39 Messages
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602 Points
The Difficulty of Proving That Fan-Submitted Character/Actor Data Are False
Very often IMDb cast lists, especially the lower part of the cast list (which is not based on on-screen credits but on identifications submitted by IMDb users) contain errors, either of actor or of character name. I frequently try to change this erroneous information. When I do this, I never rely on my memory, but on the DVD or Blu-ray disk sitting in my machine, with the exact minutes of film that are relevant freeze-framed and time-stamp noted. I then submit the corrections with a full description of the error and the corrected actor/character names. Here is an example of one of my recent submissions, regarding the 1950 Spencer Tracy film Father of the Bride, where the IMDb cast list grossly misidentifies some of the characters in the lower part of the cast list:
"Both the IMDb and AFI lists are dead wrong on the character names for Richard Alexander and Dewey Robinson. I have just watched the DVD and freeze-framed every actor in the moving sequence, and it's very clear that Richard Alexander is taking the left end of a rolled-up rug (even as Spencer Tracy protests) and that Dewey Robinson is taking the right end. See the film at 1:13:56 - 1:14:02. Neither of them is carrying either a screen or a lamp, as their IMDb credits currently show. In fact, no character is shown carrying a screen or a lamp; if there ever were such scenes, they were cut from the final 92-minute version of the film (the version listed on IMDb and reproduced on DVD)."
Now, I spent about 20 minutes watching and re-watching the relevant scene, and I know that my correction is warranted. I have given the time-stamps so that anyone who doubts my correction can look and check it for himself/herself. What more can I do?
I expect someone will say, "You should upload images to prove your correction." But first, I don't know how to upload an image to IMDb (I know how to capture an image and store it as a file on my computer, but my computer is not a public website, so I doubt an image stored on my computer would be accepted), and second, even if I uploaded the relevant images, the person reading the correction would have to know the look of the characters and actors I'm referring to well enough to know that I am correct, i.e., the IMDb editor making the decision would have to be a fairly expert fan of minor supporting actors in very old movies.
I've suggested here before that for these very old films the current IMDb system is not very reliable, because it allows people who are reading the corrections, people who don't have the film in front of them and often don't know the older actors nearly as well as the person who is submitting the correction, to make a judgment whether a correction is valid or not.
It would be better to have a sub-forum on the IMDb where those who, like myself, have massive collections of old films and know all the old actors extremely well, could talk to each other in public within that sub-forum, and discuss and debate possible changes, and then as a group endorse or reject any proposed change. So, for example, if there were a sub-forum of people like myself, people in the age range of 65 to 85, who know old films extremely well, or even of people who were younger but still due to special study knew the older films very well, and my correction above were submitted to them, they would unanimously vote to accept the correction I submitted above and to alter the character names accordingly.
Connected with this is my frustration about the changed standards over time at IMDb. Obviously, when IMDb got started, IMDb did not demand the uploading of images etc. to prove additions or corrections to cast lists, since it is filled with errors which could not possibly have been proved. (E.g., since Alexander is carrying a rug, not a screen, obviously IMDb did not ask the original person who submitted the error for proof, but just accepted it on faith, but now that I offer a correction to that original error, my correction is not accepted on faith, but requires a higher standard of proof.) So the effect is that people who don't know the old actors very well have in the past filled up the IMDb cast lists with errors, based on erroneous identifications, and those errors have been "locked in" and now people who know the history of film and actors much better cannot fix the errors.
Any thoughts on how this general problem can be fixed?
Peter_pbn
Champion
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16.2K Messages
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349.6K Points
2 months ago
There is an upload feature linked in the contribution form when you enter an explanation. It is true that an IMDb staff member wouldn't necessarily know whether the correction is accurate, but you don't have to give them a reason to decline the correction by not including evidence.
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Maya
Employee
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7.2K Messages
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75.5K Points
2 months ago
Hi old_film_lover-
Thank you for the feedback! Will pass this along to the respective team for visibility.
As per the supporting evidence, this method is how our contributors provide evidence to support their credit submissions, in this case. This will help our staff to further verify the information being contributed for credit additions and corrections which is why it's necessary to added on the form.
You are always welcome to re-submit and if you have further evidence, I encourage you to submit it. In this particular cases, we suggest you take photos of the on-screen credits and upload them via the aforementioned method to help us verify your corrections.
Cheers!
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