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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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Cinema’s First
Nasty Women
(1898-1926)

Contents: How Bridget Served the Salad Undressed (1898), A Bad (K)night (1899), The Dairymaid’s Revenge (1899), The Finish of Mr. Fresh (1899), How Bridget Made the Fire (1900), The Finish of Bridget McKeen (1901), Mary Jane’s Mishap (1901), Nora’s 4th of July (1901), Fille de bain indiscrète (1902), La grève des bonnes (1906), Rivalinder (1906), Les femmes cochers (1907), La grève des nourrices (1907), Laughing Gas (1907), Victoire a ses nerfs (1907), The Boy Detective (1908), Madame fait du sport (1908), Mixed Babies (1908), Nellie, the Beautiful Housemaid (1908) [fragment], The Planter’s Wife (1908), The Girl Spy: An Incident of the Civil War (1909), Her First Biscuits (1909), Lucky Jim (1909), Pranks (1909), Les Ficelles de Léontine (1910), The Further Adventures of the Girl Spy (1910), The Girl Spy Before Vicksburg (1910), Léontine devient trottin (1910), Léontine en apprentissage (1910), Léontine en vacances (1910), La pile électrique de Léontine (1910), The Red Girl and the Child (1910), Taming a Husband (1910), The Adventures of Billy (1911), Amour et musique (1911), Le bateau de Léontine (1911), A Country Cupid (1911), Eugénie, redresse-toi! (1911), Hypnotizing the Hypnotist (1911), Lea sui pattini (1911), Léontine enfant terrible (1911), Léontine s’envole (1911), Little Moritz demande Rosalie en mariage (1911), Little Moritz enlève Rosalie (1911), Non! Tu ne sortiras pas sans moi (1911), La peur des ombres (1911), A Range Romance (1911), Un ravalement précipité (1911), Le Rembrandt de la rue Lepic (1911), Rosalie a la maladie du sommeil (1911), Rosalie emménage (1911), Rosalie et Léontine vont au théâtre (1911), Rosalie et ses meubles fidèles (1911), Rosalie et son phonographe (1911), La ruse de Miss Plumcake (1911), A Terrible Discovery (1911), Tilly’s Party (1911), An Up-to-Date Squ*w (1911), Ventilateur breveté (1911), Amour et science (1912), The Baby and the Stork (1912), C’est la faute à Rosalie (1912), Cunégonde aime son maître (1912), Cunégonde femme crampon (1912), Cunégonde femme du monde (1912), Cunégonde jalouse (1912), Cunégonde membre de la SPA (1912), Cunégonde ramoneur (1912), Cunégonde trop curieuse (1912), La fureur de Mme. Plumette (1912), Gavroche à Luna-Park (1912), Gisèle a manqué le train (1912), Léontine garde la maison (1912), Making a Man of Her (1912), Les malices de Léontine (1912), Marie est trop obéissante (1912), Le ménage Dranem (1912), Mr. Smith, Barber (1912), Onésime et la toilette de mademoiselle Badinois (1912), Patouillard a une femme jalouse (1912), Riposo festivo (1912), Cunégonde femme cochère (1913), Lea bambola (1913), Mannekängen (1913), Pétronille gagne le grand steeple (1913), Le singe de Pétronille (1913), Zoé a la main malheureuse (1913), Zoé et le parapluie miraculeux (1913), Daisy Doodad’s Dial (1914), The Death Mask (1914), Le désespoir de Pétronille (1914), Fatty and Minnie-He-Haw (1914), Dollars and Sense (1916), The Snowbird (1916), Phil for Short (1919), Rowdy Ann (1919), The Night Rider (1920), She’s a Prince (1926) and What’s the World Coming To? (1926).

We are excited to see this collection of 99 films sourced from 13 world film archives and libraries, many of them new to home video.

