You know better than to list the name of a studio representative in the thread's header! Studio representatives are under no obligation to respond to any thread posted on the HTF.
Right now we're not even discussing them and we don't have many. Happy to look at any 4-5 suggestions. Try to go for the ones that we might sell a few more of....
Wings is the most important that I can think of.
This year is its 75th anniv. and it's also the first Best Picture winner. It's also a marvelous display of aerial photography. None of the dogfights were faked with rear projection or mattes...it's all real.
Here's all the Paramount silents that are/have been on VHS and/or LD:
Wings
The Covered Wagon
The Sheik (Famous for Rudolph Valentino's performance)
The Ten Commandments (1923 version)
Old Ironsides
The Docks of New York
Running Wild (W.C. Fields comedy)
The Last Command
The Wedding March (Erich Von Stroheim)
Like I said before, Wings would be the best, IMO, to be released first. It's one of the most well-known silents, plus it's going to be 75 years old this year. It already has a digitally-recorded score made, too.
I can conduct a poll here if it would aid the selection. There's already a good-sized thread I started with "most-wanted" silent movies yet on DVD if you'd like to use it as reference. http://www.hometheaterforum.com/htfo...=silent+movies
Thanks for your reply!
I second all the titles mentioned by Patrick McCart. I have only watched von Sternberg's THE LAST COMMAND, however, and along with his DOCKS OF NEW YORK, De Mille's THE TEN COMMANDMENTS and von Stroheim's THE WEDDING MARCH, it has been on my most-wanted list for ages!
As THE SHEIK will now be released by Image Entertainment as a double-bill with SON OF THE SHEIK (1926), is there a possibility that some of the other titles may also be licensed to other companies (like Image and Kino On Video) for DVD release?
Judging by the relatively impressive amount of silent films available on DVD, one must concede that a market does exist for such titles. The thread mentioned by Patrick is, I think, ample evidence of this!
I read some information on various silent cinema websites to find out the quality of the previous VHS/LD editions of the films I mentioned...
From silentera.com:
The Covered Wagon seems to have been already restored, in fact, around 80% from the original negative ( ) and the rest from 16mm reduction prints. Digital stereo score by Gaylord Carter exists.
The Docks of New York seems to have also been restored totally from 35mm with a mix of original negative, fine-grain master, and an original print. Digital stereo score by Gaylord Carter exists.
According to customers on amazon.com:
The VHS for The Last Command seems to have been transfered from a very good 35mm print. It also has a Gaylord Carter digital stereo score.
Running Wild seems to also be a 35mm sharp, high-quality print. Carter score in digital stereo.
Old Ironsides also is a very good transfer with nearly no damage to the print. Carter score in digital stereo.
Since the VHS of The Ten Commandments (1923) has a 146 min. running time, it seems like this version is the uncut version with the Technicolor scenes intact. It also has a digital stereo score.
The Wedding March has been restored, with the Technicolor scene at the end intact. Carter digital stereo score.
According to The Silents Majority, Wings is good to excellent on video, also with a Gaylord Carter digital stereo score.
I hope this helps as well.
The Wedding March was restored by Photoplay Productions and shown with an orchestral score by Carl Davis just 2 or 3 years ago. This version would certainly be nice to have on DVD.