Silent Era Home Page > Home Video > The Farmer’s Wife
Reviews of silent film releases on home video.
Copyright © 1999-2024 by Carl Bennett
and the Silent Era Company.
All Rights Reserved. |
|
The
Farmer’s Wife
(1928)
|
Alfred Hitchcock’s seventh film as a director was this pleasant little British comedy. And while a few of Hitchcock’s better-known films have comic elements to them — such as The Trouble with Harry (1955) and the black Family Plot (1976) — and Hitchcock was well known to have a wry sense of humor, the thought of a Hitchcock comedy will make many film buffs stop and ponder the incongruousness of a suspense master directing a light drawing-room comedy.
In the silent era, when he was just starting his tremendous film career, Hitchcock was something of a utility director. A small number of his silent films were love triangle films, others were dramas of manners. Only one, The Lodger (1926), was an indication of the suspense master Hitchcock was to come. Hitchcock’s next thriller was his first sound film and his tenth film as director, 1929’s Blackmail.
An English farmer (Jameson Thomas), a man of good means, has been recently widowed. At the marriage of his daughter, the farmer begins entertaining the idea of wedding again. With the help of his housemaid, he considers his local marriage options and creates a list of potential brides. Armed with his considerable arrogance and a farmer’s practicality, he begins ‘courting’ his future brides. After a small number of comic rebuffs, the farmer is thoroughly discouraged. His quest continues through the support of his housemaid (Lilian Hall-Davis), much to the consternation of the farm’s coarse and uncouth main man, Gordon Harker as Churdles Ash. The Farmer’s Wife is a pleasant little story that grows on the viewer over multiple viewings.
— Carl Bennett
|
 StudioCanal
2016 DVD edition
The Early Hitchcock Collection (1927-1932), black & white and color-toned black & white, 810 minutes total, BBFC Classification PG,
including The Farmer’s Wife (1928), black & white, ? minutes, BBFC Classification PG.
StudioCanal, OPTD3021, UPC 5-055201-833594.
Nine single-sided, single-layered, Region 2 PAL DVD discs, 1.33:1 aspect ratio image in full-frame 4:3 (720 x 576 pixels) interlaced scan MPEG-2 format, SDR (standard dynamic range), ? Mbps average video bit rate, ? Kbps audio bit rate, Dolby Digital 48 kHz 2.0 mono sound, English language soundtrack, no foreign language subtitles, chapter stops; nine-disc flip-tray DVD clamshell in cardboard slipcase; £29.99.
Release date: 25 April 2016.
Country of origin: England
|
|
This Hitchcock PAL DVD boxset contains the repackaged and reissued Optimum Releasing DVD edition of The Farmer’s Wife.
North American collectors will need a region-free PAL DVD player capable of outputting an NTSC-compatible signal to view this edition.
|
|
United Kingdom: Click the logomark to purchase this Region 2 PAL DVD edition from Amazon.co.uk. Support Silent Era.
|
|
|
 Optimum Home Entertainment
2007 DVD edition
The Early Hitchcock Collection (1927-1932), black & white and color-toned black & white, 810 minutes total, BBFC Classification PG,
including The Farmer’s Wife (1928), black & white, 94 minutes, BBFC Classification U.
Optimum Releasing,
unknown catalogue number, unknown UPC number.
Nine single-sided, single-layered, Region 2 PAL DVD discs, 1.33:1 aspect ratio image in full-frame 4:3 (720 x 576 pixels) interlaced scan MPEG-2 format, SDR (standard dynamic range), ? Mbps average video bit rate, ? Kbps audio bit rate, Dolby Digital 48 kHz 2.0 stereo sound, English language intertitles, no foreign language subtitles, chapter stops; nine slimline DVD keepcases in cardboard slipcase; £34.99.
Release date: 26 February 2007.
Country of origin: England
|
This Hitchcock PAL DVD boxset contains the Optimum DVD edition of The Farmer’s Wife, which one of the very few home video editions that has been transferred from 35mm print materials.
It has been noted that the music accompanying the film is not the best.
The supplmentary material includes an introduction by Noel Simsolo and a photograph gallery.
This is currently the best-looking edition of The Farmer’s Wife we have viewed on home video. North American collectors will need a region-free PAL DVD player capable of outputting an NTSC-compatible signal to view this edition.
|
|
United Kingdom: Click the logomark to purchase this Region 2 PAL DVD edition from Amazon.co.uk. Support Silent Era.
|
|
|
 Laserlight Digital
1999 DVD edition
The Farmer’s Wife (1928), black & white, 129 minutes, not rated.
