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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Smouldering
Fires
(1924)
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Pauline Frederick stars as a no-nonsense businesswoman in this comedy-drama directed by Clarence Brown. Laura La Plante, Malcolm McGregor and Tully Marshall support.
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 Sunrise Silents
2006 DVD edition
Smouldering Fires (1924), color-tinted black & white, 70 minutes, not rated, with Monkey-Shines (1920), color-tinted black & white, 12 minutes, not rated, Mystery of the Double Cross (1917) [episode 7: “Into Thin Air”], color-tinted black & white, 25 minutes, not rated, Luring Eyes (1920), color-tinted black & white, 4 minutes, not rated, and Disposing of Mother (1922), color-tinted black & white, 20 minutes, not rated.
Sunrise Silents,
SMFR-N (NTSC) and SMFR-P (PAL), no UPC number.
One single-sided, single-layered, Region 0 NTSC or PAL DVD-R 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 ? 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; $23.95.
Release date: 24 May 2006.
Country of origin: USA
Ratings (1-10): video: 5 / audio: 6 / additional content: 6 / overall: 6.
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This DVD-R edition from Sunrise Silents has been mastered from a 16mm reduction print that is on occasion dark, with plugged up shadow details. The windowboxed video transfer has been digitally color-tinted.
The film is accompanied by a music score performed on MIDI-synthesizer.
Edition producer Rich Oliver continues to offer more in additional disc features than any other independent home video company, with a serial episode, a short comedy, a compilation of newsreel footage of film stars, and more.
This is our recommended home video edition of Smouldering Fires for its higher visual clarity — unfortunately, it is now out-of-print.
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SUNRISE SILENTS has discontinued business and this edition is . . .
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 Grapevine Video
2006 DVD edition
Smouldering Fires (1924), black & white, 91 minutes, not rated, with Alice’s Egg Plant (1925), black & white, 8 minutes, not rated.
Grapevine Video, no catalog number, UPC 8-42614-10233-2.
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; 16 chapter stops; standard DVD keepcase; $14.95.
Release date: 2006.
Country of origin: USA •
Ratings (1-10): video: 4 / audio: 5 / additional content: 5 / overall: 5.
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This DVD-R edition from Grapevine Video has been mastered from a 16mm reduction print that originates from the same print material as the Sunrise edition noted above and is contrasty, with closed-up shadows and burnt-out highlights. The full-frame video transfer is cropped a tad tighter than the Sunrise edition and generally looks coarser in picture details.
The film is accompanied by a music score of electronic organ music.
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This Region 0 NTSC DVD-R edition is available directly from . . .
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 Alpha Video
2019 DVD edition
Smouldering Fires (1924), black & white, 91 minutes, not rated.
Alpha Home Entertainment, distributed by Oldies.com,
ALP 8293D, UPC 0-89218-82939-9.
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; $7.98 (raised again to $9.99).
Release date: 10 December 2019.
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 compiled music score of preexisting recordings.
Until we get a chance to review this disc, this is not a recommended home video edition of the film.
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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
Smouldering Fires (1924), black & white, 80 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.
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This
Region 0 NTSC DVD-R edition is available directly from . . .
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Other silent era CLARENCE BROWN films available on home video.
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