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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HE Who
Gets Slapped
(1924)
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Lon Chaney stars in this circus drama directed by Victor Sjöström (under his Americanized moniker, Victor Seastrom). Chaney is supported by Norma Shearer, John Gilbert, Tully Marshall, Ford Sterling and Marc McDermott.
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 Flicker Fusion
2025 Blu-ray Disc edition
HE Who Gets Slapped (1924), black & white, and color-tinted black & white, 95 minutes, not rated, with He Who Gets Smacked (1925), black & white, 21 minutes, not rated, and Ko-Ko at the Circus (1926), color-tinted black & white, 8 minutes, not rated.
Flicker Alley, FF0007, UPC 6-17311-60079-1.
One single-sided, dual-layered, Regions ABC Blu-ray Disc; 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 38.6 Mbps average video bit rate; DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 stereo sound encoded at 816 Kbps avaerage audio bit rate (Coppola score), DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 stereo sound encoded at 1.6 Mbps avaerage audio bit rate (Alloy score), and Dolby Digital (AC3) 2.0 stereo sound encoded at 192 Kbps audio bit rate (commentary); English language intertitles, optional English language SDH subtitles; 12 chapter stops; 16-page insert booklet; standard BD keepcase; $29.95.
Release date: 9 September 2025.
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 first-generation 35mm safety print and a 16mm reduction duplicate negative held by the Academy Film Archive (Blackhawk Films collection). Unlike some restorations, inserts from the 16mm print are well-integrated into the visual quality of the 35mm print; there are no jarring differences between the two. Some slight shrinkage in the 35mm source print causes little movements within in the picture. Dust, speckling, emulsion scuffing, frame jitters, and other print flaws have been substantially reduced (not eliminated) by digital processing. Note the film’s significantly longer running time than those of the editions listed below.
The film is accompanied by a fine music score composed and performed on piano by Antonio Coppola, and an optional music score composed and performed live by The Alloy Orchestra at the Belcourt Theatre in Nashville.
Supplemental material includes audio commentary by Chaney historian Michael F. Blake; the featurette “Leo: The Truth and the Lion” (2025) (6 minutes); an image gallery of production photos (81 images) and an image gallery of promotional materials (70 images); and a 16-page insert booklet including an article on Victor Sjöström and the film’s production by historian Thomas Gladysz.
This is our enthusiastically recommended home video edition of the film.
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This
Regions ABC Blu-ray Disc edition is available directly from . . .
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 Warner Archive Collection
2010 DVD edition
HE Who Gets Slapped (1924), black & white, 72 minutes, not rated.
Warner Home Video,
no catalog number, UPC 8-83316-28981-5.
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 7.6 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; 7 chapter stops; standard DVD keepcase; $19.95 (reduced to $12.99).
Release date: 2010.
Country of origin: USA
Ratings (1-10): video: 7 / audio: 4 / additional content: 0 / overall: 6.
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This DVD-R edition is available directly from the Warner Home Video website, as originally prepared for broadcast on Turner Classic Movies. The older analog video transfer has been made at sound speed of 24 frames per second, which means that the action runs a little faster than a normal pace and accounts for the film’s short running time here. The source material appears to be a 35mm duplicate print, as the image is darker with grey highlights and the shadow areas a little plugged up. The image could have used some digital stabilization as the bouncy picture is a distraction — a little like watching the film during an earthquake.
The film is accompanied by a music score compiled from preexisting sound film library recordings and sound effects that are clumsily edited together — a disappointment when Turner Classic Movies normally engages young composers for their silent film presentations, which are commonly sourced for Warner Archive discs. The music, which may originate from the source print’s soundtrack, is cloying at worst and serviceable at best.
This is not the best-looking disc and the soundtrack is a negative, but we still think that this is our recommended DVD home video edition of this film. Note to Warner Archive: There are plenty of reasons to upgrade this home video product — you’re not making any friends here.
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This Region 0 NTSC DVD-R edition is available from
WARNER ARCHIVE COLLECTION through . . .
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 Bach Films
2010 DVD edition
HE Who Gets Slapped (1924), black & white, 68 minutes, not rated.
Bach Films, unknown catalog number, unknown UPC number.
One single-sided, single-layered, Region 2 PAL DVD 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; unknown suggested retail price.
Release date: 2010.
Country of origin: France
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This DVD edition may have been mastered from 35mm print materials.
The film is likely to be accompanied by a custom music score.
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This Region 2 PAL DVD edition has been discontinued
and is . . .
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 Colección Cine Mudo
201? DVD edition
HE Who Gets Slapped (1924), black & white, ? minutes, not rated.
Llamentol SL, LL1321, UPC 8-436022-305885.
One single-sided, single-layered, Region 2 PAL 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, optional Spanish language subtitles; chapter stops; standard DVD keepcase; unknown suggested retail price.
Release date: 201?.
Country of origin: Spain
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This DVD edition may have been mastered from 35mm print materials.
The film is likely to be accompanied by a custom music score.
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This Region 2 PAL DVD edition is available from . . .
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 Alpha Video
2020 DVD edition
HE Who Gets Slapped (1924), black & white, 72 minutes, not rated.
Alpha Home Entertainment, distributed by Oldies.com,
ALP 8368D, UPC 0-89218-83689-2.
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: 3 November 2020.
Country of origin: USA
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This DVD-R edition has likely been mastered from reduction print source materials.
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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Other silent era VICTOR SJÖSTRÖM films available on home video.
Other silent era LON CHANEY films available on home video.
Other silent era JOHN GILBERT films available on home video.
Other silent era NORMA SHEARER films available on home video.
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