Laserlight Digital, DEL82038DVD, UPC 0-18111-99723-2.
One single-sided, single-layered, Region 0 NTSC DVD disc, 1.33:1 aspect ratio image in full-frame 4:3 (720 x 480 pixels) interlaced scan MPEG-2 format, SDR (standard dynamic range), 4.5 Mbps average video bit rate, ? Kbps audio bit rate, Dolby Digital 48 kHz 2.0 mono sound, English language intertitles, Spanish, Japanese and Chinese language subtitles, 20 chapter stops; standard DVD keepcase; $7.95.
Release date: 20 July 1999.
Country of origin: USA
Ratings (1-10): video: 5 / audio: 5 / additional content: 0 / overall: 5.
|
Of this DVD edition, the first to appear on DVD but far from the only home video version, we can say that it could have been better but is probably still worth the low cost to own. The material utilized for the video transfer appears to be a good 35mm print or a very-good 16mm print, and the transfer runs at a proper speed.
Some speckling and some print flaws are visible throughout the film. Some compression artifacts are visible in some flat light-to-middle greytones on both standard and HD monitors. At times, picture jitter can be distracting. The video transfer can be described overall as uneven. While some shots are quite pleasing, with good middle greytones and good picture detail, highlights are a little hot in places and shadow details are plugged up by too much print or transfer contrast. And while most of the picture framing is open, some intertitles (and the cast credits) will be cropped off on some televisions and are sometimes too dark to read. Hand-written identification numbers written in ink on the negative used to strike the print show up as large white distractions throughout the film. From the third reel, cropping feels tighter as some heads are cropped off at the top of the frame. Glitches in the video master used for the digital transfer mar the second half of the film.
The music score for this DVD edition has been cobbled together from various canned sources. Taped orchestral music has been combined with 78 RPM records and edited into a serviceable soundtrack that is as varied in quality as is the video picture. Some thought was put into the sequencing and the music does help to convey mood. A vocal recording was intelligently chosen to accompany a scene that features a men’s glee club.
Altogether, we still prefer and recommend the out-of-print Republic Pictures Home Video VHS videotape version of The Farmer’s Wife as the best version currently available. While the videotape has no soundtrack at all, the picture material is consistently of very good quality, being taken from a 35mm print source. The Laserlight DVD version is serviceable and will probably still be the version of choice of those collectors who adamantly prefer DVD over videotape.
|
|
Canada: Click the logomark to purchase this Region 0 NTSC DVD edition from Amazon.ca. Your purchase supports Silent Era.
|
|
|
 Brentwood Home Video
2005 DVD edition
The Essential Alfred Hitchcock Collection (1927-1939), black & white, ? minutes total, not rated,
including The Farmer’s Wife (1928), black & white, 129 minutes, not rated.
Brentwood Home Video, 46304-9, UPC 7-87364-63049-3.
Five double-sided, single-layered, Region 0 NTSC DVD discs, 1.33:1 aspect ratio image in full-frame 4:3 (720 x 480 pixels) interlaced scan MPEG-2 format, SDR (standard dynamic range), ? Mbps average video bit rate, ? Kbps audio bit rate, Dolby Digital 48 kHz 5.1 surround and Dolby Digital 48 kHz 2.0 stereo sound, English language intertitles, no foreign language subtitles, 8 chapter stops; five-disc DVD keepcase in cardboard slipcase; $19.95.
Release date: 23 August 2005.
Country of origin: USA
|
Our first look at this budget DVD collection of Hitchcock films reveals a good full-frame video transfer of a very-good 16mm reduction print, only to have it compromised by a cheaply-manufactured disc that is marred by a higher-than-usual number of video master playback glitches.
The quality is pretty much a push compared to the Laserlight edition noted above, neither being ideal but merely passable.
|
|
USA: Click the logomark to purchase this Region 0 NTSC DVD edition from Amazon.com. Your purchase supports Silent Era.
|
|
|
|
Canada: Click the logomark to purchase this Region 0 NTSC DVD edition from Amazon.ca. Your purchase supports Silent Era.
|
|
|
 Westlake Video
2004 DVD edition
The Farmer’s Wife (1928), black & white, 129 minutes, not rated.
Westlake Video, WLV 3099, UPC 7-98622-30992-1.
One single-sided, single-layered, Region 0 NTSC DVD disc, 1.33:1 aspect ratio image in full-frame 4:3 (720 x 480 pixels) interlaced scan MPEG-2 format, SDR (standard dynamic range), ? Mbps average video bit rate, ? Kbps audio bit rate, Dolby Digital 48 kHz 2.0 stereo sound, English language intertitles, no foreign language subtitles, 6 chapter stops; standard DVD keepcase; $6.98.
