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Reviews of silent film releases on home video.
Copyright © 1999-2024 by Carl Bennett
and the Silent Era Company.
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Pioneers:
First Women
Filmmakers
(1911-1929)

Contents: The Colleen Bawn (1911), From Death to Life (1911), Greater Love Hath No Man (1911), Mixed Pets (1911), On the Brink (1911) [fragment], Tramp Strategy (1911), Algie, the Miner (1912), Canned Harmony (1912), Falling Leaves (1912), Fine Feathers (1912), A Fool and His Money (1912), The High Cost of Living (1912), Two Little Rangers (1912) [fragment], Burstup Homes’ Murder Case (1913), The Coming of Sunbeam (1913), A House Divided (1913), Matrimony’s Speed Limit (1913), The Rosary (1913), Suspense (1913), Caught in a Cabaret (1914), Lost by a Hair (1914) [fragment], Mabel’s Blunder (1914), Hazards of Helen (1914-1915) [Chapter 9: Leap From the Water; Chapter 13: The Escape on the Fast Freight; Chapter 26: The Wild Engine], Hypocrites (1915), Mabel and Fatty’s Wash Day (1915), Mabel Lost and Won (1915), Scandal [aka Scandal Mongers] (1915), Sunshine Molly (1915) [fragment], The Call of the Cumberlands (1916), The Curse of Quon Gwon: When the Far East Mingle with the West (1916), Eleanor’s Catch (1916), Idle Wives (1916) [fragment], The Ocean Waif (1916), When Little Lindy Sang (1916), Where Are My Children (1916), Her Defiance (1916), The Purple Mask (1916-1917) [Chapter 5: Part 1; Chapter 12: Vault of Mystery; Chapter 13: The Leap], The Cricket (1917) [fragment], ’49-’17 (1917), Bread (1918) [fragment], Broadway Love (1918), The Dream Lady (1918), The Risky Road (1918) [fragment], Back to God’s Country (1919), Something New (1920), A Daughter of The Law (1921), Too Wise Wives (1921), What Do Men Want? (1921) [fragment], Salome (1922), The Song of Love (1923), That Ice Ticket (1923), Motherhood: Life’s Greatest Miracle (1925), The Red Kimona (1925), [Ethnographic Films] (1929) and Linda (1929).

Kino Classics
2018 Blu-ray Disc edition

Pioneers: First Women Filmmakers (1911-1929), black & white and color-toned black & white, 1710 minutes total, not rated, including The Colleen Bawn (1911), black & white, 35 minutes, not rated, From Death to Life (1911), black & white, 14 minutes, not rated, Greater Love Hath No Man (1911), black & white, 16 minutes, not rated, Mixed Pets (1911), black & white, 14 minutes, not rated, On the Brink (1911) [fragment], black & white, 13 minutes, not rated, Tramp Strategy (1911), black & white, 12 minutes, not rated, Algie, the Miner (1912), black & white, 10 minutes, not rated, Canned Harmony (1912), black & white, 16 minutes, not rated, Falling Leaves (1912), black & white, 12 minutes, not rated, Fine Feathers (1912), black & white, 15 minutes, not rated, A Fool and His Money (1912), black & white, 11 minutes, not rated, The High Cost of Living (1912), black & white, 15 minutes, not rated, Two Little Rangers (1912) [fragment], black & white, 12 minutes, not rated, Burstup Homes’ Murder Case (1913), black & white, 15 minutes, not rated, The Coming of Sunbeam (1913), black & white, 11 minutes, not rated, A House Divided (1913), black & white, 13 minutes, not rated, Matrimony’s Speed Limit (1913), black & white, 14 minutes, not rated, The Rosary (1913), black & white, 15 minutes, not rated, Suspense (1913), black & white, 11 minutes, not rated, Caught in a Cabaret (1914), black & white, 24 minutes, not rated, Lost by a Hair (1914) [fragment], black & white, 4 minutes, not rated, Mabel’s Blunder (1914), black & white, 17 minutes, not rated, Hazards of Helen (1914-1915) [Chapter 9: Leap From the Water; Chapter 13: The Escape on the Fast Freight; Chapter 26: The Wild Engine], black & white, 33 minutes, not rated, Hypocrites (1915), color-tinted black & white, color-toned black & white, and color-tinted and color-toned black & white, 52 minutes, not rated, Mabel and Fatty’s Wash Day (1915), black & white, 13 minutes, not rated, Mabel Lost and Won (1915), black & white, 14 minutes, not rated, Scandal [aka Scandal Mongers] (1915), black & white, 36 minutes, not rated, Sunshine Molly (1915) [fragment], black & white, 32 minutes, not rated, The Call of the Cumberlands (1916), black & white, 64 minutes, not rated, The Curse of Quon Gwon: When the Far East Mingle with the West (1916), black & white, 35 minutes, not rated, Eleanor’s Catch (1916), color-tinted black & white, 13 minutes, not rated, Idle Wives (1916) [fragment], black & white, 24 minutes, not rated, The Ocean Waif (1916), black & white and color-tinted black & white, 35 minutes, not rated, When Little Lindy Sang (1916), black & white, 10 minutes, not rated, Where Are My Children (1916), color-tinted black & white, 65 minutes, not rated, Her Defiance (1916), black & white, 21 minutes, not rated, The Purple Mask (1916-1917) [Chapter 5: Part 1; Chapter 12: Vault of Mystery; Chapter 13: The Leap], black & white, 43 minutes, not rated, The Cricket (1917) [fragment], black & white, 12 minutes, not rated, ’49-’17 (1917), black & white, 70 minutes, not rated, Bread (1918) [fragment], black & white, 16 minutes, not rated, Broadway Love (1918), black & white, 61 minutes, not rated, The Dream Lady (1918), black & white, 54 minutes, not rated, The Risky Road (1918) [fragment], black & white, 2 minutes, not rated, Back to God’s Country (1919), color-tinted black & white and color-toned black & white, 74 minutes, not rated, Something New (1920), black & white, 57 minutes, not rated, A Daughter of The Law (1921), black & white, 22 minutes, not rated, Too Wise Wives (1921), black & white, 69 minutes, not rated, What Do Men Want? (1921) [fragment], black & white, 41 minutes, not rated, Salomé (1922), black & white and color-tinted black & white, 72 minutes, not rated, The Song of Love (1923), black & white, 81 minutes, not rated, That Ice Ticket (1923), black & white, 10 minutes, not rated, Motherhood: Life’s Greatest Miracle (1925), black & white, 60 minutes, not rated, The Red Kimona (1925), color-tinted black & white, and color-tinted and color-toned black & white, 77 minutes, not rated, [Ethnographic Films] (1929), black & white, 13 minutes, not rated, and Linda (1929), black & white, 73 minutes, not rated.

