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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Humanity
(1916)
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This Broncho Billy Anderson western, written and directed by Anderson, features Ruth Saville, Rodney Hildebrand, Robert McKenzie, Harry Todd, Lee Willard and Thomas J. Crizer.
The film may only survive in a two-reel version released in 1918.
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Unknown Video
2004 DVD edition
Wagon Tracks (1919), black & white, 78 minutes, not rated, with Humanity [Naked Hands rerelease version] (1916), black & white, 32 minutes, not rated.
Unknown 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 3.7 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 (Humanity); standard DVD keepcase; $18.95.
Release date: 22 November 2004.
Country of origin: USA •
Ratings (1-10): video: 6 / audio: 5 / additional content: 5 / overall: 6.
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This DVD-R edition has been mastered from an analog video transfer prepared in 1998 (initially for release on VHS videotape) from a fine-grain 16mm reduction print held in the Blackhawk Films collection. The print has a number of defects including speckling, dust, moments of print decomposition, emulsion scuffing and scrapes, but the greyscale range is reasonably balanced for acceptable viewing.
The film is presented with an electronic organ music score performed by Bob Vaughn. The low-fidelity recording is a bit hissy but the performance is serviceable.
This is the best-looking edition of Humanity available on home video but may be very hard to find.
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UNKNOWN VIDEO has discontinued business and this Region 0 NTSC DVD-R edition is . . .
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 Reel Classic DVD
201? DVD edition
Hell’s Hinges (1916), black & white, ? minutes, not rated, with Naked Hands [two-reel abridgment of Humanity] (1916), black & white, ? minutes, not rated.
Reel Classic DVD, no catalog number, UPC 7-62184-87762-4.
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; $19.98.
Release date: 201?.
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 music score composed and performed by Bernie Anderson.
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This Region 0 NTSC DVD-R edition is available directly from
REEL CLASSIC DVD through . . .
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 Alpha Video
2014 DVD edition
The Struggle Plus Other Rare Shorts (1913-1924), black & white, 80 minutes total, not rated, including Humanity [Naked Hands rerelease version] (1916), black & white, 26 minutes, not rated.
Alpha Home Entertainment, distributed by Oldies.com,
ALP 7390D, UPC 0-89218-73909-4.
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 6.8 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: 25 May 2014.
Country of origin: USA
Ratings (1-10): video: 3 / audio: 3 / additional content: 0 / overall: 3.
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This DVD-R edition has been mastered from an 8mm reduction print of the 1918 two-reel rerelease version of the film entitled, Naked Hands. Dust, speckling, schmutz, frame jitters, filmbase scuffing and decomposition, splices, 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 The Struggle Plus Other Rare Shorts 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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Other WESTERN FILMS of the silent era available on home video.
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