Reviews of silent film releases on home video.
Copyright © 1999-2025 by Carl Bennett
and the Silent Era Company.
All Rights Reserved. |
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The Hobo
(1917)
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This short comedy, directed by Arvid E. Gillstrom, stars Billy West and Virginia Clark, with Oliver Hardy, Bud Ross, Leo White and Harry Naughton.
A representative example of Chaplin-imitator Billy West’s work. When in doubt about where to take your story, have a food fight. At the end of the film, Billy makes a poor and hasty bid for Chaplin-style pathos.
Sharp-eyed viewers will note that Oliver’s new car has New York state dealer plates on it.
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 All Day Entertainment
2008 DVD edition
American Slapstick, Volume 2 (1915-1937), black & white, 440 minutes total, not rated, including The Hobo (1917), black & white, 21 minutes, not rated.
All Day Entertainment, distributed by Facets Video,
DV96585, UPC 7-36899-11822-8, ISBN 1-56580-777-4.
One single-sided, dual-layered, Region 0 NTSC DVD disc (three DVDs in the set); 1.33:1 aspect ratio picture in windowboxed 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; standard three-disc DVD keepcase; $39.99.
Release date: 22 July 2008.
Country of origin: USA
Ratings (1-10): video: 6 / audio: 8 / additional content: 7 / overall: 7.
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This DVD edition has been mastered from what appears to be a digital scan (given the amount of hard film grain seen in still frames) of a very-good 16mm reduction print from a private film collection, with a good greyscale range and the typical amount of dust, speckling, fine vertical scratches, emulsion scrapes, scuffs and blooms, frame jitters, and other print flaws. As with other home video editions, the presentation runs faster than a natural pace making it challenging to take in details of the action as it races by. This is the most complete and easily the best-looking print of the film we have viewed on home video.
The film is accompanied by a music score (with sound effects) composed and performed on Wurlitzer theatre pipe organ by Blaine Gale.
If you can still find it, this is our recommended home video edition of the film.
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ALL DAY ENTERTAINMENT has discontinued disc sales
and this Region 0 NTSC DVD edition is . . .
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 Alpha Video
2005 DVD edition
Early Silent Classics of Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy, Volume 2 (1917-1926), black & white, 87 minutes total, not rated, including The Hobo (1917), black & white, 18 minutes, not rated.
Alpha Home Entertainment, distributed by Oldies.com,
ALP 4680D, UPC 0-89218-46809-3.
One single-sided, single-layered, Region 0 NTSC DVD-R 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 3.5 Mbps average video bit rate (capable of progressive scan upscaling to 60 fps); Dolby Digital (AC3) 2.0 mono sound encoded at 384 Kbps audio bit rate; English language intertitles, no subtitles; no chapter stops (within the film); standard DVD keepcase; $7.98 (raised again to $9.99).
Release date: 22 February 2005.
Country of origin: USA
Ratings (1-10): video: 4 / audio: 4 / additional content: 4 / overall: 4.
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This DVD-R edition has been mastered from an analog video transfer of a good 16mm reduction print. The transfer appears to be the same as that utilized for other budget editions except that the greyscale balance renders darker picture blacks. The transfer frame rate is at sound speed with the resulting action running a little faster than a natural pace (which, for this film, is probably a blessing in disguise).
The film is accompanied by a soundtrack compiled from warbling and tinkling preexisting music recordings. Annoying.
Not recommended but this is currently the only in-print home video edition of the film.
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This
Region 0 NTSC DVD-R edition is available from
ALPHA VIDEO through . . .
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 Passport Video
2006 DVD edition
The Laurel or Hardy Collection (1917-1927), black & white, 560 minutes total, not rated, including The Hobo (1917), black & white, 18 minutes, not rated.
Passport International Productions,
DVD-5380, UPC 0-25493-53809-0.
One single-sided, single-layered, Region 0 NTSC DVD disc (five DVDs in the set); 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 4.0 Mbps average video bit rate (capable of progressive scan upscaling to 60 fps); Dolby Digital (AC3) 2.0 mono sound encoded at 192 Kbps audio bit rate; English language intertitles, no subtitles; no chapter stops (within the film); 4-page insert pamphlet; double-wide five-disc DVD keepcase; unknown suggested retail price.
Release date: 21 February 2006.
Country of origin: USA
Ratings (1-10): video: 4 / audio: 4 / additional content: 4 / overall: 4.
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This DVD edition has been mastered from an analog video transfer of a good 16mm reduction print, with picture details a bit coarse and smeary. The transfer frame rate is at sound speed with the resulting action running a little faster than a natural pace (which is probably a blessing in disguise). The transfer appears to be the same as that utilized for other budget editions and, here, is a bit contrasty with facial details often burnt out to white and grayish blacks. The film is presented with a digital “The Laurel OR Hardy Collection” watermark in the lower right corner of the picture; this is to discourage video pirates (which is ironic given the low quality of many of the transfers in this collection).
The film is accompanied by a soundtrack compiled from preexisting piano music recordings.
Supplemental material includes a video introduction by archivist Rob Stone; and a 4-page insert pamphlet with brief notes and film listings.
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This
Region 0 NTSC DVD edition has been discontinued
and is . . .
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Other silent era OLIVER HARDY films available on home video.
Other SHORT COMEDY FILMS of the silent era available on home video.
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