Silent Film on DVD and BD

[Ann Harding]

Ann, do you know if IMDb's list of Albstros productions is complete?

This IMDB list is not complete. But be aware that among the 46 silent films produced by Albatros-Ermolieff, 6 are lost titles. Some titles are also available only as fragments or reduced prints (9.5mm Pathé-baby). I doubt the CF wants to publish all the titles. Frankly some of them are pretty dull and are not worth the effort (i.e. Le Chasseur de Chez Maxim's-1927) But there are 3 Feyders, 4 Clairs, 2 Mosjoukines (L'Enfant du carnaval, Le Brasier Ardent), 3 very good Volkoffs (La Maison du Mystère, Kean and Les Ombres qui passent) and 2 good Tourjanskys (Ce cochon de Morin & Le Chant de l'amour triomphant). Let's hope they'll find their way onto a DVD.

The music for Feu Mathias Pascal has already been recorded at the Bologna Film Festival in 2009. During a recent screening at the CF, we heard the recording of Timothy Brock's score. It's brilliant.

[Ann Harding]

Good news: Pathé is releasing a 4-DVD boxset of Albert Capellani pictures on May, 11th. No details yet on the content, but we can safely guess it should include Germinal and Les Misérables. I hope La Glu will make it as well.

[myrnaloyisdope]

I know nothing about him, but that sounds awesome. I had no idea there was another Les Miserables adaptation.

[JAP]

There's a new title on the 'Cento anni fa' collection from the Cineteca di Bologna, a 1911 italian adaptation of Dante's Inferno.

[Tommaso]

Isn't that the same film that was formerly out on DVD with a soundtrack by Tangerine Dream? Good news, anyhow, as this one has a different soundtrack and interesting extras.

[swo17]

That is the same film, and I frankly can't sit through the Tangerine Dream score, so a new one would be welcome. It's a great film too, with some pretty stunning visuals, especially considering how early it was made.

[oldsheperd]

Does anyone know if there's every been a good, comprehensie dvd release of the Keystone stuff that isn't Chaplin, Arbuckle or any other big names?

[goalieboy82]

does anyone know any good silent films from asia that are on dvd. also am looking for old indian silent films. would rent them from netflix.

[perkizitore]

While these improve PQ-wise compared to the 2006 releases?

[Ann Harding]

Good news: Pathé is releasing a 4-DVD boxset of Albert Capellani pictures on May, 11th.

Here are the details of the Capellani boxset (40 p. booklet included):

4 features:
1. L’assommoir - 1908 (35’46” - B&W)
2. Germinal - 1913 (148’ - tinted)
3. Le chevalier de Maison Rouge - 1914 (108’ - tinted)
4. Quatre-vingt-treize - 1921 (145’ - tinted)

7 shorts:
5. Drame passionnel - 1906 (6’35” - tinted)
6. Mortelle idylle - 1906 (5’30” - B&W)
7. Pauvre mère - 1906 (5’55” - B&W)
8. La fille du sonneur - 1906 (10’04” - tinted)
9. La femme du lutteur - 1906 (5’07” - B&W)
10. L’âge du coeur - 1906 (4’06” - B&W)
11. Aladin ou la lampe merveilleuse - 1906 (13’20” - tints and colors)

[alben1]

Hi. As I'm quite new here and am still trying to find my way around, please forgive me if this might be construed as being slighty off-topic from the films under discussion. I'm trying to locate DVDs of the following films:

"Cena delle Beffe" (dir. A. Blasetti) (1941)
Mother Krause's Journey to Happiness" (1929) and "Berlin Alexanderplatz (1931) dir. Piel Jutzi
and "Il Fuoco" (1915) (dir. G. Pastrone)

I've done the Google search and looked in all the standard little websites with no success. Have you any suggestions?

[matrixschmatrix]

I know off the top of my head that you can get the Jutzi Alexanderplatz as an extra on the Criterion of the Fassbinder version

[swo17]

The 1931 Berlin Alexanderplatz is on Criterion's release of the Fassbinder remake.

Il fuoco is sadly unavailable except in low quality TV rips circulating around the internet. Great film!

I don't know about the others.

[rohmerin]

La cena delle beffe was released in Italy but it's OOP.

There are illegal prints on the net. I've seen it, it's good but La corona di ferro is much better and strange.

[Jonathan S]

From a Nitrateville discussion of the Chaplin Mutual two-reelers:

We have "big aspirations" for the Mutuals, pulling in material from all the archives that will cooperate and doing 2K scans,digital restorations and re-recording to film. It is endorsed by Association Chaplin. But it will be really expensive. A TRIP TO THE MOON, restored that way and in (hand) color, will open the Cannes Film Festival on May 11th. It was paid for with Foundation grants and cost north of $400,000.

I presume the huge restoration cost of the Melies one-reeler was due to the fact that the sole handcoloured print was in tiny fragments, as I mentioned recently on another thread.

