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Reviews of silent film releases on home video.
Copyright © 1999-2024 by Carl Bennett
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Work
(1915)

Having left Keystone late in 1914 for employment with the Essanay studio in Chicago, Charles Chaplin departed for their studios near San Francisco for a few films, only to insist on returning to southern California to complete his contract. Work, his first Essanay film shot in a studio in southern California, includes some location photography that was taken near Los Angeles and at the Bradbury Mansion on North Hill Street.

Charlie causes a messy commotion in an upscale house as a paperhanger’s apprentice while wooing Edna Purviance, the maid.

The two-reeler allowed Chaplin to work in his own studio, for the first time ever, and settle down to making another funny and inventive comedy.

— Carl Bennett

Flicker Alley
2015 Blu-ray Disc / DVD edition

Chaplin’s Essanay Comedies 1915 (1915-1918), black & white, 405 minutes total, not rated, including Work (1915), black & white, 28 minutes, not rated.

Flicker Alley, FA0044, UPC 6-17311-67939-1.
One single-sided, dual-layered, Region A Blu-ray Disc (two 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; and one single-sided, dual-layered, Region 1 NTSC DVD 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; one standard two-disc BD keepcase and one standard three-disc BD keepcase in cardboard slipcase; $59.95.
Release date: 10 November 2015.
Country of origin: USA

The Chaplin Essanay films have been collected together by Flicker Alley and Film Preservation Associates for the third and final installment of the Chaplin Project (led by Lobster Films, Paris, and Cineteca di Bologna), a massive, twelve-year endeavor conducted under the aegis of Association Chaplin to restore all of Chaplin’s cinematic output from 1914-1917. All of the Essanay films were scanned in 2K high resolution from original 35mm prints gathered from archives all over the world, then digitally assembled and restored.

Musical accompaniment has been provided by The Mont Alto Motion Picture Orchestra, Robert Israel and Timothy Brock.

Supplementary material includes Triple Trouble (1918), an ersatz film edited together by the Essanay Film Manufacturing Company without Chaplin’s knowledge from Chaplin outtakes and new bridging footage, and released in an attempt to fill the coffers of the failing production company; the Blu-ray/DVD premiere of the newly-restored Charlie Butts In, a one-reel film widely distributed in the 1920s having been compiled from alternate takes of the standard, two-reel version of A Night Out; additional two-reel edits of A Night Out and A Burlesque on Carmen, restored and conforming as nearly as possible to Chaplin’s original intentions for release; a never-before-seen restoration of Police!, including a newly-improved final shot; and a 28-page booklet with rare, behind-the-scenes images, and an extensive essay by film historian Jeffrey Vance, author of Chaplin: Genius of the Cinema.

As would be expected, we think this Blu-ray Disc/DVD collection will be the best home video edition of Chaplin’s Essanay films available to collectors.

USA: Click the logomark to purchase this Region A Blu-ray Disc / Region 1 NTSC DVD edition from Amazon.com.

Canada: Click the logomark to purchase this Region A Blu-ray Disc / Region 1 NTSC DVD edition from Amazon.ca.

This Region A Blu-ray Disc / Region 1 NTSC DVD edition has been discontinued and is . . .

Film Preservation Associates
1999 DVD edition

Chaplin’s Essanay Comedies, Volume 2 (1915), black & white and color-tinted black & white, 135 minutes total, not rated, including Work (1915), black & white and color-toned black & white, 28 minutes, not rated.

Film Preservation Associates, distributed by Image Entertainment, ID5414DSDVD, UPC 0-14381-54142-7.
One single-sided, dual-layered, Region 0 NTSC DVD 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 6.5 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; chapter stops; snapper DVD case (rereleased in standard DVD keepcase); $24.99.
Release date: 28 September 1999.
Country of origin: USA

Ratings (1-10): video: 8 / audio: 9 / additional content: 7 / overall: 8.

This DVD edition features a video transfer for the majority of Work from very-good but slightly soft 35mm positive source material.

As with other prints of Work we have seen, the first four minutes of this film (and occasionally later in the print) are slightly marred by two short horizontal marks in the center of the picture. We don’t know whether surviving materials all originated from the same damaged print or that the damage was on the original negative. Some attempt was made to digitally mask the marks in later shots. Otherwise, the print is in very good condition, with little speckling and very little wear. A second 35mm print was utilized that is very soft, almost blurry. On close inspection, lighter grey areas of the picture such as light wallpaper or curtains reveal some digital compression artifacts.

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 . . .

Madacy Entertainment
1999 DVD edition

Chaplin: Collector’s Choice Double Feature (1914-1918), black & white, 91 minutes total, not rated, including Work (1915), black & white, 27 minutes, not rated.

