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THE MYSTERIOUS AIRMAN (1928) silent serial on Sprocket Vault DVD

Posted: Sat Apr 15, 2017 2:12 am
by Richard M Roberts
Okay Gang, here's the skinny on the latest Sprocket Vault DVD release:

https://vciclassicfilms.files.wordpress ... creen4.pdf

(Phoenix AZ) The Sprocket Vault announces its DVD release of the
1928 silent serial THE MYSTERIOUS AIRMAN, a ten-part “Super
Chapterplay of the Air” starring silent era-serial superstar Walter
Miller and Eugenia Gilbert produced by the long-lasting Poverty
Row Producers, The Weiss Brothers.

Featuring vintage biplanes and exciting action, THE MYSTERIOUS
AIRMAN was the last silent serial produced by The Weiss Brothers
and one of the last silent serials ever produced. Thought to be a “lost”
film, Producer Kit Parker, who purchased the holdings of Weiss
Global International in 2004, was approached by film archivist, Jeff
Joseph of SabuCat Productions, who offered to loan a near-complete
original 35mm tinted nitrate print which was missing only the first
reel of Chapter Nine. The print was lovingly restored and transferred
(recreating the missing reel from stills and plot synopses), and a new
piano score was commissioned from ace silent film accompanist
Dr. Andrew Simpson, main accompanist of the Library of Congress
Packard Campus in Culpeper, Virginia.

The Sprocket Vault’s DVD release of THE MYSTERIOUS AIRMAN also features a complete and
comprehensive commentary track by noted film historian Richard M. Roberts. He weaves a story about
the production and the people involved, from stars Miller and Gilbert, co-stars like Robert Walker and
Dorothy Talcott to Director Harry Revier and the production staff of Weiss Brothers-Artclass Pictures, a
family of low-budget film producers whose filmmaking operations kept them in business from the 1910s
up to the 1990s, outlasting some of Hollywood’s major studios.

The Sprocket Vault’s release of THE MYSTERIOUS AIRMAN heralds an important rediscovery in
film history, as few silent serials exist today in anything resembling complete form, much less in lovely
tinted original print quality. It’s a fun, light-hearted cliffhanger that shows the joys of Saturday Matinee
moviegoing and what could be done on less-than-spectacular budgets as well as illustrating the early days
of flying, seat of your pants filmmaking from the seat of your pants days of Aviation.

WHAT WAS ONCE LOST, IS NOW FOUND...
After 89-Years, Silent Serial Makes Its DVD Debut!


The MYSTERIOUS AIRMAN

DVD and Special Features Produced by Kit Parker and Richard M. Roberts

BONUS FEATURES:
DVD BASICS:
Retail: $24.99
Amazon Price: $19.99
Language: English title cards
Running Time: 185 minutes
Color: Original color tints
Year: 1928
Rating: Not Rated
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1 – 4X3
Audio: Music Score - Dolby Digital Stereo
1. “Flying Cadets” (1928) 2-reel short with great vintage plane shots filmed at Brooks Field, TX
2. New York Censor Board File (some scenes were required to be cut for the serial to be shown in the
State of New York!)
3. Gallery of original posters and lobby cards

And you can pre-order it from Amazon now:

https://www.amazon.com/Mysterious-Airma ... ous+airman

Available April 21st.

RICHARD M ROBERTS

Re: THE MYSTERIOUS AIRMAN (1928) silent serial on Sprocket Vault DVD

Posted: Sat Apr 22, 2017 5:39 am
by Richard M Roberts
FYI, you can ignore the April 25th availability, Amazon has them now, go ahead and order.

RICHARD M ROBERTS

Re: THE MYSTERIOUS AIRMAN (1928) silent serial on Sprocket Vault DVD

Posted: Sat Apr 29, 2017 2:30 pm
by Richard M Roberts
And here's just one sample of the devious methods Pilot X uses to achieve his evil goals in THE MYSTERIOUS AIRMAN:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wTtrDwfCn3c


RICHARD M ROBERTS

Re: THE MYSTERIOUS AIRMAN (1928) silent serial on Sprocket Vault DVD

Posted: Thu May 04, 2017 3:25 pm
by Richard M Roberts
Two more positive reviews for THE MYSTERIOUS AIRMAN, one from John Sinnott at DVD Talk:

http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/72035/my ... irman-the/

And one from Guy Vollen at Medleyana:

https://medleyana.com/2017/05/01/fates- ... us-airman/

Thank You, Gentlemen.

RICHARD M ROBERTS

Re: THE MYSTERIOUS AIRMAN (1928) silent serial on Sprocket Vault DVD

Posted: Fri May 05, 2017 7:32 pm
by Richard M Roberts
Since everyone seems too lazy to go down to the next thread and see Ivan Shreve's terrific review on THRILLING DAYS OF YESTERYEAR, here it is to save your poor index finger all that hard work:

http://thrillingdaysofyesteryear.blogsp ... -back.html

Geez!

RICHARD M ROBERTS

Re: THE MYSTERIOUS AIRMAN (1928) silent serial on Sprocket Vault DVD

Posted: Mon May 15, 2017 3:17 pm
by Richard M Roberts
Frank Thompson just gave THE MYSTERIOUS AIRMAN a big thumbs-up on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/Mysterious-Airma ... ous+airman

Thanks Frank, when fellow historians like you give compliments, it means something.

RICHARD M ROBERTS

Re: THE MYSTERIOUS AIRMAN (1928) silent serial on Sprocket Vault DVD

Posted: Sat Jun 03, 2017 5:30 pm
by Richard M Roberts
The DVD-Laserdisc Newsletter gave a thumbs-up to THE MYSTERIOUS AIRMAN in this months issue:

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Hmmm, so in this review, I give a jovial commentary, and in one of the other reviews it's called "somewhat cranky". Whom else can be jovial and cranky at the same time?


RICHARD M ROBERTS

Re: THE MYSTERIOUS AIRMAN (1928) silent serial on Sprocket Vault DVD

Posted: Sat Aug 05, 2017 7:13 pm
by Richard M Roberts
The great reviews keep coming, here's another one from Kendra Steiner Editions:

https://kendrasteinereditions.wordpress ... vault-dvd/

So if you haven't bought the darn thing, what the heck's keepin ya!

RICHARD M ROBERTS