Reviews of silent film releases on home video. Copyright © 1999-2026 by Carl Bennett and the Silent Era Company. All Rights Reserved.

Vitagraph Comedies (1907-1922)

Contents: The Boy, the Bust, and the Bath (1907), The Disintegrated Convict (1907), The Flat Dwellers; or, The House of Too Much Trouble (1907), Get Me a Step-Ladder (1908), Kitty and the Cowboys (1911), In the Clutches of a Vapor Bath (1911), The New Stenographer (1911), The Haunted Rocker (1912), The Lovesick Maidens of Cuddleton (1912), A Regiment of Two (1913), The Egyptian Mummy (1914), A Horse Shoe — For Luck (1914), The Professional Scapegoat (1914), Sweeney’s Christmas Bird (1914), Auntie’s Portrait (1915), Beautiful Thoughts (1915), Boobley’s Baby (1915), A Case of Eugenics (1915), The Deceivers (1915), Jane Was Worth It (1915), A Safe Investment (1915), Captain Jinks’ Evolution (1916), Captain Jinks, the Cobbler (1916), His Wife Knew About It (1916), Jane’s Bashful Hero (1916), Mr. Jack Ducks the Alimony (1916), Mr. Jack, the Hash Magnate (1916), Mr. Jack Trifles (1916), A Telegraphic Tangle (1916), Bullies and Bullets (1917), Captain Jinks’ Baby (1917), Captain Jinks’ Cure (1917), Hindoos and Hazards (1918), A Little Ouija Work (1918), Damsels and Dandies (1919), The Grocery Clerk (1919), The Head Waiter (1919), School Days (1920), The Bell Hop (1921) and The Sawmill (1922).

This collection features short comedy films produced by The Vitagraph Company of America starring John Bunny, Edith Storey, Larry Semon, Mr. and Mrs. Sidney Drew and Frank Daniels. The films present the best qualities of Storey, Drew, Lucille McVey, and Daniels, while they also present the worst qualities of Bunny, Jimmy Aubrey and Semon. Uneven to be sure, the best comedies here outweigh the tedious qualities of the worst. The third disc in the set contains nothing but Larry Semon films; you have been warned.

This Blu-ray Disc collection has been mastered in high-resolution from archival 35mm, 28mm and 16mm film elements held by the Library of Congress, with contributions from George Eastman Museum, the British Film Institute and the UCLA Film and Television Archive, that generally range from good to excellent. As might be expected, the earlier films survive in rougher condition than the later films, with some missing footage, print breaks, sprocket damage, nitrate decomposition, frame jitters, emulsion blossoms, scrapes and chipping, gate hairs, and other print flaws. No digital clean-up or image stabilization has been performed on the scans.

The films are accompanied by music scores compiled, composed and performed by Esin Aydingoz, Caterina Maddalena Barbieri, Camila Cortina Bello, Teil Buck, Linda J. Chase, Ivanna Cuesta Gonzalez, Renée T. Coulombe, Annette Johnson, Chris Lock, Liz Magnes, Karen Majewicz, Ben Model, Shane Prendiville, Dana Reason, Chris Rorrer with Daniel Mandrychenko, Don Ross, José María Serralde Ruiz, Andrew Earle Simpson, Dylan Talisien, Peter Valsamis, Gonca Feride Varol, Violin Noir (Rebecca Sabine), and Qingye Wu.

The Boy, the Bust, and the Bath (1907) has been scanned from a very-good (what appears to be) 35mm print. Music by Qingye Wu.

The Disintegrated Convict (1907) has been scanned from a very-good to excellent but damaged (what appears to be) 35mm print. Music by Andrew Earle Simpson.

The Flat Dwellers; or, The House of Too Much Trouble (1907) has been scanned from a good to very-good (what appears to be) 35mm print. Music by Shane Prendiville.

Get Me a Step-Ladder (1908) has been scanned from a very-good (what appears to be) 28mm reduction print. Music by Dana Reason.

Kitty and the Cowboys (1911), starring John Bunny, has been scanned from a very-good (what appears to be) 35mm print. Music by Ben Model.

In the Clutches of a Vapor Bath (1911), starring John Bunny, has been scanned from a very-good (what appears to be) 35mm print with some nitrate decomposition. Music by Andrew Earle Simpson.

The New Stenographer (1911) has been scanned from a very-good (what appears to be) 35mm print. Music by Ben Model.

The Haunted Rocker (1912) has been scanned from a good to very-good but quite speckled (what appears to be) 35mm print. Music by Peter Valsamis.

The Lovesick Maidens of Cuddleton (1912) has been scanned from a very-good to excellent (what appears to be) 35mm print. Music by Andrew Earle Simpson.

A Regiment of Two (1913) has been scanned from a very-good to excellent (what appears to be) 35mm print. Music by Chris Rorrer with Daniel Mandrychenko.

A Horse Shoe — For Luck (1914), starring Sidney Drew, has been scanned from a very-good (what appears to be) 35mm print. Music by Don Ross.

The Professional Scapegoat (1914), starring Sidney Drew and Jane Morrow (Lucille McVey), has been scanned from a good but contrasty (what appears to be) 16mm reduction print (with closing footage inserted from an old VHS videotape). Music by Violin Noir (Rebecca Sabine).

