More Treasures from American Film Archives 1894-1931

MOVIE DESCRIPTION:

An amazing collection of American film history like none other. From the oldest surviving sound film Dickson Experimental Sound Film (1894) to The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1910) to Lady Windermere's Fan (1935) and beyond, this compilation features a vast array of compelling early cinema. Also includes 17 audio commentary tracks from film historians, a 200-page booklet, newly recorded music and much more. 3 DVDs. Color-b&w/10 hrs/NR/fullscreen.

DVD FEATURES:

• Region: All
• Number of Discs: 3
• Audio: Dolby Digital, PCM Stereo
• Features:
  • Over 9.5 hours on 3 discs
  • Commentary by 17 critics, historians, and preservationists
  • Digitally mastered from the finest archival sources
  • Newly recorded musical scores
  • Over 500 interactive screens about the films and music
  • 200-page illustrated book with film notes and credits
  • Postcards from the films
  • Playable worldwide

AWARDS

• Berlin International Film Festival

•     Film Presented - 2007

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

• Director:

  Wallace McCutcheon, D.W. Griffith, Otis Turner, Francis Ford, Thomas Ince, J.P. McGowan, Chester M. Franklin, Sidney Franklin, Gregory La Cava, Robert Florey, Jack Connolly, George Bernard Shaw, Edwin S. Porter, Ashley Miller, James B. Leong, Frank Grandon, Noel Mason, Dave Fleischer, Harold Muller, Jay Leyda, W.K.L. Dickson, James White, Alice Guy-Blaché, Lee de Forest, Ernst Lubitsch, Alvin Knechtel

• Producer:

  Thomas Ince, Gregory La Cava, Jack Connolly, James B. Leong, William Randolph Hearst, Charles R. Bowers, Alice Guy-Blaché, Max Fleischer

• Screenwriter:

  D.W. Griffith

• Book Author:

  L. Frank Baum

• Screenwriter:

  Otis Turner, C. Gardner Sullivan, Bernard McConville, Ethel Browning

• Screen Story:

  James B. Leong

• Screenwriter:

  Charles Furthman, George Yohalem, Max Fleischer, Charles R. Bowers, Edwin S. Porter

• Screen Story:

  Julien Josephson

• Screenwriter:

  Julien Josephson

• Play Author:

  Oscar Wilde

• Cinematographer:

  Billy Bitzer, Frank Good, Ross Fisher, Harold Muller, Edwin S. Porter, Charles Van Enger, Alvin Knechtel

• Editor:

  Ernst Lubitsch

• Set Designer:

  Norman Edwards

• Costume Designer:

  Norman Edwards

• First Assistant Director:

  Arthur White

• Animator:

  Dave Fleischer

• Choreography:

  Martha Graham

REVIEWS:

• This is the famous Rin Tin Tin adventure in which the canine star is forced to wear false chin whiskers and leather booties in order to elude the law. That the dog manages to keep a straight face, so to speak, is proof positive that he was a great actor. Rinty's performance in this Warner Bros. silent melodrama set in the California desert is certainly more subtle than that of villain Pat Hartigan, who all but sneers and hisses while contemplating how to jump Charles Farrell's borax claim, not to mention leading lady June Marlowe. Clash of the Wolves, despite some deterioration, remains a beautifully photographed action thriller that still manages to entertain, and "Rinty's much vaunted thespian capabilities are much in evidence. The dog (or his stunt doubles) at various times acts wounded, happy, ferocious and, yes, even romantic with his canine leading lady, Nanette." Rinty's human co-stars, with the exception perhaps of the aforementioned Mr. Hartigan, do equally well, Charles Farrell giving an early proof of why he later became to important to both Fox and frequent co-star Janet Gaynor. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, Rovi
• Of great interest as film history, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is also quite enjoyable as film -- provided, of course, that one approaches it with the proper attitude. Clearly, a film made in 1910 is going to lack the technical finesse modern audiences expect. The fact that it also tries to encapsulate a full story into 13 minutes -- several of which are devoted to dance sequences which certainly do not forward the plot -- also means that the dramatic narrative is going to be jerky at best. Yet the primitive technical and dramatic technique are actually quite charming, and for the time, they represent something pretty close to state of the art. And while Wizard features a static camera, it's still a lively production, with plenty of movement on screen and with characters that fly and jump (quite well) at the drop of a hat. Indeed, there's something utterly disarming about this production, which has a verve and a freshness that make one willing to overlook the simpleminded choreography and the chorus girls who still can't handle it. The animal costumes are especially ludicrous to modern eyes, but again, they nevertheless have a whimsical charm. An extremely young Bebe Daniels is quite good as Dorothy and the Scarecrow (probably Robert Z. Leonard, although the credits are sketchy in confirming this) is an energetic delight. There are also delightful turns from the actors portraying the Wizard, the Tin Woodman and Mombi. Those who can get the classic 1939 film out of their heads should find this version a joyous alternative. ~ Craig Butler, Rovi