Reviews of silent film releases on home video. Copyright © 1999-2024 by Carl Bennett and the Silent Era Company. All Rights Reserved.

The Black Watch (1929)

This imperialist historical drama, directed by John Ford, stars Victor McLaglen and Myrna Loy, with support from David Torrence, David Rollins, Cyril Chadwick, Lumsden Hare, Roy D’Arcy, David Percy, Mitchell Lewis, Claude King, Walter Long and Francis Ford. John Wayne and Randolph Scott appear as extras but are difficult to identify.

This full-sound film displays a number of the shortcomings of early synchronized sound film production, including a slow, deliberate pacing to the delivery of dialogue and a number of incidental songs and music that hold the film’s action hostage that can make it tough going for modern audiences.

A 23-year-old Myrna Loy is exotically beautiful in this early starring role. Roy D’Arcy makes a gloriously smarmy smiling snake of a villain.

Ultimately, the film can be a drudge to watch due to its plodding pace and its clunky dialogue (I don’t think that Indians say “thee” as much as they do here) but it is a must-see for John Ford fans.

The film is presented with its original synchronized soundtrack.

Be advised, it can take a very looooong time for your order to be fulfilled by Loving the Classics.

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

This DVD-R edition, acquired through eBay, has been mastered from a VHS videotape copy of a 16mm reduction print. The videotape displays a number of video tracking glitches throughout and is distressingly coarse in its smeary picture details. The source print itself has the usual amount of dust and speckling, schmutz, large timing marks, with occasional sprocket damage and missing frames lost to print breakage.

The film is presented with its original synchronized soundtrack. Dialogue is audible but occasionally a significant amount of buzzing and hiss comes to the forefront when no other sound is on the soundtrack. Annoying audio distortion is generously supplied by the subpar VHS videotape.

Why a still from Three Girls Lost (1931) with John Wayne and Loretta Young should be used for this cover art is a mystery since Wayne is indistinguishable among this film’s cast and Young doesn't appear here at all. Home video amateurs. Not a good (or legal) presentation. The disc is probably no longer available but it nonetheless does exist and the film can be viewed.

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

Other silent era JOHN WAYNE films available on home video.