Reviews of silent film releases on home video.
Copyright © 1999-2026 by Carl Bennett
and the Silent Era Company.
All Rights Reserved. |
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The Bell Hop
(1921)
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This comedy short, directed by Larry Semon and Norman Taurog, stars Larry Semon and Norma Nichols, with Oliver Hardy, Frank Alexander and William Hauber.
Don’t miss the ink gag — unless, of course, you already saw it in The Grocery Clerk (1919).
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 Kino Classics
2024 Blu-ray edition
Vitagraph Comedies (1907-1922), black & white, 565 minutes total, not rated, including The Bell Hop (1921), black & white, 29 minutes, not rated.
Kino Lorber, K26603, UPC 7-38329-26603-5.
One single-sided, dual-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 24.8 Mbps average video bit rate; DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 stereo sound encoded at 1.6 Mbps audio bit rate (music), and Dolby Digital (AC3) 2.0 stereo sound encoded at 192 Kbps audio bit rate (commentary); English language intertitles, no subtitles; chapter stops; standard three-disc BD keepcase; $39.95.
Release date: 14 May 2024.
Country of origin: USA
Ratings (1-10): video: 8 / audio: 8 / additional content: 8 / overall: 8.
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This Blu-ray Disc edition has been mastered from a high-definition scan of a very-good (what appears to be) 35mm print. No digital clean-up or image stabilization has been performed. Dust, speckling, emulsion scuffing and scrapes, and other print flaws are present.
The film is accompanied by a music score composed and performed by Peter Valsamis.
Supplemental material includes audio commentaries by film historian Anthony Slide; and interviews with curator Rob Stone, archivists Lynanne Schweighofer and Geo. Willeman, and film historian Rob Farr (24 minutes total).
This is our recommended home video edition of the film.
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This Region 0 Blu-ray Disc edition is available directly from . . .
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 Grapevine Video
2005 DVD edition
Larry Semon Shorts, Volume One (1918-1927), black & white, 114 minutes total, not rated, including The Bell Hop (1921), black & white, 22 minutes, not rated.
Grapevine Video, no catalog number, unknown 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 mono sound encoded at ? Kbps audio bit rate; English language intertitles, no subtitles; chapter stops; standard DVD keepcase; $16.95.
Release date: 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 accompanied by a soundtrack compiled from preexisting music recordings.
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This Region 0 NTSC DVD-R edition is available directly from . . .
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 Grapevine Video
2005 DVD edition
Behind Two Guns (1924), black & white and color-toned black & white, 62 minutes, not rated, with The Bell Hop (1921), black & white, 22 minutes, not rated.
Grapevine Video, no catalog number, UPC 8-42614-10099-4.
One single-sided, single-layered, Region 0 NTSC DVD-R disc; 1.33:1 aspect ratio picture in windowboxed 4:3 (720 x 480 pixels) interlaced scan image encoded in SDR MPEG-2 format at 4.4 Mbps average video bit rate (capable of progressive scan upscaling to 60 fps); MPEG 2.0 mono sound encoded at 224 Kbps audio bit rate; English language intertitles, no subtitles; 3 chapter stops; standard DVD keepcase; $16.95.
Release date: September 2005.
Country of origin: USA •
Ratings (1-10): video: 3 / audio: 3 / additional content: 3 / overall: 3.
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This DVD-R edition has been mastered from a good 16mm reduction print, with blurry image details, dust, speckling, long vertical scratches, and other print flaws.
The film is accompanied by a music score performed on theatre pipe organ with annoying audio processing.
This review was updated in 2025.
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This Region 0 NTSC DVD-R edition is available directly from . . .
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 Alpha Video
2021 DVD edition
Silent Comedy Classics Collection, Volume 3 (1921-1928), black & white, 117 minutes total, not rated, including The Bell Hop (1921), black & white, ? minutes, not rated.
Alpha Home Entertainment, distributed by Oldies.com,
ALP 8407D, UPC 0-89218-84079-0.
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: 6 April 2021.
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 compiled from preexisting music recordings.
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This Region 0 NTSC DVD-R edition is available from
ALPHA VIDEO through . . .
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 Passport Video
2006 DVD edition
The Laurel or Hardy Collection (1917-1927), black & white, 560 minutes total, not rated, including The Bell Hop (1921), black & white, 22 minutes, not rated.
Passport International Productions,
DVD-5380, UPC 0-25493-53809-0.
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 4.0 Mbps average video bit rate (capable of progressive scan upscaling to 60 fps); Dolby Digital (AC3) 2.0 mono sound encoded at 192 Kbps audio bit rate; English language intertitles, no subtitles; chapter stops; 4-page insert pamphlet; double-wide five-disc DVD keepcase; unknown suggested retail price.
Release date: 21 February 2006.
Country of origin: USA
Ratings (1-10): video: 4 / audio: 5 / additional content: 4 / overall: 4.
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This DVD edition has been mastered from collector film elements that include 8mm and 16mm reduction prints. The majority of these video transfers are presented from low-quality analog videotape, with some displaying the ghosting to the right of bright objects in the picture that is characteristic of analog videotape. Some of these editions of the films are outright terrible. The films are all presented with a digital “The Laurel OR Hardy Collection” watermark in the lower right corner of the picture; this is to discourage video pirates (which is ironic given the low quality of many of these transfers).
The film is accompanied by a soundtrack compiled from preexisting music recordings.
Supplemental material includes a video introduction by archivist Rob Stone; and a 4-page insert pamphlet with brief notes and film listings.
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This Region 0 NTSC DVD edition has been discontinued
and is . . .
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Other silent era LARRY SEMON films available on home video.
Other silent era OLIVER HARDY films available on home video.
Other SHORT COMEDY FILMS of the silent era available on home video.
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