Reviews of silent film releases on home video.
Copyright © 1999-2024 by Carl Bennett
and the Silent Era Company.
All Rights Reserved. |
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The
New York Hat
(1912)
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This well-known short drama, directed by D.W. Griffith, stars Mary Pickford and Lionel Barrymore, with Charles Hill Mailes.
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 Kino on Video
2002 DVD edition
Griffith Masterworks: Biograph Shorts (1908-1914), black & white, 362 minutes total, not rated, including The New York Hat (1912), black & white, 16 minutes, not rated.
Kino International, K268, UPC 7-38329-02682-0.
One single-sided, dual-layered, Region 0 NTSC DVD disc (two 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 4.2 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); two-page insert card; double-wide two-disc DVD keepcase; $29.95.
Release date: 10 December 2002.
Country of origin: USA
Ratings (1-10): video: 4 / audio: 8 / additional content: 7 / overall: 7.
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This DVD edition of The New York Hat appears to have been mastered from a very-good 16mm reduction print that is a little flat in greyscale contrast and is soft in image detail, with dust, speckling, emulsion scrapes, and other print flaws. When compared to the 2002 Image edition, we note that the Kino edition shows more of the frame at the top and right portions of the picture but crops the bottom and left side of the picture.
The film is accompanied by a music score arranged, composed and performed on piano by Robert Israel with a single violin.
While it is far from excellent, we recommend this as the best available home video edition of the film.
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USA: Click the logomark to purchase this Region 1 NTSC DVD edition from Amazon.com. Your purchase supports Silent Era.
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Canada: Click the logomark to purchase this Region 1 NTSC DVD edition from Amazon.ca. Your purchase supports Silent Era.
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This
Region 0 NTSC DVD edition is also available directly from . . .
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 Film Preservation Associates
2002 DVD edition
D.W. Griffith: Years of Discovery 1908-1914 (1908-1914), black & white, 334 minutes total, not rated, including The New York Hat (1912), black & white, 16 minutes, not rated.
Film Preservation Associates, distributed by Image Entertainment, ID1270DSDVD, UPC 0-14381-12702-7.
One single-sided, dual-layered, Region 1 NTSC DVD disc (two 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 4.4 Mbps average video bit rate (capable of progressive scan upscaling to 60 fps); Dolby Digital (AC3) 2.0 stereo sound encoded at 224 Kbps audio bit rate; English language intertitles, no subtitles; no chapter stops (within the film); four-page insert booklet; double-wide two-disc DVD keepcase; $39.99.
Release date: 10 September 2002.
Country of origin: USA
Ratings (1-10): video: 3 / audio: 8 / additional content: 7 / overall: 7.
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This DVD edition of The New York Hat has been transferred from a very-good 35mm source print with some beginning nitrate decomposition. The tonal ranges in the source print are broad but the image detail is a bit smeary perhaps indicating that this is an older analog video transfer. Note the older edge sharpening (white edges next to dark details) in and around the letters of the minister’s letter from the wife. When compared to the 2002 Kino International edition above, we note that the Image edition shows more of the frame at the left and bottom portions of the picture but crops the top of right side of the picture. Given that David Shepard produced both the Kino and Image editions for home video, and that transfers are often identical between the sets, we are curious why the transfers are different on this title — we suspect that the amount of decomposition in this source print is an obvious factor. Some shots in this edition appear to have been inserted from the video transfer utilized for the Kino edition.
The film is accompanied by an excellent music score performed on piano and violin as arranged and conducted by Robert Israel.
Supplementary material includes optional audio commentary by Griffith scholar Russell Merritt; and an insert booklet with notes on the films by Merritt.
Not recommended but if you prefer the other films in this collection you may tolerate the shortcomings of this particular presentation.
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USA: Click the logomark to purchase this Region 1 NTSC DVD edition from Amazon.com. Your purchase supports Silent Era.
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Canada: Click the logomark to purchase this Region 1 NTSC DVD edition from Amazon.ca. Your purchase supports Silent Era.
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This Region 0 NTSC DVD edition has been discontinued
and is . . .
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 Film Preservation Associates
2003 DVD edition
Before Hollywood There Was Fort Lee, N.J. (1964), color and black & white, 40 minutes, not rated, with The New York Hat (1912), black & white, 16 minutes, not rated.
Film Preservation Associates, distributed by Image Entertainment, ID1855DSDVD, 0-14381-18552-2.
One single-sided, dual-layered, Region 0 NTSC DVD disc; 1.33:1 aspect ratio picture in windowboxed 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 stereo sound encoded at 224 Kbps audio bit rate; English language intertitles, no subtitles; no chapter stops (within the film); standard DVD keepcase; $24.99.
Release date: 20 May 2003.
Country of origin: USA
Ratings (1-10): video: 3 / audio: 8 / additional content: 7 / overall: 7.
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This DVD edition of The New York Hat has been mastered from a very-good 35mm source print. In fact, it is identical in presentation to the 2002 Image edition noted above.
The film is accompanied by an excellent music score performed on piano and violin as arranged and conducted by Robert Israel.
Not recommended for the only home video edition in your collection.
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USA: Click the logomark to purchase this Region 0 NTSC DVD edition from Amazon.com. Your purchase supports Silent Era.
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Canada: Click the logomark to purchase this Region 0 NTSC DVD edition from Amazon.ca. Your purchase supports Silent Era.
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This Region 0 NTSC DVD edition has been discontinued
and is . . .
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 Silent Hall of Fame Enterprises
2017 DVD edition
Mary Pickford Rare Shorts IV (1924), black & white, 132 minutes total, not rated, including The New York Hat (1912), black & white, 17 minutes, not rated.
Silent Hall of Fame Enterprises, 198, unknown UPC number.
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 ? Mbps average video bit rate (capable of progressive scan upscaling to ? fps); Dolby Digital (AC3) 2.0 mono sound encoded at ? Kbps audio bit rate; English language intertitles, no subtitles; chapter stops; slimline CD jewelcase; $34.99 (raised again to $44.99).
Release date: 2017.
Country of origin: USA
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This DVD-R edition has likely been mastered from 16mm reduction print (as might be surmised from the publisher-provided still frame above).
The film is likely accompanied by a soundtrack compiled from preexisting music recordings.
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USA: Click the logomark to purchase this Region 0 NTSC DVD-R edition from Amazon.com. Your purchase supports Silent Era.
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Other silent era D.W. GRIFFITH films available on home video.
Other silent era MARY PICKFORD films available on home video.
Other silent era LILLIAN GISH films available on home video.
Other silent film music scores by ROBERT ISRAEL available on home video.
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