During the 1920s, ’30s and ’40s, rental libraries made 16mm copies of silent movies for home movie enthusiasts to rent and watch at home. Because these movies were printed on 16mm safety stock, many of them have outlived the original 35mm nitrate prints of silent films that are now lost or extremely rare. It’s as if these movies were…
Accidentally Preserved.
This 5th volume of rare silent films draws on the archive of film collector and accompanist Jon C. Mirsalis. In Lorraine of the Lions, Patsy Ruth Miller is a female Tarzan in a tale that anticipates King Kong; the antics in Love at First Flight finds Lige Conley in trouble in a plane and on the beach; in Hoofbeats of Vengeance equine star Rex, King of Wild Horses is out for retribution over his owner’s murder; and in The Fourth Commandment Belle Bennett is caught in a power struggle with her mother-in-law when she moves in with the couple and their son. Each of these 4 films are presented in new 2K scans made by the Library of Congress from vintage 16mm prints made in the 1920s, and are accompanied by new musical scores by Mirsalis.
Unavailable to the public for decades, these obscure silent era gems are now back onscreen, entertaining fans all over again!
DISC 1:
Lorraine of the Lions (1925) – 76 mins
Love At First Flight (1928) – 18 mins
DISC 2:
Hoofbeats of Vengeance (1928) – 47 mins
The Fourth Commandment (1927) – 66 mins
Format: Blu-ray / DVD
207 mins ● B&W/tinted ● Silent with score (stereo) ● 1:33:1 aspect ratio ● Not Rated ● Region ABC (all-regions) for Blu-ray ● NTSC Region-free for DVD
An Undercrank Productions/Library of Congress release. Produced for home video by Jon C. Mirsalis and Ben Model.
Associate Producer: Crystal Kui.
Release date: April 9, 2024
Reviews
“Hoofbeats of Vengeance is a good example of the fare that brought audiences back to Saturday matinees week after week. And that “B picture” designation is no indication of inferior filmmaking. On the contrary, the Western production units at Universal were well-oiled machines, and director Henry MacRae and his crew show a practiced hand here, filling this film with bravura stylistic flourishes.”
—J.B.Kaufman
“The Fourth Commandment is a fascinating example of a unique filmmaking duo that was big in the 1920s and forgotten today. Emory Johnson’s direction is full of excellent visual touches that convey everything vividly and succinctly.”
—PopMatters
“Lorraine of the Lions is essentially a gender-swapped Tarzan story with child lion tamer/heiress Lorraine (Patsy Ruth Miller) getting shipwrecked on a deserted island with her lions and trained gorilla Bimi (Humes) in tow.”
—Ink19
“Accidentally Preserved: Volume 5 is a unique set of films that show the great works that can be lost without us even realizing it. Thankfully, the stars have aligned to keep these films alive in some form as we get everything from a thrilling adventure to a charming romance (and even a horse-starring tale of revenge). It is a well-rounded collection that has a little something for everyone.”
—Geek Vibes Nation