Reviews of silent film releases on home video. Copyright © 1999-2024 by Carl Bennett and the Silent Era Company. All Rights Reserved.

Feel My Pulse (1928)

No longer exclusively playing dark heavies, the familiar William Powell comedic charm that is so well-known today from his later sound-film roles begins to emerge in this lively Bebe Daniels comedy vehicle from Paramount that also stars Richard Arlen.

When an eccentric millionaire dies, his will instructs that his infant daughter Barbara Manning (Daniels) must lead a germ-free life until she is twenty-one years old, with her meek and overly-cautious Uncle Edgar (George Irving) overseeing the effort. At the maturation of the will, Barbara is a full-blown hypochondriac, wary of each potential infection and overexertion, with her supervision now taken over by her rough-and-tumble Uncle Wilburforce (Melbourne MacDowell).

Escaping possible exile on her uncle’s ranch, Barbara instead flees to an inherited island sanitarium that has unknowingly been taken over by a gang of rumrunners led by Phil Todd (Powell). When freshman gang member Wally Roberts (Arlen) meets Barbara, he is immediately intrigued by her haughty airs and proceeds to air her out.

Her arrival at the remote sanitarium forces Todd to impersonate a doctor, and his gang the sanitarium staff, to appease Barbara’s medical neediness and circumvent exposure of his enterprise.

— Carl Bennett

The film is accompanied by two optional music scores.

The disc has been supplemented with a Billy West comedy transferred from a 16mm reduction print.

Sight unseen, we recommend this home video edition of the film.

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

The film is accompanied by two optional music scores.

The disc has been supplemented with a Billy West comedy transferred from a 16mm reduction print.

Sight unseen, we recommend this updated DVD home video edition of the film.

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

This DVD-R edition from public-domain home video company Grapevine Video has been transferred at a slightly fast playback rate from a very-good 16mm reduction print that has the usual shortcomings of soft image details, plugged-up picture shadows and occasional highlight flares, and film grain with coarse greyscale transitions. But, who’s counting? The disc remains watchable (eh . . . barely), even on high-definition systems.

The film is accompanied by a canned score of prerecorded music from a variety of sprite filmprint and record sources.

The disc has been supplemented with a Billy West comedy transferred from a 16mm reduction print.

While we have viewed better-looking 35mm prints of Feel My Pulse, this is the only available edition of the film on DVD home video. It warrants an informed recommendation with the caveat that we hope a higher-quality edition of this fun film will be released soon.

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

The film is likely accompanied by a music score compiled from preexisting recordings.

We have viewed this disc but have not reviewed it here. Not recommended, as this is an awful-looking disc. Really.

USA: Click the logomark to purchase this Region 0 NTSC DVD-R edition from Amazon.com. Your purchase supports Silent Era.
Canada: Click the logomark to purchase this Region 0 NTSC DVD-R edition from Amazon.ca. Your purchase supports Silent Era.
This Region 0 NTSC DVD-R edition is also available directly from . . .

The film is likely accompanied by a soundtrack compiled from preexisting music recordings.

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

Other silent era RICHARD ARLEN films available on home video.