Ben Model, travels the universe, illuminating audiences to the wonders of pre-sound cinema – playing piano in support of classics, and doing his stand up, explaining the history of the medium and the music that went along with it. I’ve been to a few of his appearances, and audiences love him. If he’s every in your area, go see him perform.
Whenever Mr. Model comes up with a new Blu-ray, whether financially supported by the public or self-financed, I always find something new to appreciate, as he usually picks subjects that cry out of coverage.
So it is with Francis Ford’s The Craving, a 1918 special effects laden drama, with Mr. Ford in the lead. His younger brother, Jack, was assistant director, although he’s directed a few film previously.
He went on to make westerns, some of which survive.
I was concerned about quality with this release, as there just aren’t great film elements out there, and the source of this restoration has a number of problems built in, especially the stuttering of a printer that was probably not running properly.
With that aside and the normal number of splices that one might expect to find, the data has been nicely handled.
Going along with The Craving are three short films, When the Tables Turned (1911), with Edith Story and Mr. Ford in the leads, directed by William Haddock, The Post Telegrapher (1912), a Bison production, again featuring Mr. Ford, directed by Ford and Thomas Ince. and Unmasked (1917) directed by Ford and Grace Cunard (the serial queen), and starring Mr. Ford.
There’s also a short doc on Mr. Ford, the elder.
I’d like be crass and ask you to purchase to support the work of Mr. Model, even if you have only minor interest in silents or their history, but I won’t do that.
The scores by Mr. Model are delightful, and work nicely with the imagery.
Image
Forensic – n/a
NSD – n/a
Audio – n/a
Pass / Fail – Pass
Plays nicely with projectors – Yes
Worth your attention – 7.5
Slipcover rating – n/a
Recommended
RAH
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.
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