Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

Skinner's Dress Suit Blu-ray Movie Review

A charming classic with a strong performance by Reginald Denny.

Skinner's Dress Suit is a 1926 silent film from Universal Pictures. The silent classic comes from famed producer Carl Laemmle. Based on the acclaimed novel by Henry Irving Dodge, Skinner's Dress Suit stars Reginald Denny, Laura La Plante, and Hedda Hopper. Fans of classic silent cinema should consider taking a look.

Skinner (Reginald Denny) is at the bottom of the totem pole as a clerk. After his beautiful wife, Mrs. Honey Skinner (Laura La Plante), asks Skinner to request a raise – mad-cap zaniness ensues as the question leads to surprising twists and turns in the life of Mr. Skinner. When the clerk's salary raise is rejected by his boss, Skinner decides to pretend with his wife that he did in fact receive a salary promotion. Thus Mrs. Honey Skinner goes on a spending spree that upends everything in Skinner's soon-to-be-upended life.

Reginald Denny steals the show and makes the film a must-see. With a fun concept at hand, Denny manages to make the filmmaking soar with impressive acting and a great knack for comedy. The performance is bristling with life and energy. Fans of classic silent-era comedies will enjoy the performance immensely.

The cinematography by Arthur L. Todd (Monkey Business, Down the Stretch) stands out as one of the most noteworthy components of the Skinner's Dress Suit. The visuals are compelling and make the experience more fun. The black-and-white style is effective and fitting for the production.

"I love you, 3000."

The music score by Leo Birenberg (Central Park, Cobra Kai) adds a sense of charming adventure to Skinner's Dress Suit that is impossible to mistake throughout the entire production. The comedic moments are enhanced by the sense of timing delivered by the music backdrop. The original compositions even add to the visual flair.

Perhaps the best element of the production is the screenplay by Rex Taylor (Sporting Chance, High Gear). Skinner's Dress Suit is often quite humorous and the script is a large part of the reason the filmmaking works as well as it does. Fans of classic silent comedies will be amused by how the scenario plays out.

Directed by William A. Seiter (This Is My Affair, The Cheerful Fraud), Skinner's Dress Suit is a worthwhile effort of the silent era. The filmmaking is energetic – even after all of these years. The editing by J.R. Rawlins (Air Devils, Shark River) is potent and seems to carry the filmmaking on the journey nicely. Seiter brings forth the best out of Reginald Denny and the results are a classic slice of silent-era comedy that is worth checking out.

Skinner's Dress Suit Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Arriving on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber, Skinner's Dress Suit is presented in the original aspect ratio of 1.33:1 full frame. The presentation quality is outstanding and showcases the filmmaking at a level of quality that was impossible on home media before the advent of Blu-ray. The feature- film has a new 4K scan completed by Universal Pictures. The detail on the print is impeccable and the level of clarity present throughout the film is impressive.

The encode is top-notch too – there are no issues to report in regards to compression woes. A sharp, clear, and engaging presentation, Skinner's Dress Suit is a great example of how remarkable 4K restorations can benefit silent classics from the era. Though the print still has some occasional print wear (such as thin scratches), the level of quality for a film of its age is a testament to the importance of film preservation on home media.

Skinner's Dress Suit Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release is presented in DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. The audio quality is outstanding and capably presents the music score composed by Leo Birenberg. As a silent era production, Skinner's Dress Suit has English intertitles and no spoken dialogue. The score recording is remarkably crisp, clear, and engaging. The music breathes new life in to the production and will help viewers get lost in the storytelling. The high-resolution presentation showcases every nuance of the music in all of its resounding glory.

Skinner's Dress Suit Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Audio Commentary by Film Historian Anthony Slide

Skinner's Dress Suit Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Skinner's Dress Suit is perhaps the best film included in the Reginald Denny collection. The storyline is entertaining and the performance by Reginald Denny is fantastic. The silent-film is engaging throughout and holds up nicely. Worth a look for fans of silent films. Recommended.