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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Pollyanna
(1920)
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 Alpha Video
2014 DVD edition
Pollyanna (1920), color-toned black & white, 57 minutes, not rated, with Mary, Queen of Tots (1925), black & white, 20 minutes, not rated.
Alpha Home Entertainment, distributed by Oldies.com,
ALP 7269D, UPC 0-89218-72699-5.
One single-sided, dual-layered, Region 0 NTSC DVD-R disc, 1.33:1 aspect ratio image in full-frame 4:3 (720 x 480 pixels) interlaced scan MPEG-2 format, SDR (standard dynamic range), ? Mbps average video bit rate, ? Kbps audio bit rate, Dolby Digital 2.0 mono sound, English language intertitles, no subtitles; chapter stops; standard DVD keepcase; $7.98 (raised to $8.98).
Release date: 2014.
Country of origin: USA
Ratings (1-10): video: 5 / audio: 4 / additional content: 4 / overall: 5.
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This DVD-R edition of Pollyanna appears to have been mastered from a very-good 16mm reduction print, which makes this disc better-looking than most Alpha Video releases that are mastered from 8mm reduction prints. There is the standard amount of speckling and dust in the source print but the very-slightly windowboxed transfer itself does not appear to have been lifted from an old VHS videotape. The picture is soft in image detail and the action slightly faster than natural speed but we feel that this disc is, at least, watchable.
The film is accompanied by a music score roughly compiled from a number of preexisting, low-fidelity jazz recordings.
This DVD is the best-looking home video edition of Pollyanna known to us (only marginally better than the black & white 1990 Mary Pickford Company laserdisc edition) and is only recommended until a better edition is released.
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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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Canada: Click the logomark to purchase this Region 0 NTSC DVD-R edition from Amazon.ca. Your purchase supports Silent Era.
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This
Region 0 NTSC DVD-R edition is also available directly from . . .
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 St. Clair Vision
2008 DVD edition
Mary Pickford Collection (1917-1925), black & white, 297 minutes total, not rated, including Pollyanna (1920), black & white, 58 minutes, not rated.
St. Clair Vision, COLVD81709, UPC 7-77966-81709-5.
One single-sided, dual-layered, Region 0 NTSC DVD disc, 1.33:1 aspect ratio image in full-frame 4:3 (720 x 480 pixels) interlaced scan MPEG-2 format, SDR (standard dynamic range), 2.5 Mbps average video bit rate, 448 Kbps audio bit rate, Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound, English language intertitles, no subtitles; 8 chapter stops; standard DVD keepcase; unknown suggested retail price.
Release date: 15 April 2008.
Country of origin: USA
Ratings (1-10): video: 4 / audio: 3 / additional content: 4 / overall: 4.
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This low-budget DVD collection of four Pickford films contains an edition of Pollyanna, mastered from an older natural-speed video transfer (which is slightly skewed counter-clockwise) that appears to have utlized a 16mm duplicate print, which is soft on image detail, a little flat in its greyscale range, and pinched closed in shadow details.
The film is presented with a custom music score performed with synthesized sounds of a circus calliope. Annoying, and hardly appropriate to the film’s content.
This edition of Pollyanna is the best-looking film in a rough-looking collection, but . . . remember, you get what you pay for.
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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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 Nostalgia Family Video
2010 DVD edition
Pollyanna (1920), black & white, 60 minutes, not rated.
Nostalgia Family Video, 1059D, unknown UPC number.
One single-sided, single-layered, Region 0 NTSC DVD-R disc, 1.33:1 aspect ratio image in full-frame 4:3 (720 x 480 pixels) interlaced scan MPEG-2 format, SDR (standard dynamic range), ? Mbps average video bit rate, ? Kbps audio bit rate, Dolby Digital 2.0 mono sound, English language intertitles, no subtitles; chapter stops; standard DVD keepcase; $19.99.
Release date: 2010.
Country of origin: USA
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This DVD-R edition was likely mastered from a 16mm reduction print.
The film is likely accompanied by a soundtrack compiled from preexisting recordings.
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NOSTALGIA FAMILY VIDEO has discontinued business
and this DVD-R edition is . . .
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Other silent era MARY PICKFORD films available on home video.
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Mary Pickford filmography in The Progressive Silent Film List
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