Kino Lorber, K23411, UPC 7-38329-23411-9.
Six single-sided, dual-layered, Region A 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 26.8 Mbps average video bit rate; LPCM 2.0 stereo sound encoded at 1.5 Kbps audio bit rate; English language intertitles, no subtitles; chapter stops; 80-page insert booklet; three double-disc plastic trays on cardboard wrap in cardboard storage box; $99.95.
Release date: 20 November 2018.
Country of origin: USA

Ratings (1-10): video: 8 / audio: 7 / additional content: 8 / overall: 8.

This Blu-ray Disc edition has been mastered from 4K and 2K high-resolution scans of archival prints held by the Library of Congress, UCLA Film and Television Archive, FPA France (Lobster Films collection), and other archives. While many of the scans are very-good to excellent, a number of films could have benefitted from digital image stabilization at minimum.

The films are accompanied by music scores by Renée Clark Baker, The Berklee Silent Film Orchestra, Makia Matsumura, Maud Nelissen, Dana Reason, Aleksandra Vrebalov, Ben Model, Andrew Earle Simpson, Lisa Mezzacappa and others.

Supplemental material includes audio commentaries by Gaylyn Studlar; an introductory featurette with contributions by Shelley Stamp, Cari Beauchamp, Anthony Slide, Jane M. Gaines, Karen Ward Mahar and Rob Stone (17 minutes); a featurette on Alice Guy-Blaché with contributions by Alison McMahan, Shelley Stamp, Jane M. Gaines and Anthony Slide (8 minutes); a Lois Weber featurette with contributions by Shelley Stamp and Anthony Slide (9 minutes); a featurette on social commentary with contributions by Karen Ward Mahar, Shelley Stamp and Anthony Slide (11 minutes); a featurette on the restorations of the films with contributions by Rob Stone, Geo. Willeman and Lynanne Schweighofer of the Library of Congress (11 minutes).

For our comparative reviews of some of the individual films in this collection, see our Back to God’s Country on home video, Caught in a Cabaret on home video, Eleanor’s Catch on home video, ’49-’17 on home video, The Hazards of Helen on home video, Hypocrites on home video, Linda on home video, Mabel’s Blunder on home video, The Ocean Waif on home video, The Red Kimona on home video, Salomé on home video, Something New on home video, Suspense on home video and Too Wise Wives on home video pages.

Let’s nitpick with Kino Lorber: the two-level plastic trays can make extraction of the bottom disc worrisome for fear of bending or breaking the disc before it works loose. Might we suggest some practical alternative for future multidisc sets? Perhaps go back to individual slimline disc cases in a cardboard slipcase?

This will likely be the best home video editions of many of these films. A companion volume containing three feature films and a fragment of a fourth was also released under the title The Intrigue.

USA: Click the logomark to purchase this Region A Blu-ray Disc edition from Amazon.com. Your purchase supports Silent Era.

Canada: Click the logomark to purchase this Region A Blu-ray Disc edition from Amazon.ca. Your purchase supports Silent Era.

United Kingdom: Click the logomark to purchase this Region A Blu-ray Disc edition from Amazon.co.uk. Support Silent Era.

