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Battling Butler
(1926)

Buster Keaton’s boxing film is not as well known as his other features but is just as funny. It is a pleasure to see a comic master at work.

Cohen Film Collection
2021 Blu-ray Disc edition

Seven Chances (1925), color-tinted black & white, and color, 57 minutes, not rated, with Battling Butler (1926), color-tinted black & white, and black & white, 78 minutes, not rated.

Cohen Media Group, distributed by Entertainment One Film USA (now distributed by Kino Lorber), CMG-BD-8635,
UPC 7-41952-85359-6, ISBN 1-4172-4573-5.
One single-sided, dual-layered, Region 0 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 24.2 Mbps average video bit rate; DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround sound encoded at 2.2 Mbps average audio bit rate (Battling Butler only), and DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 stereo sound encoded at 1.7 Mbps average audio bit rate; English language intertitles, no subtitles; 8 chapter stops; 8-page insert booklet; standard BD keepcase; $30.99.
Release date: 28 September 2021.
Country of origin: USA

Ratings (1-10): video: 9 / audio: 9 / additional content: 8 / overall: 8.

This Blu-ray Disc edition has been mastered from the 2017 restoration of the film being a conflation of 35mm print materials in Cohen’s Raymond Rohauer collection taken from Buster’s personal print materials: the original A-camera 35mm nitrate camera negative, two nitrate positives, and a second-generation 35mm duplicate negative. The high-definition scans have been digitally cleaned and stabilized, and are virtually free of print flaws. Picture details are slightly sharper here than in the 2011 Kino Lorber BD edition noted below but are also slightly darker in its shadows. Inserts from the other materials will be noticible to eagle-eyed viewers but not distracting to all. (This presentation has been amber-tinted but, to be honest, we prefer the sepia-toned picture of the Kino edition.) Note that this restoration runs approximately seven minutes shorter than the Kino edition.

The film is accompanied by a music score arranged by Robert Israel and performed by a small ensemble. Quite pleasant and always appropriate accompaniment.

Supplemental material includes the featurette “Buster Keaton: The Daredevil” (4 minutes, excerpted from the 2018 documentary The Great Buster: A Celebration); and two modern Cohen trailers for the restorations of these two films.

Despite being darker overall than the Kino Lorber BD editions noted below, we recommend this as the best-looking home video edition of the film.

USA: Click the logomark to purchase this Region 0 Blu-ray Disc edition from Amazon.com. Your purchase supports Silent Era.

Canada: Click the logomark to purchase this Region 0 Blu-ray Disc edition from Amazon.ca. Your purchase supports Silent Era.

This Region 0 Blu-ray Disc edition is also available directly from COHEN MEDIA GROUP through . . .

Kino Classics
2011 Blu-ray Disc edition

Go West (1925), black & white, 68 minutes, not rated, with Battling Butler (1926), color-toned black & white, 85 minutes, not rated, and Go West (1923), black & white, 12 minutes, not rated.

Kino Lorber, K791, UPC 7-38329-07912-3.
One single-sided, dual-layered, Region 0 Blu-ray Disc; 1.33:1 aspect ratio image in pillarboxed 16:9 (1920 x 1080 pixels) progressive scan AVC (MPEG-4) format, SDR (standard dynamic range), ? Mbps average video bit rate, ? Kbps audio bit rate, Dolby Digital 48 kHz 2.0 stereo sound, English language intertitles, no subtitles; 10 chapter stops; standard BD keepcase in cardboard slipcase; $34.95.
Release date: 27 September 2011.
Country of origin: USA

Ratings (1-10): video: 8 / audio: 9 / additional content: 8 / overall: 8.

This Blu-Ray Disc edition, produced for home video by Bret Wood, has been mastered from a very-good to excellent 35mm print held by the Library of Congress. The color-toned print is moderately scuffed in some sections, with dust, speckling, some mild frame jitters, and other print flaws.

The film is accompanied by a music score arranged by Robert Israel and performed by a small ensemble. Quite pleasant and always appropriate accompaniment.

Supplemental material includes an audio recording of Buster working out a script proposal for the Wagon Train television series (60 minutes); an image gallery of reproductions of Buster’s 1947 script for an unproduced remake of Battling Butler (20 images); an image gallery of production photos from Go West (20 images); an image gallery of production photos from Battling Butler (15 images); an image gallery of photos of the 1922 London stage production of Battling Butler (11 images).

