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Be My Wife
(1921)

This American feature comedy has Max Linder vying for Mary’s hand in marriage over the objections of Aunt Agatha (Flora Finch) who favors rotund Simon.

Kino Classics
2014 DVD edition

The Max Linder Collection (1917-1922), black & white and color-tinted black & white, 205 minutes total, not rated, including Be My Wife (1921), color-toned black & white, 57 minutes, not rated.

Kino Lorber, K1303, UPC 7-38329-13032-9.
One single-sided, dual-layered, Region 0 NTSC DVD disc; 1.33:1 aspect ratio picture in full-frame 4:3 (720 x 480 pixels) interlaced scan image encoded in SDR MPEG-2 format at ? Mbps average video bit rate (capable of progressive scan upscaling to ? fps); Dolby Digital (AC3) 5.0 surround sound encoded at ? Kbps audio bit rate; English language intertitles, no subtitles; chapter stops; standard DVD keepcase; $29.95.
Release date: 27 May 2014.
Country of origin: USA

This DVD collection of Max Linder comedies features a complete presentation of the Linder feature comedy Be My Wife, produced for home video by Lobster Films, Paris.

The film is presented with musical accompaniment by Éric Le Guen.

This is our recommended home video edition of the film.

This Region 1 NTSC DVD edition is available directly from . . .

Éditions Montparnasse
2012 Blu-ray Disc edition

Le Cinéma de Max Linder (1910-1983), black & white, ? minutes total, not rated, with En compagnie de Max Linder [In the Company of Max Linder] (1963), black & white, 85 minutes, not rated, including compiled versions of Be My Wife (1921), Seven Years’ Bad Luck (1921), and The Three Must-Get-Theres (1922).

Éditions Montparnasse,
unknown catalog number, unknown UPC/EAN number.
Two single-sided, dual-layered, Regions ABC Blu-ray Discs; 1.33:1 aspect ratio picture in pillarboxed 16:9 (1920 x 1080 pixels) 24 fps progressive scan image encoded in SDR AVC format at ? Mbps average video bit rate; DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 stereo and mono sound encoded at ? Mbps audio bit rate; French language intertitles, no subtitles; chapter stops; 60-page insert booklet; standard DVD keepcase; unknown suggested retail price.
Release date: 6 November 2012.
Country of origin: France

This Blu-ray Disc edition has been mastered in high-definition from archival film elements.

The film is accompanied by a music score composed and performed by Jean-Marie Sénia.

Supplemental material includes the documentary En compagnie de Max Linder [In the Company of Max Linder] (1963) by Maud Linder; the documentary L’Homme au chapeau de soie [The Man in the Silk Hat] (1983) by Maud Linder; an interview with Maud Linder (7 minutes); a featurette on the restorations (5 minutes); and a 60-page insert booklet.

North American collectors will need a region-free Blu-ray Disc player to view this edition.

This Regions ABC Blu-ray Disc edition has been discontinued
and is . . .

Éditions Montparnasse
2012 DVD edition

Le Cinéma de Max Linder (1910-1983), black & white, 321 minutes total, not rated, with En compagnie de Max Linder [In the Company of Max Linder] (1963), black & white, 85 minutes, not rated, including compiled versions of Be My Wife (1921), Seven Years’ Bad Luck (1921), and The Three Must-Get-Theres (1922).

Éditions Montparnasse,
unknown catalog number, unknown UPC/EAN number.
Three single-sided, dual-layered, Region 0 NTSC DVD discs; 1.33:1 aspect ratio picture in full-frame 4:3 (720 x 480 pixels) interlaced scan image encoded in SDR MPEG-2 format at ? Mbps average video bit rate (capable of progressive scan upscaling to ? fps), and 1.76:1 aspect ratio picture in full-frame 4:3 (720 x 480 pixels) interlaced scan image encoded in SDR MPEG-2 format at ? Mbps average video bit rate (capable of progressive scan upscaling to ? fps); Dolby Digital (AC3) 2.0 stereo and mono sound encoded at ? Kbps audio bit rate; French language intertitles, no subtitles; chapter stops; 60-page insert booklet; standard DVD keepcase; €14,95.
Release date: 6 November 2012.
Country of origin: France

This DVD edition has been mastered in high-definition from archival film elements.

