & Me.’ What there was had seriously deteriorated. This is why I am so grateful for the Library of Congress’ National Film Registry and the National Film Preservation Board.”

Among the other docus getting the nod are “Bless Their Little Hearts” (1984), filmmaker Billy Woodberry’s UCLA thesis project depicting a family’s trying times; “Cicero March” (1966), an eight-minute civil rights doc; and “Men and Dust” (1940), a labor advocacy film produced and directed by female doc pioneer Lee Dick and shot by husband Sheldon.

“The National Film Registry stands among the finest summations of more than a century of extraordinary American cinema,” said Librarian of Congress James Billington. “This key component of American cultural history, however, is endangered, so we must protect the nation’s matchless film heritage and cinematic creativity,” he said.