Battling Butler Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		4.5
Overall		4.0

Battling Butler Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov May 17, 2020

Buster Keaton's "Battling Butler" (1926) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Eureka Entertainment. The supplemental features on the disc include archival audio interviews with the legendary actor and original trailer for the recent restoration of the film. Region-B "locked".

In the United States, the 4K restoration of Buster Keaton's Battling Butler was introduced on Blu-ray by the Cohen Film Collection in 2019. To see our listing and review of this release, please click here.

Battling Butler Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.32:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Battling Butler arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Eureka Entertainment.

The release is sourced from a 4K restoration of the film that was undertaken by the Cohen Film Collection and finalized at L'immagine Ritrovata in 2017. In the United States, the same restoration appeared in this set from the Cohen Media Group in 2019.

As far as I am concerned, this is the best looking of the three restored films in Eureka Entertainment's set. The current presentation is actually a reconstruction that utilizes footage from multiple elements -- you can see a detailed description of it in the final screencaptures that are included with our review -- and the complete version of the film is mighty impressive. Delineation, clarity, and especially density are simply outstanding. A lot of close-ups actually produce detail that you would usually see in modern makeovers of much more recent films, plus the background depth in many panoramic shots is as good as it can possibly be. See examples in screencaptures #2, 3, and 4. On this particular restoration the stability of the visuals is also really good. Yes, some unevenness during select transitions remains, but the overall stability of the visuals is great. In fact, the reconstruction is done so well that even trained eyes will have a difficult time recognizing the areas where footage from different sources is utilized for optimal result(s). The color grading job is equally satisfying. You can again take a closer look at the three screencaptures that are referenced above to see the wide ranges of nuances and the excellent finer details that emerge in darker areas. Age-related imperfections are removed as best as possible but in a few problematic areas some are intentionally left so that the integrity of the visuals is preserved. I have provided an example from one such area in screencapture #16. All in all, this is a top-quality presentation of Battling Butler that I am convinced will remain its definitive presentation on the home video market. My score is 4.75/5.00. (Note: This is a Region-B "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-B or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

Battling Butler Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray: Music DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. Obviously, the film has original English intertittles, which have been restored.

Each of the three films in the Buster Keaton box set arrives with musical scores composed and conducted by Robert Israel. So, my job is not to discuss the merits of the score that was produced for Battling Butler but how the lossless track reproduces its native qualities. I did not detect any technical issues to report in our review. Obviously, because this is a chamber score the dynamic contrasts are quite modest, but the lossless track retains them as they are.

Battling Butler Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Trailer - original trailer for the recent 4K restoration of Battling Butler. (1 min).

• Interview with Irwin Allen - in this archival audio interview, Buster Keaton discusses the very early stages of his acting career as well as some of the more recent films he had made at the time. The interview was conducted in 1945. In English, not subtitled. (7 min).

• Interview with Arthur Friedman - in this archival audio interview, Buster Keaton discusses the evolution of his acting career with Arthur Friedman. The interview was conducted in 1956. In English, not subtitled. (32 min).

• Interview with Robert Franklin - in this archival audio interview, Buster Keaton discusses his personal life -- providing some very interesting information about his parents as well -- and acting career with Robert Franklin. The interview was conducted in 1958. In English, not subtitled. (56 min).

• Interview with Herbert Feinstein - in this archival audio interview, Buster Keaton again provides a broad summation of his personal life and time in the film industry. The interview was conducted by Herbert Feinstein in 1960. In English, not subtitled. (48 min).

• Interview Studs Terkel - in this archival audio interview, Buster Keaton shares his thoughts on the art of acting and the evolution that cinema was undergoing, the impact he and Charlie Chaplin had on comedy, and the future of filmmaking. The interview was conducted by Studs Tewrkel in 1960. In English, not subtitled. (38 min).

• Book - limited edition 60-page perfect bound collector's book featuring new writing by Imogen Sara Smith and Philip Kemp; and a selection of archival writing and imagery.

Battling Butler Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The folks at the Cohen Film Collection and their partners at L'Immagine Ritrovata deserve a lot of credit for their 4K makeover of Buster Keaton's Battling Butler because it is the type of top-quality project that cannot be praised highly enough. When such complex makeovers are discussed, I usually reference Alpha-Omega's 2K restoration and reconstruction of Ernst Lubitsch's The Loves of Pharaoh, which I consider to be the gold standard, and to be honest Battling Butler often looks even superior. Eureka Entertainment's release also features a couple of very interesting archival audio interviews with the legendary actor, so if you enjoy his work consider adding it to your collections. Battling Butler is included in this three-disc box set, together with The Navigator and Seven Chances. (In the United States, these restored films are available on Blu-ray courtesy of the Cohen Film Collection). HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.