Reviews of silent film releases on home video.
Copyright © 1999-2025 by Carl Bennett
and the Silent Era Company.
All Rights Reserved. |
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Teddy at the
Throttle
(1917) |
Teddy at the Throttle (1917) with Gloria Swanson and Bobby Vernon. Gloria loves Bobbie, but their guardian, Henry Black (Wallace Beery), wants to make himself rich with Bobbie’s estate and keep Gloria for himself. The jilted Black ties Gloria to railroad tracks in revenge. Will Teddy the dog save her in time?
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 Flicker Alley
2014 Blu-ray Disc edition
The Mack Sennett Collection, Volume One (1909-1933), black & white, 1005 minutes total, not rated, including Teddy at the Throttle (1917), black & white, 27 minutes, not rated.
Flicker Alley, FA0035,
UPC 6-17311-67879-0, ISBN 1-893967-87-5.
One single-sided, single-layered, Regions ABC Blu-ray Disc (three 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; Dolby Digital (AC3) 2.0 stereo sound encoded at ? Mbps audio bit rate; English language intertitles, no subtitles; chapter stops; 28-page insert booklet; standard three-disc BD keepcase; $59.95.
Release date: 19 August 2014.
Country of origin: USA
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This Blu-ray Disc edition of Mack Sennett comedies has been mastered from 35mm prints and 16mm reduction prints.
Supplemental material includes selected audio commentary; outtakes and rushes; 1920 footage of the Sennett studio; a trailer for The Crossroads of New York (1922); newsreel footage; a complete 1939 radio appearance by Mack Sennett; television appearances, including the Mack Sennett episode of This is Your Life; and a 28-page insert booklet featuring notes on the films.
For more information about this collection, see our The Mack Sennett Collection, Volume One on home video page.
This is our recommended home video edition of the film.
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This Regions ABC Blu-ray Disc edition has been discontinued
and is . . .
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 Film Preservation Associates
2002 DVD edition
Slapstick Encyclopedia (1909-1929), black & white and color-toned black & white, 1089 minutes total, not rated,
including Teddy at the Throttle (1917), black & white, 24 minutes, not rated.
Film Preservation Associates, distributed by Image Entertainment, ID0699DSDVD, UPC 0-14381-06992-1.
One single-sided, dual-layered, Region 0 NTSC DVD disc (five 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 4.5 Mbps average video bit rate (capable of progressive scan upscaling to 60 fps); Dolby Digital (AC3) 2.0 stereo sound encoded at 224 Kbps audio bit rate; English language intertitles, no subtitles; chapter stops; five standard DVD keepcases in cardboard slipcase; $69.99.
Release date: 7 May 2002.
Country of origin: USA
Ratings (1-10): video: 6 / audio: 7 / additional content: 7 / overall: 7.
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This DVD edition has been mastered from an excellent, though worn, 35mm print that is missing its main title card. The full-frame video transfer is flat grey overall, with grey highlights.
The film is accompanied by an ensemble music score arranged and conducted by Robert Israel.
This is our recommended DVD home video edition of Teddy at the Throttle.
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This Region 0 NTSC DVD edition has been discontinued
and is . . .
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 Madacy Entertainment
2012 DVD edition
Slapstick Encyclopedia (1909-1929), black & white and color-toned black & white, 1089 minutes total, not rated, including Teddy at the Throttle (1917), black & white, ? minutes, not rated.
Madacy Entertainment, distributed by Image Entertainment,
VB951290, UPC 6-28261-12909-6.
Five single-sided, dual-layered, Region 0 NTSC DVD discs, 1.33:1 aspect ratio image in full-frame 4:3 (720 x 480 pixels) interlaced scan MPEG-2 format, SDR (standard dynamic range), ? Mbps average video bit rate, ? Kbps audio bit rate, Dolby Digital 48 kHz 2.0 stereo and mono sound, English language intertitles, no subtitles; chapter stops; rollfold cardboard DVD videobook with cardboard disc pockets, $16.98.
Release date: 25 September 2012.