Release date: 10 February 2004.
Country of origin: USA
Ratings (1-10): video: 4 / audio: 4 / additional content: 1 / overall: 4.
|
Another low-budget DVD edition, compromized by deep image blacks that swallow up shadow detail and some of the intertitles. The video transfer speed is too fast in the first reel, reproducing the action at flitting speed when compared to other editions. The transfer runs at closer to natural speed later in the film, but also features some blasted-out highlights.
The film is accompanied by a number of preexisting recordings or varying sound quality, abruptly edited together in an attempt to appropriately accompany the current scene.
Not recommended, as there are other editions of the film that are marginally better.
|
|
This Region 0 NTSC DVD edition is . . .
|
|
|
 Mill Creek Entertainment
2007 DVD edition
Alfred Hitchcock: The Legend Begins (1926-1962), black & white, 1614 minutes total, not rated,
including The Farmer’s Wife (1928), black & white, 130 minutes, not rated.
Mill Creek Entertainment,
no catalog number, UPC 6-83904-20031-0.
Four double-sided, dual-layered, Region 0 NTSC DVD discs, 1.33:1 aspect ratio image in full-frame 4:3 (720 x 480 pixels) interlaced scan MPEG-2 format, SDR (standard dynamic range), ? Mbps average video bit rate, ? Kbps audio bit rate, Dolby Digital 48 kHz 2.0 stereo and mono sound, English language intertitles, no foreign language subtitles, 4 chapter stops; four-disc DVD keepcase; $14.98.
Release date: 25 September 2007.
Country of origin: USA
|
This budget DVD edition has been transferred from a good to very-good 16mm reduction print.
The film is accompanied by a soundtrack compiled from preexisting recordings.
|
|
USA: Click the logomark to purchase this Region 0 NTSC DVD edition from Amazon.com. Your purchase supports Silent Era.
|
|
|
|
Canada: Click the logomark to purchase this Region 0 NTSC DVD edition from Amazon.ca. Your purchase supports Silent Era.
|
|
|
|
United Kingdom: Click the logomark to purchase this Region 0 NTSC DVD edition from Amazon.co.uk. Support Silent Era.
|
|
|
 Mill Creek Entertainment
2011 DVD edition
Alfred Hitchcock: A Legacy of Suspense (1926-1962), black & white, 1737 minutes total, not rated,
including The Farmer’s Wife (1928), black & white, 130 minutes, not rated.
Mill Creek Entertainment,
no catalog number, UPC 6-83904-52427-0.
Four single-sided, dual-layered, Region 0 NTSC DVD discs, 1.33:1 aspect ratio image in full-frame 4:3 (720 x 480 pixels) interlaced scan MPEG-2 format, SDR (standard dynamic range), ? Mbps average video bit rate, ? Kbps audio bit rate, Dolby Digital 48 kHz 2.0 stereo and mono sound, English language intertitles, no foreign language subtitles, 4 chapter stops; four-disc tin keepcase (rereleased in four disc envelopes in holder within standard DVD keepcase); unknown suggested list price.
Release date: 1 November 2011.
Country of origin: USA
|
This repackaged DVD edition of the 2007 Mill Creek edition noted above has been transferred from a good to very-good 16mm reduction print.
The film is presented with a music soundtrack that have been compiled from preexisting recordings.
The supplementary material includes a ‘documentary’ The Story of Alfred Hitchock in 16:9 widescreen (22 minutes) and a collection of Hitchcock film trailers (39 minutes).
|
|
USA: Click the logomark to purchase this Region 0 NTSC DVD edition from Amazon.com. Your purchase supports Silent Era.
|
|
|
|
Canada: Click the logomark to purchase this Region 0 NTSC DVD edition from Amazon.ca. Your purchase supports Silent Era.
|
|
|
|
United Kingdom: Click the logomark to purchase this Region 0 NTSC DVD edition from Amazon.co.uk. Support Silent Era.
|
|
|
 St. Clair Vision
2007 DVD edition
The Ultimate Hitchcock Collection (1926-1962), black & white, 1695 minutes total, not rated,
including The Farmer’s Wife (1928), black & white, 129 minutes, not rated.
St. Clair Vision, BX86149-6VD, UPC 7-77966-86149-4.
