Ronald Haver (January 14, 1939 - May 18, 1993[1]) was a film historian, preservationist and author. For over twenty years, he was director of Film Programs at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art[1].
In 1981, the idea to restore the film took hold as the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences made tribute to longtime lyricist Ira Gershwin by screening "The Man That Got Away" number. [2] Haver started his search for the lost footage in 1982 after being approved by the Academy. He found the footage in the Sound Department storage facility at the Warner Bros. studios and restored the deleted scenes from the classic Judy Garland version of the film A Star is Born (1954). These scenes, including two musical numbers, were cut by the studio shortly after its premiere due to distributor complaints about the film's length. Warner Bros. made the deletions without the cooperation of its director, George Cukor, and the scenes were lost for years, much to the disappointment of Garland fans and film historians. Because of the missing footage for the film, Haver used Cukor's production stills to cover the missing footage. The "restored" version of the film was screened at Radio City Music Hall on July 7, 1983 and was released nationwide.
Haver was also involved with second audio commentary tracks for many Criterion Collection LaserDisc releases such as the original King Kong and The Wizard of Oz.[3]
Haver died on May 18, 1993 from AIDS in a Culver City nursing home at the age of 54. [4]