Silent Era Home Page > Home Video > The Three Musketeers
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SILENT ERA FILMS ON HOME VIDEO
Reviews of silent film releases on home video.
Copyright © 1999-2009 by Carl Bennett.
All Rights Reserved.
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The Three
Musketeers
(1921) |
Douglas Fairbanks stars in this adventure classic based on the famous Dumas novel, with support from Nigel de Brulier as Richelieu, Adolph Menjou as King Louis and Leon Bary, George Siegmann and Eugene Pallette as the musketeers.
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 2004 Kino International edition
The Three Musketeers (1921), black & white, 118 minutes, not rated.
Kino International, unknown catalog number, unknown UPC number.
Full-frame 4:3 NTSC, one single-sided, dual-layered? DVD disc, Region 1, ? Mbps average video bit rate, ? kbps audio bit rate, Dolby Digital 2.0 stereo sound, English language intertitles, no foreign language subtitles, chapter stops, keep case, $29.95.
DVD release date: 3 February 2004.
Country of origin: USA
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Kino International has rereleased their edition of The Three Musketeers. We suspect that the disc is largely the same in content as their previous edition, with possible remastering at a higher video bit rate that could result in a slightly improved picture image.
USA: Click the logomark at right to purchase
a Region 1 NTSC DVD of this edition from Amazon.com. |
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Canada: Click the logomark at right to purchase
a Region 1 NTSC DVD of this edition from Amazon.ca. |
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United Kingdom: Click the logomark at right to purchase
a Region 1 NTSC DVD of this edition from Amazon.co.uk. |
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| This Region 1 NTSC DVD is also available directly from Kino International. |
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 1999 Kino International edition
The Three Musketeers (1921), black & white, 118 minutes, not rated.
Kino International, K117, UPC 7-38329-01172-7.
Full-frame 4:3 NTSC, one single-sided, single-layered DVD disc, Region 0, ? Mbps average video bit rate, ? kbps audio bit rate, Dolby Digital 2.0 stereo sound, English language intertitles, no foreign language subtitles, chapter stops, snapper case, $29.99.
DVD release date: 13 August 1999.
Country of origin: USA
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 This early DVD edition was produced for video by David Shepard utilizing a very-good 35mm print. The video transfer, likely originally prepared for laserdisc and VHS videotape, is a little soft in image detail and runs at a slightly faster than natural speed.
The film is accompanied by the original 1921 music score compiled by Louis Gottschalk, performed by Brian Bennison on synthesizers.
The disc has gone out-of-print, having been replaced by the Kino edition noted above.
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 2004 Sunrise Silents edition
The Three Musketeers (1921), black & white, 132 minutes, not rated,
with The Hazards of Helen [episode 33: “In Danger’s Path”] (1915), black & white, 13 minutes, not rated, and It’s a Gift (1923), black & white, 13 minutes, not rated.
Sunrise Silents, V1N4-N (NTSC) or V1N4-P (PAL), no UPC number.
Full-frame 4:3 NTSC, one single-sided, single-layered DVD-R disc, Region 0, ? Mbps average video bit rate, ? kbps audio bit rate, Dolby Digital 2.0 stereo? sound, English language intertitles, no foreign language subtitles, chapter stops, keep case, $19.95.
DVD release date: 2004.
Country of origin: USA
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This edition from Sunrise Silents has likely been mastered from a 16mm reduction print. The film is presented with an episode from a serial and a Snub Pollard comedy.
This Region 0 NTSC or PAL DVD is available directly from Sunrise Silents.
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 2006 St. Clair Vision edition
Classic Tales of Adventure (1921-1955),
black & white, 880 minutes total, not rated,
including The Three Musketeers (1921), black & white, 118 minutes, not rated,
with Robin Hood (1922), black & white, 144 minutes, not rated, The Thief of Bagdad (1924), black & white, 147 minutes, not rated, The Beloved Rogue (1927), black & white, 98 minutes, not rated, The Iron Mask (1929), black & white, 100 minutes, not rated, East of Borneo (1931), black & white, 75 minutes, not rated, The Son of Monte Cristo (1941), black & white, 101 minutes, not rated, and Adventures of the Scarlet Pimpernel (1955), black & white, 97 minutes, not rated.
St. Clair Vision, PDS87269-3VD, UPC 7-77966-87269-8.
Full-frame 4:3 NTSC, three single-sided, dual-layered DVD discs, Region 0, ? Mbps average video bit rate, ? kbps audio bit rate, Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound (processed from mono sources), English language intertitles, no foreign language subtitles, 8 chapter stops, multidisc keep case, $9.98.
DVD release date: 2 May 2006.
Country of origin: Canada
Ratings (1-10): video: 6 / audio: 5 / additional content: 5 / overall: 5.
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 This edition has been mastered from a 16mm reduction print, grayed-out in its tonal range and flecked with a typical amount of speckling and dust. The image detail in the very-good print is predictably soft, but — to be fair — we’ve seen worse than this.
The film is accompanied by a collection of vintage jazz recordings from monaural 78rpm records, which begs the question why St. Clair Vision thinks that 5.1 surround sound is justified, other than to dupe an unknowing consumer into thinking they are getting a disc of value.
USA: Click the logomark at right to purchase
a Region 0 NTSC DVD of this edition from Amazon.com. |
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Canada: Click the logomark at right to purchase
a Region 0 NTSC DVD of this edition from Amazon.ca. |
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 2005 Delta Entertainment edition
The Three Musketeers (1921), black & white, ? minutes, not rated,
with The Iron Mask (1929), black & white, ? minutes, not rated, and Douglas Fairbanks: The Great Swashbuckler (1976), black & white and color, 90 minutes, not rated.
Delta Entertainment, unknown catalog number, unknown UPC number.
Full-frame 4:3 NTSC, one dual-sided, single-layered DVD disc, Region 0, ? Mbps average video bit rate, ? kbps audio bit rate, Dolby Digital? 2.0 stereo? sound, English language intertitles, no foreign language subtitles, chapter stops, keep case, $6.99.
DVD release date: 29 November 2005.
Country of origin: USA
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This double-sided disc features the two Fairbanks features on one side, and the documentary on the flip. The film is accompanied by a prerecorded score of jazz recordings that probably do nothing to convey the tone of the film. The disc also contains a slight supplemental section.
USA: Click the logomark at right to purchase
a Region 0 NTSC DVD of this edition from Amazon.com. |
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Canada: Click the logomark at right to purchase
a Region 0 NTSC DVD of this edition from Amazon.ca. |
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| Other silent era DOUGLAS FAIRBANKS films available on home video. |
| Douglas Fairbanks filmography in The Progressive Silent Film List |
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