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The Hazards of
Helen
(1914-1917)

This long-running railroad serial, with episodes directed by J.P. McGowan and James Davis, features Helen Holmes and Helen Gibson in the starring role, with Leo Maloney, James Davis, J.P. McGowan and George A. Williams.

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 Hazards of Helen: The Leap from the Water Tower [chapter 9] (1915), black & white, 11 minutes, not rated; The Hazards of Helen: The Escape on the Fast Freight [chapter 13] (1915), black & white, 11 minutes, not rated; and The Hazards of Helen: The Wild Engine [chapter 26] (1915), color-tinted black & white, 11 minutes, not rated.

Kino Lorber, K23411, UPC 7-38329-23411-9.
One single-sided, single-layered, Region A Blu-ray Disc (six BDs in the set); 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 30.2 Mbps average video bit rate; LPCM 2.0 stereo sound encoded at 1.5 Mbps audio bit rate; English language intertitles, no subtitles; chapter stops; 80-page insert booklet; plastic disc 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: 8 / additional content: 8 / overall: 8.

This Blu-ray Disc edition has been mastered from 4K and 2K high-resolution scans of archival prints. The Leap from the Water Tower has been scanned from a good 8mm reduction print and there is a substantial amount of dust, speckling and other flaws but the HD scan immensely helps the picture clarity of the reduction print; The Escape on the Fast Freight has been scanned from a very-good 35mm print that has a moderate amount of dust and speckling, with some schmutz, emulsion and decomposition damage and plenty of other print flaws. This print survived as part of the Dawson City film recovery (hence the understandable damage) and decomposition has apparently advanced even more since the print was transferred (reproduced at standard resolution) for the Treasures III boxset noted below; The Wild Engine has been scanned from a very-good to excellent 35mm print with some wear. Nonetheless, The Wild Engine is easily the best looking film of the three.

The films are accompanied by music scores by composed and performed on piano by Andrew Earle Simpson.

It should be noted that the Blu-ray Disc individual film selection menu incorrectly plays The Wild Engine as chapter 9; The Leap from the Water Tower as chapter 13; and The Escape on the Fast Freight as chapter 26.

This is easily the best home video editions of these three film and is highly recommended.

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 Hazards of Helen: The Leap from the Water Tower [chapter 9] (1915), black & white, 11 minutes, not rated; The Hazards of Helen: The Escape on the Fast Freight [chapter 13] (1915), black & white, 11 minutes, not rated; and The Hazards of Helen: The Wild Engine [chapter 26] (1915), color-tinted black & white, 11 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; plastic disc 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.

The films are accompanied by music scores by composed and performed on piano by Andrew Earle Simpson.

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

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.

National Film Preservation Foundation
2007 DVD edition

Treasures III: Social Issues in American Film (1900-1934), black & white and color, 739 minutes total, not rated, including The Hazards of Helen: The Escape on the Fast Freight [chapter 13] (1915), black & white, 13 minutes, not rated.

National Film Preservation Foundation, distributed by Image Entertainment, NATD3827DVD, UPC 0-14381-38272-3.
One single-sided, dual-layered, Region 0 NTSC DVD disc (four 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 5.0 Mbps average video bit rate (capable of progressive scan upscaling to 60 fps); Dolby Digital (AC3) 2.0 stereo sound encoded at 192 Kbps audio bit rate; English language intertitles, no subtitles; no chapter stops (within the film); four standard DVD keepcases with book of program notes in cardboard slipcase; $89.99.
Release date: 16 October 2007.
Country of origin: USA

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

This DVD edition has been mastered from a very-good 35mm print that has a moderate amount of dust and speckling, with some schmutz, emulsion and decomposition damage and plenty of other print flaws. One of the prints utilized for this edition survived as part of the Dawson City film recovery (hence the understandable damage).

The film is accompanied by a music score performed on piano by Martin Marks.

Recommended as the best available home video edition of chapter 13.

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

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

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

The Serial Squadron
2006 DVD edition

The Lost Serial Collection (1912-1929), black & white, ? minutes total, not rated, including The Hazards of Helen [excerpts] (1914-1917), black & white, 6 minutes, not rated.

The Serial Squadron,
no catalog number, UPC 8-96058-00213-0.
Two single-sided, single-layered, Region 0 NTSC DVD-R 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; standard two-disc DVD keepcase; $12.95 (raised to $18.95).
Release date: 2006.
Country of origin: USA

This DVD-R edition of chapter excerpts may have been mastered from 16mm reduction prints.

The films are presented with custom music scores, some by edition producer Eric Stedman.

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

Alpha Video
2016 DVD edition

The Hazards of Helen: The Leap from the Water Tower [chapter 9] (1915), black & white, 12 minutes, not rated, The Hazards of Helen: The Pay Train [chapter 31] (1915), black & white, 10 minutes, not rated, The Hazards of Helen: In Danger’s Path [chapter 33] (1915), black & white, 12 minutes, not rated, The Hazards of Helen: The Wrong Train Order [chapter 58] (1915), black & white, 15 minutes, not rated, The Hazards of Helen: The Open Track [chapter 63] (1916), black & white, 13 minutes, not rated, and The Hazards of Helen: The Governor’s Special [chapter 76] (1916), black & white, 6 minutes, not rated, with The Grit of the Girl Telegrapher (1912), black & white, 12 minutes, not rated.

Alpha Home Entertainment, distributed by Oldies.com,
ALP 7800D, UPC 0-89218-78009-6.
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 6.5 Mbps average video bit rate (capable of progressive scan upscaling to 60 fps); Dolby Digital (AC3) 2.0 stereo sound encoded at 384 Kbps audio bit rate; English language intertitles, no subtitles; 6 chapter stops (one for each film); standard DVD keepcase; $7.98 (raised to $8.98).
Release date: 2016.
Country of origin: USA

Ratings (1-10): video: 3 / audio: 3 / additional content: 3 / overall: 3.

This DVD-R edition collects six chapters of the serial that have been mastered from 8mm reduction prints (The Leap from the Water Tower, The Pay Train, In Danger’s Path and The Open Track) and from 16mm reduction prints (The Wrong Train Order and The Governor’s Special). All of the individual chapters are blurry, with The Pay Train being the worst. Dust, speckling, missing footage, frame jitters and other print flaws are present.

The films are accompanied by soundtracks compiled from preexisting recordings.

Supplemental material includes a Kalem short from 1912.

As was common with Alpha Video discs manufactured-on-demand circa 2016, there are sections of our review disc that could be be played in any of a number of players. Cautiously recommended only to acquire chapters that are not available in other, better home video editions.

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