When it came to sound, and it appeared by 1929 that it was going to hang on, the hold-outs began to join and assimilate their way into talkies.
It took Douglas Fairbanks until very late in 1929, Chaplin until 1936, and Garbo 1930 (shot in late 1929) with one of the most repeated lines in all of cinema.
“Give me a whiskey baby, ginger ale on the side. And don’t be stingy.”
That was 15 minutes into the film, which until then – even though she receives star billing above the title – was a Marie Dressler / Francis Marion film.
From her first American production for M-G-M in 1926, she appeared in ten silent films, and beginning with Anna Christie (twice), and then another fourteen films, ending with Two-Faced Woman in 1941.
For those counting, that’s twenty-four films in fifteen years. The studio system in high gear.
Like many of the M-G-M nitrate productions, the OCN was lost to the Great Fire, which means that Warner Archive’s new Blu-ray is derived from a fine grain, but it appears fine for the era. The film has an admirable gray scale, decent grain structure, and an overall appealing texture. No problems.
The audio is still early. The camera does no swooping or other major movements. But the film, based upon the play by Eugene O’Neill, still works, and once you get over the early sound attribute still entertains.
Produced entirely on the M-G-M lot, and without a huge budget, you’ll probably note the painted backing in the first sequence, including a large coil of rope. Once the camera gets out Dressler’s little home, the camera picks up depths nicely.
The German language version, shot on the same sets appears as an extra in HD, derived from a 35 fine grain – unrestored, but not something I’d spend budget upon. It’s wonderful reference.
Image – 7.5
Audio – 8
Pass / Fail – Pass
Plays nicely with projectors – Yes
Worth your attention – 10
Slipcover rating – n/a
Upgrade from DVD – Absolutely
Very Highly Recommended
Robert has been known in the film industry for his unmatched skill and passion in film preservation. Growing up around photography, his first home theater experience began at age ten with 16mm. Years later he was running 35 and 70mm at home.
His restoration projects have breathed new life into classic films like Lawrence of Arabia, Vertigo, My Fair Lady, Spartacus, and The Godfather series. Beyond his restoration work, he has also shared his expertise through publications, contributing to the academic discourse on film restoration. The Academy Film Archive houses the Robert A. Harris Collection, a testament to his significant contributions to film preservation.
Post Disclaimer
Some of our content may contain marketing links, which means we will receive a commission for purchases made via those links. In our editorial content, these affiliate links appear automatically, and our editorial teams are not influenced by our affiliate partnerships. We work with several providers (currently Skimlinks and Amazon) to manage our affiliate relationships. You can find out more about their services by visiting their sites.
Similar threads