USA: Click the logomark to purchase this Region 0 Blu-ray Disc edition from Amazon.com. Your purchase supports Silent Era.

Canada: Click the logomark to purchase this Region 0 Blu-ray Disc edition from Amazon.ca. Your purchase supports Silent Era.

Kino Classics
2012 Blu-ray Disc edition

Buster Keaton Collection (1920-1937), black & white, color-toned black & white, and color-toned and color-tinted black & white, 1600 minutes total, not rated, including Battling Butler (1926), black & white, 85 minutes, not rated.

Kino Lorber, K1087, UPC 7-38329-10872-4.
Fourteen single-sided, dual-layered, Region 0 Blu-ray Discs, 1.33:1 aspect ratio image in pillarboxed 16:9 (1920 x 1080 pixels) progressive scan AVC (MPEG-4) format, SDR (standard dynamic range), ? Mbps average video bit rate, ? Kbps audio bit rate, Dolby Digital 48 kHz 2.0 stereo sound, English language intertitles, no subtitles; chapter stops; four multidisc BD cases in cardboard slipcase; $299.95.
Release date: 11 December 2012.
Country of origin: USA

Ratings (1-10): video: 8 / audio: 9 / additional content: 8 / overall: 8.

This Blu-ray Disc boxset edition is identical to the 2011 Kino Lorber BD edition noted above.

The film is accompanied by a music score arranged by Robert Israel and performed by a small ensemble. Quite pleasant and always appropriate accompaniment.

Supplemental material on the Go West / Battling Butler disc includes an audio recording of Buster working out a script proposal for the Wagon Train television series (60 minutes); an image gallery of reproductions of Buster’s 1947 script for an unproduced remake of Battling Butler (20 images); an image gallery of production photos from Go West (20 images); an image gallery of production photos from Battling Butler (15 images); an image gallery of photos of the 1922 London stage production of Battling Butler (11 images).

This is a great way to affordably acquire Buster’s films on Blu-ray Discs.

USA: Click the logomark to purchase this Region 0 NTSC DVD edition from Amazon.com. Your purchase supports Silent Era.

Canada: Click the logomark to purchase this Region 0 NTSC DVD edition from Amazon.ca. Your purchase supports Silent Era.

United Kingdom: Click the logomark to purchase this Region 0 NTSC DVD edition from Amazon.co.uk. Supports Silent Era.

Masters of Cinema
2020 Blu-ray Disc edition

Our Hospitality (1923), black & white, 76 minutes, BBFC Certification U, and Hospitality (1923) [alternate version], black & white, 55 minutes, BBFC Certification U, Go West (1925), black & white, 68 minutes, BBFC Certification U, and College (1927), black & white, 66 minutes, BBFC Certification U, What! No Spinach? (1926), black & white, 19 minutes, BBFC Certification U, with The Railrodder (1965), color, 24 minutes, BBFC Certification U, and Buster Keaton Rides Again (1965), color, 55 minutes, BBFC Certification U.

Eureka Entertainment, EKA70374 (MoC 221-223), unknown UPC number.
One single-sided, single-layered, Region B Blu-ray Disc (three BDs in the set); 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; DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 stereo sound encoded at ? Mbps audio bit rate; English language intertitles, no subtitles; chapter stops; 60-page insert booklet; standard three-disc BD keepcase; £20.99.
Release date: 30 March 2020.
Country of origin: England

This Region B Blu-ray Disc edition has been mastered from a 4K restoration from an archival 35mm print.

The film is accompanied by a music score arranged by Robert Israel and performed by a small ensemble. Quite pleasant and always appropriate accompaniment.

Supplementary material includes audio commentary on The Navigator by historians Robert Arkus and Yair Solan; audio commentary on Seven Chances by historians Joel Goss and Bruce Lawton; video essay on all three films by David Cairns; a featurette on the making of The Navigator and Keaton’s fascination with boats as sources of comedy by historian Bruce Lawton; audio interviews with Buster Keaton and Irwin Allen from 1945 (6 minutes), with Buster Keaton and Arthur Friedman from 1956 (32 minutes), with Buster Keaton and Robert Franklin from 1958 (56 minutes), with Buster Keaton and Herbert Feinstein from 1960 (48 minutes), and with Buster Keaton and Studs Terkel from 1960 (38 minutes): a Harry Sweet short comedy from 1926 (19 minutes); and a 60-page insert booklet with articles on the three films, historical writings, and photographs.

