Reviews of silent film releases on home video.
Copyright © 1999-2025 by Carl Bennett
and the Silent Era Company.
All Rights Reserved. |
|
The Informer
(1929)
|
This film adaptation of Liam O’Flaherty’s play was directed by Artur Robison, and stars Lars Hanson and Lya de Putti, with Warwick Ward, Carl Harbord, Dennis Wyndham and Janice Adair.
|
 Kino Classics
2019 Blu-ray Disc edition
The Informer (1929) [silent version], color-tinted black & white, 100 minutes, not rated, with The Informer (1929) [sound version], black & white, 84 minutes, not rated.
Kino Lorber, K23663, UPC 7-38329-23663-2.
One single-sided, dual-layered, Region A 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 36.4 Mbps average video bit rate (silent version) and at 20.8 Mbps average video bit rate (sound version); DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround sound encoded at 4.0 Mbps average audio bit rate (silent version only), and DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 stereo sound encoded at 2.0 Mbps average audio bit rate (silent and sound versions); English language intertitles, no subtitles; 10 chapter stops (silent version), 9 chapter stops (sound version); standard BD keepcase; $29.95.
Release date: 23 April 2019.
Country of origin: USA
Ratings (1-10): video: 9 / audio: 8 / additional content: 8 / overall: 8.
|
|
This Blu-ray Disc edition has been produced from the British Film Institute’s restoration of the silent version of the film that utilized the original 35mm nitrate camera negative along with inserts from two 35mm preservation masters. As would be expected, the results are excellent. Digital clean-up and image stabilization have been performed. There remains faint indications of a few print flaws as some footage that was possibly exhibiting beginning nitrate decomposition shows signs of almost-successful digital repair. For the most part, the viewing experience is excellent.
The silent version of the film is presented with a music score composed and orchestrated by violist Garth Knox.
Supplementary material includes the rare synchronized-sound version of the film, which was produced at the same time as the silent release (presented here in black & white); and a demonstration of the silent version restoration (5 minutes).
The sound version of the film is presented with its original musical overture, brief as it is. Note that little or no digital clean-up and image stabilization has been performed on this sound version and there is a typical amount of dust and a higher amount of speckling, with emulsion scrapes, and other print flaws remaining in the scan of the 35mm source print. Dialogue does not begin in this part-talkie version until more than 47 minutes into the film.
This is our recommended home video edition of The Informer for North American collectors.
This review was updated in 2025.
|
|
This Region A Blu-ray Disc edition is available directly from . . .
|
|
|
 British Film Institute
2017 Blu-ray Disc / DVD edition
The Informer (1929) [silent version], color-tinted black & white, 99 minutes, BBFC Certificate U, with The Informer (1929) [sound version], black & white, 84 minutes, BBFC Certificate U.
BFI Home Video, BFIB1242, unknown UPC number.
One single-sided, dual-layered, Region B 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 ? Mbps average video bit rate; LPCM 2.0 stereo sound encoded at ? Mbps audio bit rate; English language intertitles, optional English language subtitles; chapter stops; and one single-sided, dual-layered, Region 2 PAL DVD disc; 1.33:1 aspect ratio picture in full-frame 4:3 (720 x 576 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 English language subtitles; chapter stops; standard two-disc BD keepcase; £19.98.
Release date: 24 April 2017.
Country of origin: England
|
|
This British dual-disc edition of The Informer has been mastered from a new high-definition video transfer of the British Film Institute restored version.
The silent version of the film is presented with a music score composed and orchestrated by violist Garth Knox.
This is our recommended home video edition of the film for European collectors. North American collectors will need a region-free Blu-ray Disc player capable of outputting a signal compatible with their HD system to view this edition.
|
|
This Region B Blu-ray Disc / Region 2 PAL DVD edition is available directly from . . .
|
|
|
 Kino Classics
2019 DVD edition
The Informer (1929) [silent version], color-tinted black & white, 100 minutes, not rated, with The Informer (1929) [sound version], black & white, 84 minutes, not rated.
Kino Lorber, K23662, UPC 7-38329-23662-5.
One single-sided, dual-layered, Region 1 NTSC 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 5.0 Mbps average video bit rate (silent version) and at 4.8 Mbps average video bit rate (sound version) (capable of progressive scan upscaling to 60 fps); Dolby Digital (AC3) 5.1 surround sound encoded at 448 Kbps audio bit rate (silent version only), and Dolby Digital (AC3) 2.0 stereo sound encoded at 192 Kbps audio bit rate (silent and sound versions); English language intertitles, no subtitles; 10 chapter stops (silent version), 9 chapter stops (sound version); standard DVD keepcase; $19.95.
Release date: 23 April 2019.
Country of origin: USA
Ratings (1-10): video: 9 / audio: 8 / additional content: 8 / overall: 8.
|
This DVD edition has been produced from the British Film Institute’s restoration of the silent version of the film that utilized the original 35mm nitrate camera negative along with inserts from two 35mm preservation masters. As would be expected, the results are excellent. Digital clean-up and image stabilization have been performed. There remains faint indications of a few print flaws as some footage that was possibly exhibiting beginning nitrate decomposition shows signs of almost-successful digital repair. For the most part, the viewing experience is excellent.
The silent version of the film is presented with a music score composed and orchestrated by violist Garth Knox.
Supplementary material includes the rare synchronized-sound version of the film, which was produced at the same time as the silent release (presented here in black & white); and a demonstration of the silent version restoration (5 minutes).
The sound version of the film is presented with its original musical overture, brief as it is. Note that little or no digital clean-up and image stabilization has been performed on this sound version and there is a typical amount of dust and a higher amount of speckling, with emulsion scrapes, and other print flaws remaining in the scan of the 35mm source print. Dialogue does not begin in this part-talkie version until more than 47 minutes into the film.
This is our recommended DVD home video edition of the film for North American collectors.
This review was updated in 2025.
|
|
This Region 1 NTSC DVD edition is available directly from . . .
|
|
|
 Grapevine Video
2007 DVD edition
The Informer (1929) [sound version], black & white, 83 minutes, not rated.
Grapevine Video, no catalog number, UPC 8-42614-10265-3.
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 ? 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; $16.95.
Release date: 2007.
Country of origin: USA
|
|
This DVD-R edition has likely been mastered from a 16mm reduction print of the part-talkie version of the film.
The film is accompanied by its original part-talkie synchronized soundtrack.
|
|
This Region 0 NTSC DVD-R edition is available directly from . . .
|
|
|
 Loving the Classics
202? DVD edition
The Informer (1929) [sound version], black & white, 83 minutes, not rated.
Loving the Classics,
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 mono sound encoded at ? Kbps audio bit rate; English language intertitles, no subtitles; chapter stops; standard DVD keepcase; $14.99.
Release date: 202?
Country of origin: USA
|
|
This DVD-R edition has likely been mastered from a 16mm reduction print of the part-talkie version of the film.
The film is accompanied by its original part-talkie synchronized soundtrack.
|
|
This
Region 0 NTSC DVD-R edition is available directly from . . .
|
|
|
|
Other BRITISH FILMS of the silent era available on home video.
|