Kino Classics
2018 DVD edition

Pioneers: First Women Filmmakers (1911-1929), black & white and color-toned black & white, 1320 minutes total, not rated, including The Colleen Bawn (1911), black & white, 35 minutes, not rated, From Death to Life (1911), black & white, 14 minutes, not rated, Greater Love Hath No Man (1911), black & white, 16 minutes, not rated, Mixed Pets (1911), black & white, 14 minutes, not rated, On the Brink (1911) [fragment], black & white, 13 minutes, not rated, Tramp Strategy (1911), black & white, 12 minutes, not rated, Algie, the Miner (1912), black & white, 10 minutes, not rated, Canned Harmony (1912), black & white, 16 minutes, not rated, Falling Leaves (1912), black & white, 12 minutes, not rated, Fine Feathers (1912), black & white, 15 minutes, not rated, A Fool and His Money (1912), black & white, 11 minutes, not rated, The High Cost of Living (1912), black & white, 15 minutes, not rated, Two Little Rangers (1912) [fragment], black & white, 12 minutes, not rated, The Coming of Sunbeam (1913), black & white, 11 minutes, not rated, Matrimony’s Speed Limit (1913), black & white, 14 minutes, not rated, The Rosary (1913), black & white, 15 minutes, not rated, Suspense (1913), black & white, 11 minutes, not rated, Caught in a Cabaret (1914), black & white, 24 minutes, not rated, Lost by a Hair (1914) [fragment], black & white, 4 minutes, not rated, Mabel’s Blunder (1914), black & white, 17 minutes, not rated, Hazards of Helen (1914-1915) [Chapter 9: Leap From the Water; Chapter 13: The Escape on the Fast Freight; Chapter 26: The Wild Engine], black & white, 33 minutes, not rated, Hypocrites (1915), color-tinted black & white, color-toned black & white, and color-tinted and color-toned black & white, 52 minutes, not rated, Mabel and Fatty’s Wash Day (1915), black & white, 13 minutes, not rated, Scandal [aka Scandal Mongers] (1915), black & white, 36 minutes, not rated, Sunshine Molly (1915) [fragment], black & white, 32 minutes, not rated, The Call of the Cumberlands (1916), black & white, 64 minutes, not rated, The Curse of Quon Gwon: When the Far East Mingle with the West (1916), black & white, 35 minutes, not rated, Eleanor’s Catch (1916), color-tinted black & white, 13 minutes, not rated, Idle Wives (1916) [fragment], black & white, 24 minutes, not rated, The Ocean Waif (1916), black & white and color-tinted black & white, 35 minutes, not rated, When Little Lindy Sang (1916), black & white, 10 minutes, not rated, Where Are My Children (1916), color-tinted black & white, 65 minutes, not rated, Her Defiance (1916), black & white, 21 minutes, not rated, The Purple Mask (1916-1917) [Chapter 5: Part 1; Chapter 12: Vault of Mystery; Chapter 13: The Leap], black & white, 43 minutes, not rated, ’49-’17 (1917), black & white, 70 minutes, not rated, Bread (1918) [fragment], black & white, 16 minutes, not rated, The Dream Lady (1918), black & white, 54 minutes, not rated, The Risky Road (1918) [fragment], black & white, 2 minutes, not rated, Back to God’s Country (1919), color-tinted black & white and color-toned black & white, ? minutes, not rated, A Daughter of The Law (1921), black & white, 22 minutes, not rated, What Do Men Want? (1921) [fragment], black & white, 41 minutes, not rated, Salomé (1922), black & white and color-tinted black & white, 72 minutes, not rated, The Song of Love (1923), black & white, 81 minutes, not rated, That Ice Ticket (1923), black & white, 10 minutes, not rated, The Red Kimona (1925), color-tinted black & white, and color-tinted and color-toned black & white, 77 minutes, not rated, [Ethnographic Films] (1929), black & white, 13 minutes, not rated, and Linda (1929), black & white, 73 minutes, not rated.

Kino Lorber, K23410, UPC 7-38329-23410-2.
Six single-sided, dual-layered, Region 1 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; English language intertitles, no subtitles; chapter stops; 80-page insert booklet; three double-disc plastic trays on cardboard wrap in cardboard storage box; $79.95.
Release date: 20 November 2018.
Country of origin: USA

This DVD edition has been mastered from 4K and 2K high-resolution scans of archival prints.

This will likely be the best DVD home video editions of many of these films. A companion volume containing three feature films and a fragment of a fourth was also released under the title The Intrigue.

USA: Click the logomark to purchase this Region 1 DVD edition from Amazon.com. Your purchase supports Silent Era.

Canada: Click the logomark to purchase this Region 1 DVD edition from Amazon.ca. Your purchase supports Silent Era.

United Kingdom: Click the logomark to purchase this Region 1 DVD edition from Amazon.co.uk. Support Silent Era.

Other silent era films by WOMEN DIRECTORS available on home video.

Other silent era MABEL NORMAND films available on home video.

Other silent era LOIS WEBER films available on home video.

Other silent era LON CHANEY films available on home video.

Other CRIME FILMS of the silent era available on home video.

Other SERIAL FILMS of the silent era available on home video.

Other KEYSTONE COMEDY FILMS of the silent era available on home video.

Other SHORT COMEDY FILMS of the silent era available on home video.

Other SHORT DRAMA FILMS of the silent era available on home video.