What Happened to Jones? Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

What Happened to Jones? Blu-ray Movie Review

An essential silent-era comedy.

What Happened to Jones? is a fun comedic gem released in 1926. The silent-era classic was produced by the great Carl Laemmle. A Universal production, What Happened to Jones? is an entertaining adaptation of the Broadway production of What Happened to Jones by George Broadhurst. The exciting silent classic stars Reginald Denny, Marian Nixon, and Otis Harlan.

Tom Jones (Reginald Denny) is about to tie the knot. The bachelors life is about to end for Mr. Jones but that doesn't mean he can't have some fun in the meantime. Bachelors party, anyone? With much wealth and success at his hand, Tom decides to go out to a fast-and-loose poker game but soon has trouble with the law when a raid leaves him scrambling for freedom. Can Tom survive the night and marry the gorgeous Lucille Bigbee (Marian Nixon) in the morning?

One of the best elements of the film is the strong performance by Reginald Denny. The role is full of vitality and energy. Denny delivers one of his best performances as the poker-playing aloof finding more trouble than he ever bargained for in the first place. The role is an exceptionally good fit for Denny and the performance carries the film through the comedic scenarios. An excellent effort.

A brilliant performance by Reginald Denny.

The cinematography by Arthur L. Todd (I've Got Your Number, Down the Stretch) is outstanding for a silent era production. Given the limitations of the time period, it is always amazing to see some of the creative color tinting efforts which cinematographers decided to utilize for creative effects circa the 1920's. Throughout What Happened to Jones? the filmmaking excels with engaging and inventive color timing via color tinting that experiments with the tone and style of the storytelling. The end results certainly leave a noteworthy impression.

The music score composed by Anthony Willis (Promising Young Woman, It Happened In L.A.) is effective at bringing out the best of the comedic scenarios. What Happened to Jones? is full of entertaining hijinks that the score accompanies with pitch-perfect emphasis on the comedy. A worthwhile effort by Willis, indeed.

None of the comedic scenarios would have been possible without the screenplay by Melville W. Brown (Lost in the Stratosphere, Her Big Night). The script is a strong component of the film. The storytelling flourishes with mad-cap energy and hilarity that works wonders. Brown made a strong story and truly played around with the concept well.

Directed by William A. Seiter (Skinner's Dress Suit, Up and at 'Em), What Happened to Jones? is a underrated silent classic that is well worth checking out. Seiter knew how to perfectly frame the visuals – writing brilliant notes of comedy with his cinematic lens. Bringing forth an exceptional performance by Denny, Seiter made something truly memorable out of What Happened to Jones? and there is real magic in that.

What Happened to Jones? Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Arriving on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber, What Happened to Jones? is presented in the original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.33:1 full frame. The classic silent-era production has received a new 4K restoration as completed by Universal Pictures. The presentation is remarkable for a silent film and showcases how important film preservation is for home media. With the use of 4K scanning and restoration, the film looks stunning for a classic of its age.

The level of detail and resolution in the image is exceptional to experience. If there are any minor nitpicks to make, it is that the print still showcases some minor wear and thin scratches to the print – but given the age of the production such minor issues are an unavoidable issue. Universal deserves high praise for an excellent transfer of What Happened to Jones? that showcases the efforts of the filmmakers at their absolute best.

What Happened to Jones? Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release is presented in DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. The audio quality on the release is superb and gives new life to the filmmaking. The music score composed by Anthony Willis sounds crisp, clean, and engaging. What Happened to Jones? is a joy to listen to. Given the age of the production, the silent-era production has no spoken dialogue and is accompanied by occasional English intertitles. Kino Lorber and Universal Pictures have dome a tremendous job of preserving the music and all of composer Willis' nuances. Silent film enthusiasts will be pleased with the results.

What Happened to Jones? Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Audio Commentary by Film Historian Anthony Slide

What Happened to Jones? Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

What Happened to Jones? is an entertaining classic. Reginald Denny delivers a great performance that is well worth checking out. The comedy is excellent and the scenarios at play are terrific. Fans of classic silent films with comedic funny-bones will want to check out the film. The Blu-ray features a superb 4K restoration of considerable worth. Recommended.