Sweeney’s Christmas Bird (1914) has been scanned from a very-good but highly damaged (what appears to be) 35mm print. Music by Liz Magnes.

Auntie’s Portrait (1915), starring Sidney Drew and Lucille McVey, has been scanned from a very-good (what appears to be) 16mm reduction print. Inappropriate ambient music by Chris Lock does not belong here.

Beautiful Thoughts (1915), starring Sidney Drew and Lucille McVey, has been scanned from a good to very-good but with distracting frame jitters (what appears to be) 35mm print that is missing its ending. Music by Dana Reason.

Boobley’s Baby (1915), starring Sidney Drew and Lucille McVey, has been scanned from a good but worn (what appears to be) 35mm print. Low-fidelity music by Renée T. Coulombe.

A Case of Eugenics (1915), starring Sidney Drew and Lucille McVey, has been scanned from a fair to good but quite worn (what appears to be) reduction print. Kinda tough going. Music by Esin Aydingoz.

The Deceivers (1915), starring Sidney Drew and Lucille McVey, has been scanned from a good to very-good but worn (what appears to be) 35mm print. Music by Liz Magnes.

Jane Was Worth It (1915), starring Edith Storey, has been scanned from two very-good but incomplete 28mm reduction prints held by the Library of Congress and the George Eastman Museum. Kudos to the most patient of cat actors. Music by Ben Model.

A Safe Investment (1915), starring Sidney Drew and Lucille McVey, has been scanned from a very-good (what appears to be) 35mm print. Music by Ben Model.

Captain Jinks’ Evolution (1916), starring Frank Daniels, was scanned from a very-good (what appears to be) 35mm print. Music by Caterina Maddalena Barbieri.

Captain Jinks, the Cobbler (1916), starring Frank Daniels, was scanned from the restoration version of the film conflated from very-good but slightly contrasty (what appears to be) 35mm prints held by the New Zealand Film Archive and others. The ending is missing. Music by Dylan Talisien.

His Wife Knew About It (1916), starring Sidney Drew and Lucille McVey, has been scanned from a good (what appears to be) 28mm reduction print with significant damage, emulsion blooms and frame jitters. Music by Linda J. Chase.

Jane’s Bashful Hero (1916), starring Edith Storey, has been scanned from a very-good to excellent (what appears to be) 35mm print. Truly annoying music performed on synthesizers by Teil Buck.

Mr. Jack Ducks the Alimony (1916), starring Frank Daniels, was scanned from a good to very-good but significantly warped (what appears to be) 35mm print. The print damage is quite distracting and some of the latter footage (presumably from a 16mm print) is blurry. Music by Violin Noir (Rebecca Sabine).

Mr. Jack, the Hash Magnate (1916), starring Frank Daniels, has been scanned from a good a very-good but quite damaged (what appears to be) 35mm print that is missing its ending. Music by Chris Rorrer with Daniel Mandrychenko.

Mr. Jack Trifles (1916), starring Frank Daniels, was scanned from a very-good to excellent (what appears to be) 35mm print held by the British Film Institute. Music by Don Ross.

A Telegraphic Tangle (1916), starring Sidney Drew and Lucille McVey, has been scanned from a good to very-good but worn (what appears to be) 35mm print. Music by Violin Noir (Rebecca Sabine).

Bullies and Bullets (1917), starring Hughie Mack and Jimmy Aubrey (sorry), has been scanned from a very-good (what appears to be) 35mm print. Horribly directed by Larry Semon. Music by Dana Reason.

Captain Jinks’ Baby (1917), starring Frank Daniels, has been scanned from a good but worn (what appears to be) 16mm reduction print. Music by Ivanna Cuesta Gonzalez.

Captain Jinks’ Cure (1917), starring Frank Daniels, has been scanned from a very-good to excellent (what appears to be) 35mm print held by the British Film Institute. Music by Annette Johnson.

Hindoos and Hazards (1918), starring Larry Semon, has been scanned from a very-good to excellent (what appears to be) 35mm print that is missing some footage due to film breaks. Music by Camila Cortina Bello.

A Little Ouija Work (1918), starring Edward Earle and Agnes Ayres, has been scanned from a good to very-good (what appears to be) 35mm print. Music by Ben Model.

Damsels and Dandies (1919), starring Earl Montgomery and Joe Rock, has been scanned from a good to very-good (what appears to be) 35mm print that has missing footage due to a number of print breaks. Music by Ben Model.

Supplemental material includes an introduction to Vitagraph comedies (14 minutes); audio commentaries by film historian Anthony Slide; and interviews with collection curator Rob Stone, archivists Lynanne Schweighofer and Geo. Willeman, and film historian Rob Farr (24 minutes total). Of Slide’s commentaries on each of the films, we again confirm our occasional and persistent disagreement with some of his conclusions and personal opinions given in his numerous commentaries. No details will be given as to why, it is only a passing comment.

For our comparative reviews of some of the individual films in this collection, see our The Bell Hop on home video, The Egyptian Mummy on home video, The Grocery Clerk on home video, The Head Waiter on home video, The Sawmill on home video and School Days on home video pages.

This is our recommended home video edition of these films.

This Region 0 Blu-ray Disc edition is available directly from . . .

Other silent era OLIVER HARDY films available on home video.

Other silent era NORMA TALMADGE films available on home video.