Six double-sided, dual-layered, Region 0 NTSC DVD discs, 1.33:1 aspect ratio image in full-frame 4:3 (720 x 480 pixels) interlaced scan MPEG-2 format, SDR (standard dynamic range), ? Mbps average video bit rate, ? Kbps audio bit rate, Dolby Digital 48 kHz 2.0 stereo and mono sound, English language intertitles, no foreign language subtitles, chapter stops; six slimline DVD keepcases in cardboard slipcase; $16.98.
Release date: 19 November 2007.
Country of origin: USA
Ratings (1-10): video: 5 / audio: 0 / additional content: 4 / overall: 5.
|
This budget DVD edition has been transferred from a 16mm reduction print that is of reasonable quality.
The film is presented with a soundtrack compiled from preexisting recordings.
|
|
USA: Click the logomark to purchase this Region 0 NTSC DVD edition from Amazon.com. Your purchase supports Silent Era.
|
|
|
|
Canada: Click the logomark to purchase this Region 0 NTSC DVD edition from Amazon.ca. Your purchase support Silent Era.
|
|
|
 Entertainment One
2011 DVD edition
The Great Alfred Hitchcock Movie Box (1925-1928), black & white, 215 minutes total, not rated,
including The Farmer’s Wife (1928), black & white, 97 minutes, not rated.
Entertainment One, SCG EXP 001-9, UPC 8-07297-07519-9.
Three single-sided, single-layered, Region 0 NTSC DVD discs, 1.33:1 aspect ratio image in full-frame 4:3 (720 x 480 pixels) interlaced scan MPEG-2 format, SDR (standard dynamic range), 5.7 Mbps average video bit rate, 320 Kbps audio bit rate, Dolby Digital 48 kHz 2.0 mono sound, English language intertitles, no foreign language subtitles, 11 chapter stops; three standard DVD keepcases in cardboard slipcase; $16.98.
Release date: 8 November 2011.
Country of origin: USA
Ratings (1-10): video: 4 / audio: 4 / additional content: 4 / overall: 4.
|
This inexpensive three-disc DVD edition has been mastered from a 16mm reduction print and there are no positive quality surprises. The disc looks much the same as the other budget editions noted here. This edition has been made even worse by a “Screen Gems” diamond logo placed in the upper right corner of the picture throughout the film presentation. This is done to discourage pirated copies but since it is likely this edition was pirated from another, earlier crappy edition, this precaution is ludicrous and only serves to annoy collectors who don’t want the logo there at all.
The film is likely to be presented with a music score comprised of preexisting recordings.
While this disc was manufactured in the EU it appears to be mastered in NTSC for the North American market.
|
|
USA: Click the logomark to purchase this Region 0 NTSC DVD edition from Amazon.com. Your purchase supports Silent Era.
|
|
|
|
Canada: Click the logomark to purchase this Region 0 NTSC DVD edition from Amazon.ca. Your purchase supports Silent Era.
|
|
|
 Westlake Entertainment
2007 DVD edition
Alfred Hitchcock Collection (1927-1939), black & white, 1083 minutes total, not rated,
including The Farmer’s Wife (1928), black & white, ? minutes, not rated.
Westlake Entertainment,
unknown catalog number, UPC 6-83904-20031-0.
Six double-sided, dual-layered, Region 0 NTSC DVD discs, 1.33:1 aspect ratio image in full-frame 4:3 (720 x 480 pixels) interlaced scan MPEG-2 format, SDR (standard dynamic range), ? Mbps average video bit rate, ? Kbps audio bit rate, Dolby Digital 48 kHz 2.0 stereo and mono sound, English language intertitles, no foreign language subtitles, chapter stops; six-disc DVD keepcase; $14.98.
Release date: 4 December 2007.
Country of origin: USA
|
|
This budget DVD boxset has likely all been transferred from 16mm reduction prints.
The film is likely to be accompanied by a soundtrack compiled from preexisting recordings.
|
|
Canada: Click the logomark to purchase this Region 0 NTSC DVD edition from Amazon.ca. Your purchase supports Silent Era.
|
|
|
 Echo Bridge Home Entertainment
2008 DVD edition
Alfred Hitchcock Classics (1927-1962), black & white, 720 minutes total, not rated,
including The Farmer’s Wife (1928), black & white, ? minutes, not rated.
Echo Bridge Home Entertainment,
unknown catalog number, unknown UPC number.
Four double-sided, dual-layered, Region 0 NTSC DVD discs, 1.33:1 aspect ratio image in full-frame 4:3 (720 x 480 pixels) interlaced scan MPEG-2 format, SDR (standard dynamic range), ? Mbps average video bit rate, ? Kbps audio bit rate, Dolby Digital 48 kHz 2.0 stereo and mono sound, English language intertitles, no foreign language subtitles, chapter stops; four-disc DVD keepcase; $15.99.
