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Reviews of silent film releases on home video.
Copyright © 1999-2024 by Carl Bennett
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Go West
(1925)

Go West (1925) is another of the underrated Buster Keaton comedies and is well worth discovering.

Cohen Film Collection
2020 Blu-ray Disc edition

Go West (1925), black & white, 83 minutes, not rated, with College (1927), black & white, 66 minutes, not rated, and Go West (1923), black & white, 12 minutes, not rated.

Cohen Media Group, distributed by Kino Lorber,
CMG-BD-25213, UPC 7-38329-25213-7.
One single-sided, dual-layered, Region A Blu-ray Disc; 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 23.8 Mbps average video bit rate; DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 stereo sound encoded at 1.7 Mbps average audio bit rate; English language intertitles, no subtitles; 9 chapter stops; standard BD keepcase; $29.95.
Release date: 8 December 2020.
Country of origin: USA

Ratings (1-10): video: 8 / audio: 8 / additional content: 6 / overall: 8.

This Blu-ray Disc edition has been mastered from a comflation of an incomplete 35mm nitrate camera negative, an original 35mm nitrate positive, a second-generation 35mm duplicate safety negative and a third-generation 35mm duplicate safety positive. The compositive scan was stabilizaed and digitally cleaned of nearly all examples of dust, speckling and other print flaws. The results are generally very-good, with reasonable image detail, a broad greyscale range, and nearly-nonexistent film grain.

The film is accompanied by a first-class music score compiled and arranged by Rodney Sauer and performed by the Mont Alto Motion Picture Orchestra.

Supplemental material includes the Hal Roach Dippy-Doo-Dads short Go West (1923) featuring a cast of monkeys; and “Buster Keaton: Screenwriter,” an audio interview from the 1950s (59 minutes).

Who knows? A better-looking disc may still be produced, but for now this is our recommended edition of Go West on home video.

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.

This Region A Blu-ray Disc edition is also available directly from . . .

Kino Classics
2011 Blu-ray Disc edition

Go West (1925), black & white, 68 minutes, not rated, with Battling Butler (1926), black & white, 85 minutes, not rated.

Kino Lorber, K791, UPC 7-38329-07912-3.
One single-sided, dual-layered, Region 0 Blu-ray Disc, 1.33:1 aspect ratio image in pillarboxed 16:9 (1920 x 1080 pixels) progressive scan AVC (MPEG-4) format, SDR (standard dynamic range), ? Mbps average video bit rate, ? Kbps audio bit rate, Dolby Digital 48 kHz 2.0 stereo sound, English language intertitles, no subtitles; 10 chapter stops; standard BD keepcase in cardboard slipcase; $34.95.
Release date: 27 September 2011.
Country of origin: USA

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

This Blu-Ray Disc edition, produced for home video by Bret Wood, has been mastered from a 35mm print.

The film is accompanied by a music score performed on MIDI synthesizer by Eric Beheim.

Supplemental material includes an audio recording of Buster working out a script proposal for the Wagon Train television series (60 minutes); an image gallery of reproductions of Buster’s 1947 script for an unproduced remake of Battling Butler (20 images); an image gallery of production photos from Go West (20 images); an image gallery of production photos from Battling Butler (15 images); an image gallery of photos of the 1922 London stage production of Battling Butler (11 images).

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.

Masters of Cinema
2020 Blu-ray Disc edition

Our Hospitality (1923), black & white, 76 minutes, BBFC Certification U, and Hospitality (1923) [alternate version], black & white, 55 minutes, BBFC Certification U, Go West (1925), black & white, 68 minutes, BBFC Certification U, and College (1927), black & white, 66 minutes, BBFC Certification U, with The Railrodder (1965), color, 24 minutes, BBFC Certification U, and Buster Keaton Rides Again (1965), color, 55 minutes, BBFC Certification U.

