Teaching silent film courses on a regular basis, I’m one of the first to admit that the advent of DVDs has made my job easier. Trying to con- vince students that the film they are watching is not only a cinema clas- sic, but also as sophisticated and modern as any film made in the sound era, is a particularly hard sell when the print in question is a ‘dupey, ’ fifth-generation 16mm reduction from the 35mm nitrate original, and dead silent to boot. When shown DVDs produced from restored master materials, and including a full orchestral score or at least piano accom- paniment, students are much more.
