Reviews of silent film releases on home video.
Copyright © 1999-2025 by Carl Bennett
and the Silent Era Company.
All Rights Reserved. |
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Dr. Jekyll and
Mr. Hyde
(1912)
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This early film version of the Robert Louis Stevenson classic features future director James Cruze as the good doctor and Harry Benham as the wastrel Hyde.
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 Thanhouser Company
Film Preservation
2004 DVD edition
The Thanhouser Collection, DVD Volumes 1, 2 & 3 (1911-1916), black & white, 262 minutes total, not rated, including Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1912), black & white, 12 minutes, not rated.
Thanhouser Company Film Preservation,
no catalog number, no UPC number.
One single-sided, single-layered, Region 0 NTSC DVD-R disc (three 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 ? 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; insert booklet; double-wide three-disc DVD keepcase; $24.95.
Release date: 2004.
Country of origin: USA •
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This DVD-R edition, originally released on VHS videotape, has been mastered from an archival print held by one of the world film archives. The source print has no main titles and is the same utilized for Kino’s earlier home video edition on VHS. The print is a little greyed out, and the video transfer could have been helped with a little brightness reduction and contrast adjustment before mastering for DVD. The print is compromised by a number of film splices, but we have never seen another print of the film and are not certain that another print has survived. Highlight details seem a little washed-out. Other than the light picture and splices, the print is reasonably clear of distracting flaws. A light smattering of speckling, dust and emulsion damage is present, but the splices are the most distracting flaws. Originally, a two-reel film, enough of the footage has been lost to reduce the film to not much more than a single reel. The print ends abruptly with Hyde’s death.
The film is accompanied by a music score composed and performed on organ by Andrew Crow.
Supplementary material includes an insert booklet of Thanhouser history and film notes by Victor Graf.
This is our recommended home video edition of the film.
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This Region 0 NTSC DVD-R edition is available directly from . . .
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 Grapevine Video
2010 DVD edition
Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde Collection (1912-1955), black & white, 310 minutes total, not rated, including Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1912), black & white, 10 minutes, not rated.
Grapevine Video, no catalog number, UPC 8-42614-10562-3.
One single-sided, single-layered, Region 0 NTSC DVD-R disc (three 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 ? 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 three-disc DVD keepcase; $19.95.
Release date: 26 April 2013.
Country of origin: USA
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This DVD-R edition has likely been mastered from a 16mm or 8mm reduction print.
The film is likely accompanied by a soundtrack compiled from preexisting music recordings.
Supplemental material includes short films, a cartoon and television episodes with appearances by Sheldon Lewis, Margaret Phillips, James Dean and Michael Rennie.
For now, this is our recomended home video edition of the film.
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This
Region 0 NTSC DVD-R edition is available directly from . . .
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 Marengo Films
2002 DVD edition
Thanhouser: A Study in Film, Volume 1 (1911-1915), black & white, 104 minutes total, not rated, including Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1912), black & white, ? minutes, not rated.
Marengo Films, MRG0025, UPC 8-07013-00259-1.
One single-sided, single-layered, Region 0 NTSC DVD disc; 1.33:1 aspect ratio picture in full-frame and windowboxed 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; 4-page insert booklet; standard DVD keepcase; unknown suggested retail price.
Release date: 2002.
Country of origin: USA
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This DVD edition has been mastered from an archival print element.
The film is accompanied by music scores composed and performed on a Wurlitzer theatre pipe organ by Andrew Crow.
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This Region 0 NTSC DVD edition has been discontinued
and is . . .
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 Alpha Video
2010 DVD edition
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1920), color-toned black & white, 46 minutes, not rated, with Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1912), black & white, 11 minutes, not rated.
Alpha Home Entertainment, distributed by Oldies.com,
ALP 6382D, UPC 0-89218-63829-8.
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 stereo sound encoded at ? Kbps audio bit rate; English language intertitles, no subtitles; 6 chapter stops; standard DVD keepcase; $7.98 (raised to $8.98).
Release date: 30 June 2010.
Country of origin: USA
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This budget DVD edition was mastered from a poor 8mm reduction print and holds no image details in the blasted-out white highlights.
The film is presented with a music score composed by Don Kinnier.
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This
Region 0 NTSC DVD-R edition is available from
ALPHA VIDEO through . . .
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Loving the Classics
201? DVD edition
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1912), black & white, 12 minutes, not rated.
Loving the Classics,
no catalog number, 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 stereo sound encoded at ? Kbps audio bit rate; English language intertitles, no subtitles; chapter stops; standard DVD keepcase; $14.99.
Release date: 201?
Country of origin: USA
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This DVD-R edition has likely been mastered from a 16mm reduction print.
The film is likely accompanied by a soundtrack compiled from preexisting music recordings.
Note that this 12-minute short film is all you get for $15.00.
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This
Region 0 NTSC DVD-R edition is available directly from . . .
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Other HORROR FILMS of the silent era available on home video.
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