Eureka Entertainment,
EKA70391 (MoC 224-226), unknown UPC number.
One single-sided, single-layered, Region B Blu-ray Disc (three 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 ? Mbps average video bit rate; DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 stereo sound encoded at ? Mbps audio bit rate; English language intertitles, no subtitles; chapter stops; 60-page insert booklet; standard three-disc BD keepcase; £20.99.
Release date: 24 August 2020.
Country of origin: England

This Region B Blu-ray Disc edition has been mastered from a 2K restoration from an archival 35mm print.

Supplementary material includes audio commentary for Our Hospitality by historian Rob Farr; audio commentary for Go West by historians Joel Goss and Bruce Lawton; the alternate version Hospitality (1923) with optional commentary by film historian Polly Rose; a video essay by Patricia Eliot Tobias (26 minutes); video essays on Go West and College shooting locations by John Bengtson; a video essay by David Cairns (28 minutes); the short film Go West (1923) (12 minutes); the short film The Railrodder (1965) with optional audio commentary by director Gerald Potterton and cameraman David De Volpi (24 minutes); the documentary Buster Keaton Rides Again (1965); and a 60-page insert booklet with essays on all three films by Imogen Sara Smith, an article by Philip Kemp, an article on Our Hospitality shooting locations by John Bengtson, Gerald Potterton’s original treatment for The Railrodder, and an appreciation of Keaton and The Railrodder by writer and silent cinema aficionado Chris Seguin.

Sight unseen, this is our recommended European home video edition of the film. North American collectors will need a region-free PAL DVD player capable of outputting an NTSC-compatible signal to view this edition.

United Kingdom: Click the logomark to purchase this Region B Blu-ray Disc edition from Amazon.co.uk. Support Silent Era.

Kino Classics
2011 DVD edition

Go West (1925), black & white, 68 minutes, not rated, with Battling Butler (1926), black & white, 85 minutes, not rated.

Kino Lorber, unknown catalog number, unknown UPC number.
One single-sided, dual-layered, Region 0 NTSC DVD disc (two DVDs in the set); 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 48 kHz 2.0 stereo sound, English language intertitles, no subtitles; 10 chapter stops; standard DVD keepcase; $29.95.
Release date: 27 September 2011.
Country of origin: USA

This remastered DVD edition, produced for home video by Bret Wood, has been mastered from a 35mm print.

The film is accompanied by a music score performed on MIDI synthesizer by Eric Beheim.

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 . . .

Kino on Video
1999 DVD edition

Go West (1925), black & white, 69 minutes, not rated, with The Scarecrow (1920), black & white, 19 minutes, not rated, and The Paleface (1922), black & white, 21 minutes, not rated.

Kino International, K132DVD, UPC 7-38329-01322-6.
One single-sided, single-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 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; 16 chapter stops; snapper DVD case (reissued in standard DVD keepcase [retail], and in slimline DVD keepcase [boxset]); $29.99 (reduced to $24.95).
Release date: 23 November 1999.
Country of origin: USA

Ratings (1-10): video: 7 / audio: 6 / additional content: 7 / overall: 7.

This early DVD edition, produced for home video by David Shepard, was previously released VHS videotape in 1994 and on laserdisc in 1995. The windowboxed video transfer has been produced from a very-good 35mm print, which is relatively clean, with only a moderate amount of dust and speckling.

The film is accompanied by a music score composed and performed on synthesizers by Eric Beheim. We’ve said it before, we like the Beheim music arrangements and compositions but find it hard to ensure the synthesizer settings utilized.

For information on the other western-themed Keaton releases in this collection, see our The Scarecrow on home video page and our The Paleface on home video page.

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 . . .

Alpha Video
2024 DVD edition

Go West (1925), black & white, 69 minutes, not rated.

Alpha Home Entertainment, distributed by Oldies.com,
ALP 8638D, UPC 0-89218-86389-8.
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 mono sound encoded at ? Kbps audio bit rate; English language intertitles, no subtitles; chapter stops; standard DVD keepcase; $8.98.
Release date: 17 September 2024.
Country of origin: USA

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.

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