Country of origin: Canada
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This budget DVD edition has been mastered from an excellent, though worn, 35mm print that is missing its main title card. The full-frame video transfer is flat grey overall, with grey highlights.
The film is accompanied by an ensemble music score arranged and conducted by Robert Israel.
We caution that disc mastering makes a huge difference in the visual quality of DVDs. Since the content has been manufactured onto five double-sided discs, and if proper care has been taken to master the DVDs, the visual quality is comparable to the 2002 Image edition noted above.
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This Region 0 NTSC DVD edition has been discontinued
and is . . .
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 Passport Video
2007 DVD edition
The Gloria Swanson Collection: 10 Fabulous Films (1915-1931) black & white, 675 minutes total, not rated,
including Teddy at the Throttle (1917), black & white, 24 minutes, not rated.
Passport Video, DVD-5151, unknown UPC number.
One single-sided, single-layered, Region 0 NTSC DVD disc (five 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; no chapter stops (within the film); double-wide five-disc DVD keepcase; $19.98.
Release date: 13 February 2007.
Country of origin: USA •
Ratings (1-10): video: 5 / audio: 5 / additional content: 4 / overall: 4.
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This DVD edition has been mastered from a 16mm reduction print. Identifying logomarks are superimposed over the lower right corner of the picture to discourage video transfer piracy.
The film is accompanied by a soundtrack compiled from dopey preexisting recordings. Annoying, at best.
This edition is now out-of-print. Well, it's not much of a loss.
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This Region 0 NTSC DVD edition has been discontinued
and is . . .
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 Alpha Video
2010 DVD edition
The Danger Girl (1916), black & white, 24 minutes, not rated,
with Teddy at the Throttle (1917), black & white, 22 minutes, not rated.
Alpha Home Entertainment, distributed by Oldies.com,
ALP6347D, UPC 0-89218-63479-5.
One single-sided, single-layered, Region 0 NTSC DVD-R 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 ? 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; standard DVD keepcase; $7.98 (raised again to $9.99).
Release date: 27 April 2010.
Country of origin: USA
Ratings (1-10): video: 3 / audio: 5 / additional content: 4 / overall: 4.
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This budget DVD edition has been mastered from an 8mm reduction print that is contrasty at times, to the point that highlight details are lost.
The film is accompanied by a soundtrack compiled from preexisting jazz recordings.
Not at all recommended.
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This
Region 0 NTSC DVD-R edition is available from
ALPHA VIDEO through . . .
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 Grapevine Video
2005 DVD edition
American Aristocracy (1916), black & white, 56 minutes, not rated, with Teddy at the Throttle (1917), black & white, 22 minutes, not rated.
Grapevine Video, no catalog number, UPC 8-42614-10015-4.
One single-sided, single-layered, Region 0 NTSC DVD-R 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 ? 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; standard DVD keepcase; $16.95 (reduced to $14.95).
Release date: April 2005.
Country of origin: USA
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This DVD-R edition has likely been mastered from a 16mm reduction print.
The film is likely accompanied by a soundtrack of preexisting recordings.
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This Region 0 NTSC DVD-R edition is available directly from . . .
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 Sunrise Silents
2004 DVD edition
Gloria Swanson Films (1916-1917) color-tinted black & white, 73 minutes total, not rated, including Teddy at the Throttle (1917), black & white, ? minutes, not rated.
Sunrise Silents, GSF1-N, no UPC number.
One single-sided, single-layered, Region 0 NTSC DVD-R 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 ? 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; standard DVD keepcase; $19.95.
Release date: 2004.
Country of origin: USA
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This DVD-R edition has likely been mastered from a 16mm or 8mm reduction print.
The film is likely accompanied by a soundtrack performed on MIDI synthesizer.
If you own a copy of this disc please consider loaning it to us to review for documentation purposes. We pay postage both ways.
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SUNRISE SILENTS has discontinued business and this edition is . . .
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Other silent era GLORIA SWANSON films available on home video.
Other silent era ANIMAL STARS films available on home video.
Other KEYSTONE comedy films available on home video.
Other SHORT COMEDY FILMS of the silent era available on home video.
Other silent film music scores by ROBERT ISRAEL available on home video.
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