Kino Lorber is proud to present two uproarious silent comedies from Universal Pictures and director Harry A. Pollard. Oh, Doctor! (1925) stars Reginald Denny (Rebecca) as Rufus, a frail hypochondriac deeply in debt. He promises to repay it with the fortune he is due to inherit in three years. To ensure his health, the loan sharks hire a nurse, Dolores Hicks (Mary Astor, The Maltese Falcon), to take care of him. But when Rufus learns that the fetching Dolores prefers courageous men, he throws himself into a series of dangerous stunts that give his creditors a coronary. Poker Faces (1926) is a madcap farce in which henpecked husband Edward Everett Horton is desperately trying to close a contract to please his boss. When his wife (Laura La Plante) is unable to attend an all-important business dinner he hires a woman to play her. But she turns out to be married to an insanely jealous boxer!

For thoughts on Oh, Doctor! and Poker Faces: Two Comedies Directed By Harry A. Pollard, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic:

[youtube https://youtu.be/_8_-3VPsJtU?t=3634]

Video Quality

Oh, Doctor! and Poker Faces make their Blu-Ray debut thanks to Kino Classics with magnificent transfers courtesy of Universal Pictures. Oh, Doctor comes from a 2K restoration from a 16mm print, while Poker Faces originates from a 4K restoration from a 16mm tinted print. Both are nearing 100 years of age, yet they hold much better than most films from this era. The sterling black-and-white photography sparkles in high definition with consistent natural grain intact. There is a stunning amount of detail present with complex textures on the clothing and within the environment. These transfers show off a surprising amount of depth and enhanced detail within the film’s composition.

The contrast is firmly defined with not much in the way of flicker, density fluctuation or specks of damage to the print. There are some stray, faint vertical lines that pop up without ruining the overall aesthetic of the film. Black levels present with some great depth with no major occurrence of black crush or compression artifacts. The lighting on these features is stable so that nothing ever looks washed out. Kino Classics allows these two films to look better than many ever thought possible.

Audio Quality

This Blu-Ray presents these films with DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio tracks that sound as crisp and clear as modern recordings should. Both films are graced with an original score. Oh, Doctor! has new music composed and performed by Jake Monaco, while Poker Faces features music from Zach Marsh. Both are perfectly suited to the lighthearted material for a grand viewing experience. As these are silent films, the music is the only element to contend with in this track, and it sounds bright and pleasing with no clipping or age related wear and tear. These tracks do everything they are supposed to without issue.

Special Features

Oh, Doctor! Audio Commentary: Film critic, teacher, and author Adam Nayman provides a nifty commentary track in which he discusses how this fits into the silent era, the work of Reginald Denny, the background of the various talents involved, how the film works as an adaptation, the film’s legacy and more.

Poker Faces Audio Commentary: Film critic, teacher, and author Adam Nayman returns for a very insightful commentary track in which he takes you through the story while putting it into context, discusses the behind-the-scenes details and history of key figures in the production, explores some of the filmmaking techniques and much more.

Final Thoughts

Oh, Doctor! and Poker Faces are two very amusing examples of silent-era comedy. Oh, Doctor! offers a decent amount of outlandish humor, but Poker Faces proves to be the standout of the set with its commitment to the escalating series of misunderstandings. Those who are new to Harry A. Pollard are sure to find themselves keen to seek out more from the director after seeing his skill as a filmmaker with these two features. Kino Classics has released a Blu-Ray with a sterling A/V presentation and an interesting pair of commentary tracks. If you are open to exploring silent-era filmmaking, this set should treat you right. Recommended

Oh, Doctor! and Poker Faces: Two Comedies Directed By Harry A. Pollard is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray and Digital.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Kino Classics has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.