Sight unseen, this is our recommended European home video edition of the film. North American collectors will need a region-free PAL DVD player capable of outputting an NTSC-compatible signal to view this edition.

United Kingdom: Click the logomark to purchase this Region B Blu-ray Disc edition from Amazon.co.uk. Support Silent Era.

Kino Classics
2011 DVD edition

Go West (1925), black & white, 68 minutes, not rated, with Battling Butler (1926), color-toned black & white, 85 minutes, not rated.

Kino Lorber, unknown catalog number, unknown UPC number.
Two single-sided, dual-layered, Region 0 NTSC DVD discs, 1.33:1 aspect ratio image in full-frame 4:3 (720 x 480 pixels) interlaced scan MPEG-2 format, SDR (standard dynamic range), ? Mbps average video bit rate, ? Kbps audio bit rate, Dolby Digital 48 kHz 2.0 stereo sound, English language intertitles, no subtitles; 10 chapter stops; standard DVD keepcase; $29.95.
Release date: 27 September 2011.
Country of origin: USA

This DVD edition, produced for home video by Bret Wood, has been mastered from a very-good to excellent 35mm print.

The film is accompanied by a music score arranged by Robert Israel and performed by a small ensemble. Quite pleasant and always appropriate accompaniment.

This is our recommended DVD home video edition of Battling Butler.

USA: Click the logomark to purchase this Region 0 NTSC DVD edition from Amazon.com. Your purchase supports Silent Era.

Canada: Click the logomark to purchase this Region 0 NTSC DVD edition from Amazon.ca. Your purchase supports Silent Era.

This Region 0 NTSC DVD edition has been discontinued
and is . . .

Kino on Video
1999 DVD edition

Battling Butler (1926), black & white, 71 minutes, not rated, with The Haunted House (1921), black & white, 25 minutes, not rated, and The Frozen North (1922), black & white, 17 minutes, not rated.

Kino International, K128DVD, UPC 7-38329-01282-3.
One single-sided, single-layered, Region 0 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 5.4 Mbps average video bit rate (capable of progressive scan upscaling to 60 fps); Dolby Digital (AC3) 2.0 stereo sound encoded at 192 Kbps audio bit rate; English language intertitles, no subtitles; 13 chapter stops; snapper DVD case (reissued in standard DVD keepcase [retail], and in slimline DVD keepcase [boxset]); $29.99 (reduced to $24.95).
Release date: 26 October 1999.
Country of origin: USA

Ratings (1-10): video: 6 / audio: 7 / additional content: 7 / overall: 6.

This early DVD edition had been prepared from the 1995 analog video master produced for home video by David Shepard, which was previously released by Kino International on laserdisc and VHS videotape. The slightly windowboxed, natural-speed video transfer will appear full-frame on most televisions with a bit of the black frame showing on the left side of the picture. The older video transfer is softer of image detail than in today’s digital transfers. The very-good 35mm source material itself is a bit compromised by some print wear, dust, speckling, frame jitters and other minor defects.

The film is accompanied by an ensemble music score arranged and conducted by Robert Israel that gives way to a theatre organ music score for the main bout denouement.

Supplemental material includes The Haunted House (1921) and The Frozen North (1922).

USA: Click the logomark to purchase this Region 0 NTSC DVD edition from Amazon.com. Your purchase supports Silent Era.

Canada: Click the logomark to purchase this Region 0 NTSC DVD edition from Amazon.ca. Your purchase supports Silent Era.

United Kingdom: Click the logomark to purchase this Region 0 NTSC DVD edition from Amazon.co.uk. Support Silent Era.

This Region 0 NTSC DVD edition has been discontinued
and is . . .

Alpha Video
2024 DVD edition

Battling Butler (1926), black & white, 71 minutes, not rated.

Alpha Home Entertainment, distributed by Oldies.com,
ALP 8635D, UPC 0-89218-86359-1.
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; $8.98.
Release date: 17 September 2024.
Country of origin: USA

This DVD-R edition has likely been mastered from a 16mm or 8mm reduction print.

The film is likely accompanied by a soundtrack compiled from preexisting music recordings.

This Region 0 NTSC DVD-R edition is available directly from . . .