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 Dare-Devil
(1923)
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This comedy short, directed by Del Lord, stars Ben Turpin and Harry Gribbon, with Jack Richardson, Kewpie Morgan, Madeline Hurlock, Irene Lentz, Gordon Lewis, Art Rowlands and Andy Clyde.
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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 The Dare-Devil (1923), black & white, 20 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 has been mastered from a 35mm or 16mm reduction print.
The film is accompanied by a music score.
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 information about other films in 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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 Alpha Video
2010 DVD edition
Silent Slapstick Comedy Parade (1920-1926), black & white, 64 minutes total, not rated, including The Dare-Devil (1923), color-tinted black & white, 22 minutes, not rated.
Alpha Home Entertainment, distributed by Oldies.com,
ALP 6411D, UPC 0-89218-62119-9.
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 60 fps); Dolby Digital (AC3) 2.0 mono sound encoded at 384 Kbps audio bit rate; English language intertitles, no subtitles; no chapter stops (within the film); standard DVD keepcase; $7.98 (raised again to $9.99).
Release date: 27 July 2010.
Country of origin: USA
Ratings (1-10): video: 2 / audio: 3 / additional content: 3 / overall: 3.
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This DVD-R edition has likely been mastered from a poor to fair 8mm reduction print. that is soft in image details and tightly-cropped. Dust, speckling, schmutz, emulsion scuffing, and other print flaws are present in the picture.
The film is accompanied by a soundtrack compiled from preexisting low-fidelity music recordings.
For information about other films in this collection, see our Silent Slapstick Comedy Parade on home video page.
Not recommended.
This review was updated in 2026.
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This Region 0 NTSC DVD-R edition is available from
ALPHA VIDEO through . . .
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 Looser Than Loose
201? DVD edition
Sennett, Volume 6 (1914-1933), black & white, ? minutes total, not rated, including The Dare-Devil (1923), black & white, ? minutes, not rated.
Looser Than Loose Vintage Entertainment,
no catalog number, 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; $19.99.
Release date: 201?.
Country of origin: USA
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This DVD-R edition has likely been mastered from a 16mm and/or 8mm reduction print.
The film is likely accompanied by a soundtrack compiled from preexisting music recordings.
For information about other films in this collection, see our Sennett, Volume 6 on home video page.
Note that some international customers have experienced long delays in the shipping of their orders and are being charged very high unannounced shipping costs.
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This Region 0 NTSC DVD-R edition is also available directly from . . .
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Other SHORT COMEDY FILMS of the silent era available on home video.
Other silent era BEN TURPIN films available on home video.
Other silent era FILMS ON FILMMAKING available on home video.
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