[Ann Harding]

Here are the details of the Capellani boxset (40 p. booklet included):

4 features:
1. L’assommoir - 1908 (35’46” - B&W)
2. Germinal - 1913 (148’ - tinted)
3. Le chevalier de Maison Rouge - 1914 (108’ - tinted)
4. Quatre-vingt-treize - 1921 (185’ - tinted)

7 shorts:
5. Drame passionnel - 1906 (6’35” - tinted)
6. Mortelle idylle - 1906 (5’30” - B&W)
7. Pauvre mère - 1906 (5’55” - B&W)
8. La fille du sonneur - 1906 (10’04” - tinted)
9. La femme du lutteur - 1906 (5’07” - B&W)
10. L’âge du coeur - 1906 (4’06” - B&W)
11. Aladin ou la lampe merveilleuse - 1906 (13’20” - tints and colors)

I got the box a few days ago. All discs are PAL R2 without English subs. But, it's an essential for anybody interested in silents. The quality of the prints is superb (Only Quatre-vingt-treize dates from 1985. The others are new 2010 prints). Germinal is simply a masterpiece of the teens. Fabulous performances from Henry Krauss and Sylvie in the leads, stunning visuals, amazing narrative. A must see. Quatre-vingt-treize trails not far behind with some great performances, superb Brittany landscapes and complex characters. Le Chevalier de Maison-Rouge is a nice Dumas adaptation with twists and turns like in the best serials.
The shorts are dominated by L'Assommoir (1909) an uncompromising Zola adaptation with natural acting from all.
Three cheers for Capellani!

Germinal:




Quatre-vingt-treize:



Le Chevalier de Maison-Rouge:

[Knappen]

Wow! Will definitely pick it up in Paris this weekend.

[whaleallright]

Those interested in the acting in Germinal can read this essay by Ben Brewster on the subject: http://uwfilmies.pbworks.com/w/page/466 ... minal-1913" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Ann Harding]

An announcement made by David Shepard on Nitrateville:

Assuming the contract now with the Cinematheque's legal department goes through, next year Film Preservation Associates will be releasing through Flicker Alley an Albatros DVD box set with KEAN, LE BRASIER ARDENT, FEU MATHIAS PASCAL, GRIBICHE and LES NOUVEAUX MESSIEURS; also the complete serial LA MAISON DE MYSTERE as a separate release.

Great news. All the best Albatros titles are going to be on DVD.

[Jonathan S]

Another David Shepard announcement from Nitrateville (concerning the Lon Chaney version of Phantom of the Opera):

I might as well tell the world that we are just completing production on a new edition of that old warhorse, POTO, for release through Image Entertainment in early October.

This will be Blu-Ray, mastered at Movietone aperture from much better 35mm material than we have ever used before. There will be two complete runs of the 1929 version: one at 24 fps with a new score by the Alloy Orchestra and an optional score on theatre pipe organ by Gaylord Carter, previously issued in monaural but now in stereo from the original master stereo recording; the second run at 20 fps with orchestra/soprano score by Gabriel Thibadeau and an optional new audio essay by Jon Mirsalis. Both runs will include the Technicolor sequence mastered from our 35mm YCM labs negative and hand colored scenes on the opera roof and in the scene of "intolerable heat." The program will also include a standard definition transfer of the original 1925 edit from a tinted 16mm print in the usual deplorable quality but with a superb new score by Frederick Hodges. Extras will include (as still images) set construction and production stills, publicity stills, original advertising art, frames from a stencil-colored French release, and the complete script.

[Ann Harding]

I can't find a better place to mention this. Jacques Feyder's GRIBICHE (1926) will be broadcast on Arte TV on August 29th. This charming film is worth recording. Jean Forest (from Visages d'enfant) stars as Gribiche, the young boy adopted by a rich American widow (Françoise Rosay).

[Jonathan S]

According to the producer of the US Blu-ray of Phantom of the Opera (previously scheduled for Nov 1), there were (unspecified) problems with the first batch of pressings. From Nitrateville:

Unfortunately, we found significant problems with the new Image Entertainment Blu-Ray of POTO after some product had already been shipped to resellers.
Image has recalled all copies and will fix and re-press the edition. It will be later than announced, but God willing, it will also be the fine edition we intended to produce.
If anyone somehow ends up with one of the first printing, which should be rarer than an upside-down airmail stamp, please do not use it to judge the work. We will arrange to replace it with the corrected version.

[What A Disgrace]

I'm intensely curious about the Albert Capellani set, but I'm just as mistrustful of Amazon FR after hearing several horror stories. Can anyone advise me as to the best possible way to purchase this collection?

[NABOB OF NOWHERE]

Le Cagliostro by Richard Oswald 1929 from Potemkine with English subs.

Potemkine s'associe à la Cinémathèque française dans le cadre de l'édition DVD de Cagliostro (1929). Le film de Richard Oswald va bénéficier d'un luxueux digipack. Il sera accompagné d'un livret de 28 pages renfermant des illustrations issues des archives du film, des textes de Marcel Carné et de Bernard Eisenschitz.
Le DVD proposera deux nouvelles bandes originales signées Mathieu Regnault et DJ Cam.

Intertitres en français
Sous-titres anglais en option
bandes son : Mathieu Régnault, 5.1 et DJ Cam, stéréo

Enfin, côté bonus, on trouvera un entretien de Mathieu Regnault, compositeur (14 min).

Date de sortie : 6 décembre 2011

[Jonathan S]

According to the Amazon listing, this edition of Cagliostro runs only 58 minutes, about the same length as my abridged (four-reel) 9.5mm transfer. Does anyone know how long original prints were and whether any survive?

I suppose the Amazon listing could be incorrect - they give the director as Richard's son, Gerd!