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A Muddy Romance
[Muddled in Mud]
(1913)

This comedy short, directed by Mack Sennett, stars Mabel Normand and Ford Sterling, with Mack Swain, Slim Summerville, Rube Miller and Roscoe Arbuckle.

A young couple (Normand and Sterling) fend off the overtures of any undesired suitor by draining a park lake.

Film Preservation Associates
2002 DVD edition

Slapstick Encyclopedia (1909-1929), black & white and color-toned black & white, 1089 minutes total, not rated, including A Muddy Romance (1913), black & white, ? minutes, not rated.

Film Preservation Associates, distributed by Image Entertainment, ID0699DSDVD, UPC 0-14381-06992-1.
One single-sided, dual-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 ? 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, and Dolby Digital (AC3) 2.0 mono sound encoded at ? Kbps audio bit rate; English language intertitles, no subtitles; chapter stops; five standard DVD keepcases in cardboard slipcase; $69.99.
Release date: 7 May 2002.
Country of origin: USA

This DVD edition has been mastered from a very-good, though worn and sometimes jittery, 35mm print.

The film is accompanied by a music score composed and performed on synthesizer by Brian Benison.

Supplemental material includes three less than impressive bonus films — all of them having previously appeared on Shepard-produced home videos.

For information about other films in this collection, see our Slapstick Encyclopedia on home video page.

This is our recommended home video edition of the film.

This Region 0 NTSC DVD edition has been discontinued
and is . . .

Madacy Entertainment
2012 DVD edition

Slapstick Encyclopedia (1909-1929), black & white and color-toned black & white, 1089 minutes total, not rated, including A Muddy Romance (1913), black & white, ? minutes, not rated.

Madacy Entertainment, distributed by Image Entertainment,
VB951290, UPC 6-28261-12909-6.
One single-sided, dual-layered, Region 0 NTSC DVD disc (five DVDs in the set), 1.33:1 aspect ratio image in full-frame 4:3 (720 x 480 pixels) interlaced scan MPEG-2 format, SDR (standard dynamic range), ? Mbps average video bit rate, ? Kbps audio bit rate, Dolby Digital 48 kHz 2.0 stereo and mono sound, English language intertitles, no subtitles; chapter stops; rollfold cardboard DVD videobook with cardboard disc pockets, $16.98.
Release date: 25 September 2012.
Country of origin: Canada

This DVD edition, released by the questionable company historically responsible for some of the worst-looking silent film DVDs ever released, licensed and utilized the same video masters prepared by producer David Shepard for the collection noted above.

The film is accompanied by a music score composed and performed on synthesizer by Brian Benison.

Supplemental material includes three less than impressive bonus films — all of them having previously appeared on Shepard-produced home videos.

For information about other films in this collection, see our Slapstick Encyclopedia on home video page.

We caution that disc mastering makes a huge difference in the visual quality of DVDs. Since the content has been manufactured onto five double-sided discs, and if proper care has been taken to master the DVDs, the visual quality is comparable to the 2002 Image edition noted above.

This Region 0 NTSC DVD edition has been discontinued
and is . . .

Reel Classic DVD
200? DVD edition

A Festival of Silent Comedy, Volume 3 (1913-1927), black & white, 95 minutes total, not rated, including Muddled in Mud [A Muddy Romance] (1913), black & white, ? minutes, not rated.

Reel Classic DVD, no catalog number, UPC 7-62184-87632-0.
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 stereo sound encoded at ? Kbps audio bit rate; English language intertitles, no subtitles; no chapter stops; standard DVD keepcase; $19.98.
Release date: 200?.
Country of origin: USA

This DVD-R edition has been mastered from a 16mm reduction print of the 1918 rerelease version of the film.

The film is presented with a music score composed and performed by Ben Model.

For information about other films in this collection, see our A Festival of Silent Comedy, Volume 3 on home video page.

This Region 0 NTSC DVD-R edition is available from
REEL CLASSIC DVD through . . .

Looser Than Loose
201? DVD edition

Sennett, Volume 7 (1913-1929), black & white, ? minutes total, not rated, including A Muddy Romance (1920), 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

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 7 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.

This Region 0 NTSC DVD-R edition is also available directly from . . .

Alpha Video
2010 DVD edition

Mack Sennett’s Fun Parade (1913-1932),
color-toned black & white, 66 minutes total, not rated, including Muddled in Mud [A Muddy Romance] (1913), color-toned black & white, 9 minutes, not rated.

Alpha Home Entertainment, distributed by Oldies.com,
ALP 6370D, UPC 0-89218-63709-3.
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 6.2 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: 31 May 2010.
Country of origin: USA

Ratings (1-10): video: 3 / audio: 3 / additional content: 3 / overall: 3.

This DVD-R edition has been mastered from a fair Castle Films 16mm reduction print that is a bit contrasty, with dust, speckling, schmutz, emulsion chipping, and other print flaws present in the picture.

The film is presented with a soundtrack of music and sound effects lifted from a sound rerelease print of the film.

Supplemental material includes a Bing Crosby short, Crooner’s Holiday [Dream House] (1932) from a contrasty 16mm print.

For our comparative reviews of some of the individual films in this collection, see our A Muddy Romance on home video page.

Note: Our library copy of this disc was originally manufactured on a standard DVD. However, copies sold today will likely be provided on MOD DVD-R discs.

We don’t recommend this below-average disc since most of the films are available elsewhere in better-looking editions on home video.

This review was updated in 2026.

This Region 0 NTSC DVD-R edition is available from
ALPHA VIDEO through . . .