The Mysterious Island (1929) DVD

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S E A R C H D V D B e a v e r

Directed by Lucien Hubbard, Benjamin Christensen and Maurice Tourneur
USA 1929

Loosely adapted from the Jules Verne novel, this 1929 state-of-the-art cinema spectacle uses sound sequences, special effects and breathtaking cinematography to make the fantastic feasible. Hidden from prying human eyes, brilliant scientist Count Dakkar (Lionel Barrymore) has built a futuristic underground city and filled it with advanced devices with which he hopes to enforce world peace from his redoubt on a mysterious island. But Falon (Montagu Love), a trusted friend of the Count's, takes control of the island and its arsenal and plots to conquer the Earth. Now it's up to the heroic efforts of the Count, Nicolai Roget (Lloyd Hughes) and their allies - an underwater species that is part-man, part fish - to foil the nefarious Falon.

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Theatrical Release: September 14th, 1929

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Review: Warner Archive - Region FREE - NTSC

Box Cover		CLICK to order from:
Distribution	Warner Archive - Region FREE - NTSC
Runtime	1:32:21
Video	1.33:1 Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: 6.12 mb/s NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s
	NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.
Bitrate DVD:
Audio	Dolby Digital Audio English 192 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 192 kbps
Subtitles	None (English Intertitles)
Features	Release Information: Studio: Warner Archive 1.33:1 Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: 6.12 mb/s NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s Edition Details: • None DVD Release Date: March 26th, 2019 Standard Keep Case Chapters 12

Comments:

ADDITION: Warner Archive DVD (July 2020): Warner Archive have transferred the 1929 adaptation of Jules Verne's The Mysterious Island to MoD (Manufactured on Demand) DVD. It 'looks as it looks' - fraught with damage, softness and marks but you can follow the story well enough.

On their DVD Warner Archive use a lossy Dolby track - the film has a few sound sequences as well as mostly being silent with English intertitles (see sample below). There is a drama-filled score for the silent sections. Warner Archive offer the original English Intertitles, no subtitles for the 'talkie' parts) on their Region FREE, NTSC DVD.

The Warner Archive DVD has no supplements.

This is quite dissimilar to the Jules Verne book, The Mysterious Island - as represented in the 1961 Ray Harryhausen film (that I adore.) It' appears to have been adapted to conform to the special effects (which remain impressive) that were utilized in this early film (submarine, octopus, creatures, undersea gear etc.) So, I was disappointed in the lack of faithfulness although did see a blossoming sci-fi adventure about a civilization at the bottom of the ocean. It's value is more a curiosity - and that is not without benefit to Silent Era or even science-fiction aficionados. The DVD is significantly over-priced in my estimation.