Release date: 2 September 2008.
Country of origin: USA
|
|
This budget DVD collection has likely all been transferred from 16mm reduction prints.
The film is likely to be accompanied by a soundtrack compiled from preexisting recordings.
|
|
USA: Click the logomark to purchase this Region 0 NTSC DVD edition from Amazon.com. Your purchase supports Silent Era.
|
|
|
|
Canada: Click the logomark to purchase this Region 0 NTSC DVD edition from Amazon.ca. Your purchase supports Silent Era.
|
|
|
|
United Kingdom: Click the logomark to purchase this Region 0 NTSC DVD edition from Amazon.co.uk. Support Silent Era.
|
|
|
 WHE International
2005 DVD edition
The Farmer’s Wife (1928), black & white, 97 minutes, BBFC Classification U.
WHE International,
unknown catalogue number, unknown UPC number.
One single-sided, single-layered, Region 2 PAL DVD disc, 1.33:1 aspect ratio image in full-frame 4:3 (720 x 576 pixels) interlaced scan MPEG-2 format, SDR (standard dynamic range), ? Mbps average video bit rate, ? Kbps audio bit rate, Dolby Digital 48 kHz 2.0 mono sound, English language intertitles, no foreign language subtitles, chapter stops; standard DVD keepcase; unknown suggested retail price.
Release date: 21 March 2005.
Country of origin: England
|
|
This inexpensive PAL DVD edition of The Farmer’s Wife may or may not be worth tracking down. It is unknown whether 35mm or 16mm materials were utilized for the video transfer.
North American collectors will need a region-free PAL DVD player capable of outputting an NTSC-compatible signal to view this edition.
|
|
United Kingdom: Click the logomark to purchase this Region 2 PAL DVD edition from Amazon.co.uk. Support Silent Era.
|
|
|
 WHE International
2005 DVD edition
The Early Hitchcock Collection (1927-1932), black & white and color-toned black & white, 810 minutes total, BBFC Classification PG,
including The Farmer’s Wife (1928), black & white, 97 minutes, BBFC Classification U.
WHE International,
unknown catalogue number, unknown UPC number.
Five single-sided, single-layered, Region 2 PAL DVD discs, 1.33:1 aspect ratio image in full-frame 4:3 (720 x 576 pixels) interlaced scan MPEG-2 format, SDR (standard dynamic range), ? Mbps average video bit rate, ? Kbps audio bit rate, Dolby Digital 48 kHz 2.0 mono sound, English language intertitles, no foreign language subtitles, chapter stops; five-disc DVD keepcase; unknown suggested retail price.
Release date: 28 November 2005.
Country of origin: England
|
|
This Hitchcock DVD collection contains the WHE DVD edition of The Farmer’s Wife noted above It is unknown whether 35mm or 16mm materials were utilized for the video transfer.
North American collectors will need a region-free PAL DVD player capable of outputting an NTSC-compatible signal to view this edition.
|
|
United Kingdom: Click the logomark to purchase this Region 2 PAL DVD edition from Amazon.co.uk. Support Silent Era.
|
|
|
 Synergy Entertainment
2009 DVD edition
The Farmer’s Wife (1928), black & white, 129 minutes, not rated.
Synergy Entertainment,
unknown catalog number, unknown UPC number.
One single-sided, single-layered, Region 0 NTSC DVD-R disc, 1.33:1 aspect ratio image in full-frame 4:3 (720 x 480 pixels) interlaced scan MPEG-2 format, SDR (standard dynamic range), ? Mbps average video bit rate, ? Kbps audio bit rate, Dolby Digital 48 kHz 2.0 stereo sound, English language intertitles, no foreign language subtitles, chapter stops; standard DVD keepcase; $9.95.
Release date: 2 June 2009.
Country of origin: USA
|
|
Enough of the cheap, low-quality editions, already!
The film is likely to be accompanied by a soundtrack compiled from preexisting recordings.
|
|
This Region 0 NTSC DVD edition is . . .
|
|
|
|
Other silent era ALFRED HITCHCOCK films available on home video.
Other BRITISH FILMS of the silent era available on home video.
|
|
Alfred Hitchcock filmography in The Progressive Silent Film List
|
|
|
SUPPORT SILENT ERA
USING THESE LINKS
WHEN SHOPPING AT
AMAZON
|