The film is accompanied by a music score composed and performed by Jean-Marie Sénia.

North American collectors will need a region-free PAL DVD player capable of outputting an NTSC-compatible signal to view this edition.

This Region 0 NTSC DVD edition is available directly from . . .

Film Preservation Associates
2003 DVD edition

Laugh with Max Linder (1912-1921), color-toned black & white, 117 minutes total, not rated, including Be My Wife (1921) [excerpts], black & white, 13 minutes, not rated.

Film Preservation Associates, distributed by Image Entertainment, ID0508DSDVD, UPC 0-14381-05082-0.
One single-sided, dual-layered, Region 0 NTSC DVD disc; 1.33:1 aspect ratio picture in full-frame 4:3 (720 x 480 pixels) interlaced scan image encoded in SDR MPEG-2 format at 4.8 Mbps average video bit rate (capable of progressive scan upscaling to 60 fps); Dolby Digital (AC3) 2.0 stereo sound encoded at 224 Kbps audio bit rate; English language intertitles, no subtitles; no chapter stops (within the film); standard DVD keepcase; $24.99.
Release date: 23 September 2003.
Country of origin: USA •

Ratings (1-10): video: 6 / audio: 9 / additional content: 7 / overall: 7.

Video producer David Shepard released this DVD collection of Max Linder comedies including a complete presentation of Seven Years’ Bad Luck (1921), the French shorts Troubles of a Grasswidower (1912), Love’s Surprises (1913), Max Takes a Picture (1913) and Max Sets the Style (1914), and excerpts from Be My Wife (1921).

The disc features small-orchestra musical accompaniment arranged, composed and conducted by Robert Israel, and performed on period instruments.

This Region 0 NTSC DVD edition has been discontinued
and is . . .

Film Preservation Associates
2002 DVD edition

Slapstick Encyclopedia (1909-1929), black & white and color-toned black & white, 1089 minutes total, not rated, including Be My Wife (1921) [abridged], black & white, ? minutes, not rated.

Film Preservation Associates, distributed by Image Entertainment, ID0699DSDVD, UPC 0-14381-06992-1.
Five single-sided, dual-layered, Region 0 NTSC DVD discs; 1.33:1 aspect ratio picture in full-frame 4:3 (720 x 480 pixels) interlaced scan image encoded in SDR MPEG-2 format at ? Mbps average video bit rate (capable of progressive scan upscaling to ? fps); Dolby Digital (AC3) 2.0 stereo sound encoded at ? Kbps audio bit rate, and Dolby Digital (AC3) 2.0 mono sound encoded at ? Kbps audio bit rate; English language intertitles, no subtitles; chapter stops; five standard DVD keepcases in cardboard slipcase; $69.99.
Release date: 7 May 2002.
Country of origin: USA

This abridged DVD edition has been mastered from a very-good, though jittery, 35mm print.

The film is accompanied by piano and violin music by Robert Israel.

This Region 0 NTSC DVD edition has been discontinued
and is . . .

Madacy Entertainment
2012 DVD edition

Madacy Entertainment, distributed by Image Entertainment,
VB951290, UPC 6-28261-12909-6.
Five single-sided, dual-layered, Region 0 NTSC DVD discs, 1.33:1 aspect ratio image in full-frame 4:3 (720 x 480 pixels) interlaced scan MPEG-2 format, SDR (standard dynamic range), ? Mbps average video bit rate, ? Kbps audio bit rate, Dolby Digital 48 kHz 2.0 stereo and mono sound, English language intertitles, no subtitles; chapter stops; rollfold cardboard DVD videobook with cardboard disc pockets, $16.98.
Release date: 25 September 2012.
Country of origin: Canada

This abridged DVD edition has been mastered from a very-good, though jittery, 35mm print.

The film is accompanied by piano and violin music by Robert Israel.

We caution that disc mastering makes a huge difference in the visual quality of DVDs. Since the content has been manufactured onto five double-sided discs, and if proper care has been taken to master the DVDs, the visual quality is comparable to the 2002 Image edition noted above.

This Region 0 NTSC DVD edition has been discontinued
and is . . .

Other MAX LINDER films available on home video.

Other silent film music scores by ROBERT ISRAEL available on home video.

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