The Black Pirate [DVD] [1926]

This early color silent film starring the charismatic Douglas Fairbanks Sr. is given a transfer worthy of a king's ransom on this disc from Kino Video and Image Entertainment. Presented in full screen (standard) with an aspect ratio of 1.33:1, the print is simply remarkable and provides a beautiful example of the early two-strip Technicolor process. The orchestral score conducted by Robert Israel comes through nicely on the Dolby Digital 2.0 stereo audio track. The disc also has a commentary track by film historian Rudy Behlmer. He covers a wide range of topics including the formation of the Pickford/Fairbanks studio, the sword styles used in the film, and the history of early color. In "The Making of The Black Pirate" section there are 18 minutes of behind-the-scenes and outtake footage, all with commentary from Behlmer. There is also a very brief "Production Stills" section presented as a slide show with descriptive commentary, again from Behlmer. It took approximately two years to restore this film, and those efforts are well preserved on this disc.