Kino Classics
2022 Blu-ray Disc edition

Cinema’s First Nasty Women (1898-1926), black & white and color-toned black & white, 875 minutes total, not rated, including How Bridget Served the Salad Undressed (1898), black & white, 1 minute, not rated, A Bad (K)night (1899), black & white, 2 minutes, not rated, The Dairymaid’s Revenge (1899), black & white, 2 minutes, not rated, The Finish of Mr. Fresh (1899), black & white, 2 minutes, not rated, How Bridget Made the Fire (1900), black & white, 1 minute, not rated, The Finish of Bridget McKeen (1901), black & white, 1 minute, not rated, Mary Jane’s Mishap (1901), black & white, 4 minutes, not rated, Nora’s 4th of July (1901), black & white, 1 minute, not rated, Fille de bain indiscrète (1902), black & white, 3 minutes, not rated, La grève des bonnes (1906), black & white, 7 minutes, not rated, Rivalinder (1906), black & white, 6 minutes, not rated, Les femmes cochers (1907), black & white, 10 minutes, not rated, La grève des nourrices (1907), black & white, 12 minutes, not rated, Laughing Gas (1907), black & white, 7 minutes, not rated, Victoire a ses nerfs (1907), black & white, 3 minutes, not rated, The Boy Detective (1908), black & white, 8 minutes, not rated, Madame fait du sport (1908), black & white, 10 minutes, not rated, Mixed Babies (1908), black & white, 8 minutes, not rated, Nellie, the Beautiful Housemaid (1908) [fragment], black & white, 1 minute, not rated, The Planter’s Wife (1908), black & white, 12 minutes, not rated, The Girl Spy: An Incident of the Civil War (1909), black & white, 11 minutes, not rated, Her First Biscuits (1909), black & white, 9 minutes, not rated, Lucky Jim (1909), black & white, 5 minutes, not rated, Pranks (1909), black & white, 5 minutes, not rated, Les Ficelles de Léontine (1910), black & white, 7 minutes, not rated, The Further Adventures of the Girl Spy (1910), black & white, 12 minutes, not rated, The Girl Spy Before Vicksburg (1910), black & white, 15 minutes, not rated, Léontine devient trottin (1910), black & white, 3 minutes, not rated, Léontine en apprentissage (1910), black & white, 10 minutes, not rated, Léontine en vacances (1910), black & white, 8 minutes, not rated, La pile électrique de Léontine (1910), black & white, 6 minutes, not rated, The Red Girl and the Child (1910), black & white, 17 minutes, not rated, Taming a Husband (1910), black & white, 16 minutes, not rated, The Adventures of Billy (1911), black & white, 15 minutes, not rated, Amour et musique (1911), black & white, 5 minutes, not rated, Le bateau de Léontine (1911), black & white, 5 minutes, not rated, A Country Cupid (1911), black & white, 15 minutes, not rated, Eugénie, redresse-toi! (1911), black & white, 6 minutes, not rated, Hypnotizing the Hypnotist (1911), black & white, 7 minutes, not rated, Lea sui pattini (1911), black & white, 5 minutes, not rated, Léontine enfant terrible (1911), black & white, 7 minutes, not rated, Léontine s’envole (1911), black & white, 6 minutes, not rated, Little Moritz demande Rosalie en mariage (1911), black & white, 6 minutes, not rated, Little Moritz enlève Rosalie (1911), black & white, 8 minutes, not rated, Non! Tu ne sortiras pas sans moi (1911), black & white, 5 minutes, not rated, La peur des ombres (1911), black & white, 4 minutes, not rated, A Range Romance (1911), black & white, 12 minutes, not rated, Un ravalement précipité (1911), black & white, 6 minutes, not rated, Le Rembrandt de la rue Lepic (1911), black & white, 6 minutes, not rated, Rosalie a la maladie du sommeil (1911), black & white, 5 minutes, not rated, Rosalie emménage (1911), black & white, 6 minutes, not rated, Rosalie et Léontine vont au théâtre (1911), black & white, 4 minutes, not rated, Rosalie et ses meubles fidèles (1911), black & white, 5 minutes, not rated, Rosalie et son phonographe (1911), black & white, 4 minutes, not rated, La ruse de Miss Plumcake (1911), black & white, 5 minutes, not rated, A Terrible Discovery (1911), black & white, 14 minutes, not rated, Tilly’s Party (1911), black & white, 7 minutes, not rated, An Up-to-Date Squ*w (1911), black & white, 7 minutes, not rated, Ventilateur breveté (1911), black & white, 4 minutes, not rated, Amour et science (1912), black & white, 14 minutes, not rated, The Baby and the Stork (1912), black & white, 16 minutes, not rated, C’est la faute à Rosalie (1912), black & white, 6 minutes, not rated, Cunégonde aime son maître (1912), black & white, 7 minutes, not rated, Cunégonde femme crampon (1912), black & white, 9 minutes, not rated, Cunégonde femme du monde (1912), black & white, 7 minutes, not rated, Cunégonde jalouse (1912), black & white, 6 minutes, not rated, Cunégonde membre de la SPA (1912), black & white, 2 minutes, not rated, Cunégonde ramoneur (1912), black & white, 7 minutes, not rated, Cunégonde trop curieuse (1912), black & white, 7 minutes, not rated, La fureur de Mme. Plumette (1912), black & white, 6 minutes, not rated, Gavroche à Luna-Park (1912), black & white, 6 minutes, not rated, Gisèle a manqué le train (1912), black & white, 9 minutes, not rated, Léontine garde la maison (1912), black & white, 8 minutes, not rated, Making a Man of Her (1912), black & white, 13 minutes, not rated, Les malices de Léontine (1912), black & white, 5 minutes, not rated, Marie est trop obéissante (1912), black & white, 7 minutes, not rated, Le ménage Dranem (1912), black & white, 10 minutes, not rated, Mr. Smith, Barber (1912), black & white, 6 minutes, not rated, Onésime et la toilette de mademoiselle Badinois (1912), black & white, 8 minutes, not rated, Patouillard a une femme jalouse (1912), black & white, 6 minutes, not rated, Riposo festivo (1912), black & white, 9 minutes, not rated, Cunégonde femme cochère (1913), black & white, 6 minutes, not rated, Lea bambola (1913), black & white, 6 minutes, not rated, Mannekängen (1913) [fragments], black & white, 3 minutes, not rated, Pétronille gagne le grand steeple (1913), black & white, 7 minutes, not rated, Le singe de Pétronille (1913), black & white, 7 minutes, not rated, Zoé a la main malheureuse (1913), black & white, 5 minutes, not rated, Zoé et le parapluie miraculeux (1913), black & white, 4 minutes, not rated, Daisy Doodad’s Dial (1914), black & white, 8 minutes, not rated, The Death Mask (1914), black & white, 21 minutes, not rated, Le désespoir de Pétronille (1914), black & white, 8 minutes, not rated, Fatty and Minnie-He-Haw (1914), black & white, 12 minutes, not rated, Dollars and Sense (1916), black & white, 30 minutes, not rated, The Snowbird (1916), black & white, 82 minutes, not rated, Phil for Short (1919), black & white, 82 minutes, not rated, Rowdy Ann (1919), black & white, 24 minutes, not rated, The Night Rider (1920), black & white, 25 minutes, not rated, She’s a Prince (1926), black & white, 27 minutes, not rated, and What’s the World Coming To? (1926), black & white, 22 minutes, not rated.