Madacy Entertainment Group,
DVD9 9103, UPC 0-56775-03619-5.
One single-sided, single-layered, Region 0 NTSC DVD 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 3.0 Mbps average video bit rate (capable of progressive scan upscaling to 60 fps); Dolby Digital (AC3) 2.0 mono sound encoded at 448 Kbps audio bit rate; English language intertitles, no subtitles; 3 chapter stops; standard DVD keepcase; $11.98.
Release date: 2 March 1999.
Country of origin: Canada

Ratings (1-10): video: 3 / audio: 4 / additional content: 1 / overall: 3.

This less-than-desirable DVD edition has been mastered from a latter-day 16mm reduction print, with synchronized music, narration and sound effects. Its coarsely mastered picture reveals all manner of compression artifacts, and does little to well represent the good but substandard source print.

Two processing marks, present in the circa-1920s rerelease source print for the 16mm print, are seen in the center of the picture throughout its presentation.

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 . . .

Madacy Entertainment
1999 DVD edition

Chaplin (1914-1918), black & white, ? minutes total, not rated, including Work (1915), black & white, 27 minutes, not rated.

Madacy Entertainment Group,
unknown catalog number, unknown UPC number.
One single-sided, single-layered, Region 0 NTSC DVD disc (two 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 mono sound encoded at ? Kbps audio bit rate; English language intertitles, no subtitles; 3 chapter stops; standard two-disc DVD keepcase; unknown suggested retail price.
Release date: 1999.
Country of origin: Canada

A repackaging of the same Madacy DVD program reviewed above was also issued under a different title and on two discs, with a slipcase wraparound, as Chaplin: Hollywood Classics.

No doubt, just as rough.

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 . . .

Madacy Entertainment
1998 DVD edition

Chaplin: The Collection (1914-1918), black & white, ? minutes total, not rated, including Work (1915), black & white, 27 minutes, not rated.

Madacy Entertainment Group,
unknown catalog number, unknown UPC number.
Five single-sided, single-layered, Region 0 NTSC DVD discs; 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; 3 chapter stops; five standard DVD keepcases in cardboard slipcase; unknown suggested retail price.
Release date: 1998.
Country of origin: Canada

Yet another Madacy repackaging, this a DVD box set, of the content reviewed above.

Have they no shame in their repackaging attempts to deceive the consumer?

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 . . .

Delta Entertainment
2005 DVD edition

The Essential Charlie Chaplin Collection (1914-1916), black & white, 700 minutes total, not rated, including Work (1915), black & white, 24 minutes, not rated.

Delta Entertainment, 89 246, UPC 0-18111-92269-6.
One single-sided, single-layered, Region 0 NTSC DVD disc (eight 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 mono sound encoded at ? Kbps audio bit rate; English language intertitles, no subtitles; chapter stops; eight plastic DVD trays in bookwrap; unknown suggested retail price.
Release date: 7 June 2005.
Country of origin: USA

Ratings (1-10): video: 2 / audio: 5 / additional content: 4 / overall: 4.

This multidisc DVD edition features a full-frame video transfer of Work that has been mastered from a fair 16mm reduction print, but the results are poor with contrasty highlights that are blasted out to white. This is one of several nasty-looking home video editions borne of the same low-quality materials.

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.

DELTA ENTERTAINMENT has discontinued business and this Region 0 NTSC DVD edition is . . .

Brentwood Home Video
2004 DVD edition

Charlie Chaplin: 57 Classics (1914-1921), black & white, 5948 minutes total, not rated, including Work (1915), black & white, 24 minutes, not rated.

Brentwood Home Video, 45340-9, UPC 7-87364-53409-8.
Five dual-sided, single-layered, Region 0 NTSC DVD discs; 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; five-disc DVD keepcase with bonus disc in paper envelope in cardboard slipcase; $19.98.
Release date: 27 April 2004.
Country of origin: USA

Ratings (1-10): video: 1 / audio: 4 / additional content: 4 / overall: 3.

This cheap multidisc DVD edition utilizes the same video transfer as the Delta edition noted above, except that here it is slightly more contrasty.

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 . . .

St. Clair Vision
2005 DVD edition

Charlie Chaplin: 51 Features (1914-1921), black & white, 870 minutes total, not rated, including Work (1915), black & white, 24 minutes, not rated.

St. Clair Vision, 45340-9, UPC 7-87364-53409-8.
One single-sided, single-layered, Region 0 NTSC DVD 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) 5.1 surround sound encoded at ? Kbps audio bit rate; English language intertitles, no subtitles; chapter stops; double-wide three-disc DVD keepcase; $19.98.
Release date: 27 July 2005.
Country of origin: USA

Ratings (1-10): video: 1 / audio: 4 / additional content: 3 / overall: 2.

Shamelessly offering the worst-looking home video edition of Work we have ever seen, St. Clair Vision should be drummed out of business for this stupidly horrible excuse for a home video product. The video transfer started as the same as that utilized for the Delta and Brentwood editions noted above, but the disc mastering makes it even worse. Do you think that this company cares one iota whether you get value for your money? Look again.