Steamboat Bill, Jr. Blu-ray Announced and Detailed

Kino Video has officially announced the 1928 Buster Keaton silent comedy Steamboat Bill, Jr. for release on Blu-ray on July 6. Remastered from archival 35mm material, this new edition will contain two alternate versions comprised of variant takes and camera angles.

As Kino informs on its product page, in the silent era, it was common practice for filmmakers to create two separate negatives of their films, each comprised of differing takes and camera angles. This Blu-ray edition contains both versions of Steamboat Bill, Jr.: the version from the Buster Keaton Estate version and the version from the Killiam Shows Archive, each mastered from archival 35mm materials. See below a short clip with the two versions side by side.



As to audio, no less than three music tracks will be included: one by the Biograph Players (in DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1), an organ score by Lee Erwin, and a piano score by William Perry.

Special features include:

• Documentary on the making of the film
• Stills gallery
• "Why They Call Him Buster," a montage of pratfalls
• Two vintage recordings of the folk song "Steamboat Bill"