Kino Blu-Ray UNCLE TOM’S CABIN (1927)

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October 25, 2019

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This is an absolutely superb reproduction which is sometimes jaw droppingly beautiful for the quality of its images.

Everything about this release is first rate. It is to be commended.

The story itself is one of the most important published in America. It not only polarized the issue of slavery, more importantly the novel galvanized people to take action to end slavery.

I found myself more than a little perturbed by the white leads, Margarita Fischer (wife of the film’s director Harry Pollard) as Eliza and Arthur Edmond Carewe as her husband at first. In the novel they are light skinned mulattoes who can pass for white. Once I understood that the only real obstacle to watching the film was removed.

I gather D. W. Griffith was in the running to direct the picture. Too bad he wasn’t chosen as Harry Pollard was a man with no respect for the medium of the motion picture. It shows.

That said, (and as I gathered from reading David Piece’s booklet where we learn one actress who played Topsy said, “the story is so strong ‘bad acting’ couldn’t kill it.”) the story is director proof.

What we have is what we get.

We get a lot.

James B. Lowe as Uncle Tom is magnificent.

This presentation gives us the 114 minute 1928 version of the film (originally 141 minutes) with a Movietone recording of Erno Rapee’s synchronized music score.

The language in the titles is hard so prepare yourself.

The story itself is hard with families torn apart by slave dealers who have no regard for the beings they possess beyond the money that can be gained from their sale.

George Siegmann as Simon Legree is superb. He’s definitely the villain.

The escape of Liza across the ice flows was actually filmed on a river with real ice and a real storm. Conditions were so cold the film stock broke in the camera.

This edition has so much going for it that it’s a delight to recommend it. Included are the 1914 World Film version and the 1910 Vitagraph versions of UNCLE TOM.

We are informed Universal spent $2 million bringing the story to the screen. The money shows.

Yes, the presentation is sometimes old fashioned and maudlin but that’s how it was handled on the stage at the time.

This is a story that more than calls for a sober re-telling in 2019.

Kino has done us all a great service with this edition. Kino does a great service with all of its titles. –Reg Hartt 2019-10-25.