Kino Lorber, K25901, UPC 7-38329-25901-3.
Four 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; LPCM 2.0 stereo sound encoded at 1.5 Mbps audio bit rate; Dutch, English and French language intertitles, English, French and Spanish language subtitles; chapter stops; 114-page insert booklet; four plastic disc trays on cardboard wrap in cardboard slipcase; $79.95.
Release date: 20 December 2022.
Country of origin: USA

This Blu-ray Disc collection has been mastered from archival prints that range from very-good to excellent 35mm prints to 9.5mm reduction prints held by EYE Filmmuseum, Library of Congress, Jérome Seydoux Pathé Foundation, GP Archives, British Film Institute, Blackhawk Films, George Eastman Museum, Library and Archives Canada, National Library of Norway, Swedish Film Institute, San Francisco Silent Film Festival, Museum of Modern Art, Harvard Film Archive and the Princeton University Library.

A few of the films (Léontine devient trottin) appear to have been scanned into an interlaced signal at standard resolution and are hard-encoded on these Blu-ray Discs as such; the interlaced picture then becomes impossible to upconvert to a progressive scan picture (that is, into a smooth picture without an interlaced comb effect seen in rapid movements) because a BD player thinks that the signal is already a progressive scan image. These films would then look better from DVD on an upconverting HD system, where the interlacing could easily be converted to a smooth progressive scan.

The films are accompanied by music scores by more than 40 multiple arrangers and composers including Naomi Geena Nakanishi.

Among the supplemental materials are film and program introductions by Liza Black, T.J. Cuthand, Jane M. Gaines, Maggie Hennefeld, Laura Horak, Dana Reason, Elif Rongen-Kaynakçi, Arigon Starr, Susan Stryker and Kyla Wazana Tompkins. Film commentaries are provided by Jennifer Bean (University of Washington), Liza Black, Enrique Moreno Ceballos (Festival Internacional de Cine Silente México), Liz Clarke (Brock University), Bryony Dixon (British Film Institute), Jane Gaines (Columbia University), Rosa María Licea Garibay (Festival Internacional de Cine Silente México), Joanna Hearne (University of Oklahoma), Maggie Hennefeld (University of Minnesota), Laura Horak (Carleton University), Pamela Hutchinson (Silent London), Elif Rongen-Kaynakçi (Eye Filmmuseum), Mariann Lewinsky (Cineteca di Bologna), Katharina Loew (University of Massachusetts Boston), Cecilia Ramírez Morales (Festival Internacional de Cine Silente México), Ana Belén Recoder (Festival Internacional de Cine Silente México), Lluvia Soto Rodríguez (Festival Internacional de Cine Silente México), Aurore Spiers (University of Chicago), Shelley Stamp (University of California, Santa Cruz), Alejandra Calleja Toxqui (Festival Internacional de Cine Silente México), Kristen Anderson Wagner (University of Southern California), Laetitia Vigneron (Festival Internacional de Cine Silente México), and Yiman Wang (University of California, Santa Cruz). The Blu-ray Disc edition includes a 114-page booklet with program notes. A QR code is provided for online access to an open PDF version of the booklet with essays, interviews, photos, and detailed film notes.

This will likely be the best home video edition of these films.

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

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

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

Kino Classics
2022 DVD edition

Kino Lorber, K25925, UPC 7-38329-25925-9.
Four 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; English language intertitles, French and Spanish language subtitles; chapter stops; four-disc DVD keepcase; $39.95.
Release date: 20 December 2022.
Country of origin: USA

This DVD collection has been mastered from archival prints held by EYE Filmmuseum, Library of Congress, Jérome Seydoux Pathé Foundation, GP Archives, British Film Institute, Blackhawk Films, George Eastman Museum, Library and Archives Canada, National Library of Norway, Swedish Film Institute, San Francisco Silent Film Festival, Museum of Modern Art, Harvard Film Archive and the Princeton University Library.

The films are accompanied by music scores by more than 40 multiple arrangers and composers.

This will likely be the best DVD home video edition of these films.

USA: Click the logomark to purchase this Region 0 NTSC DVD edition from Amazon.com. Your purchase supports Silent Era.