Visually inventive, sexually playful, and speeding at a manic pace, The Oyster Princess represents the best of the madcap comedies made by Ernst Lubitsch prior to his arrival in Hollywood. Employing the same fairy-tale expressionism that distinguishes The Doll (1919) and The Wildcat (1921), it follows the efforts of a wealthy American tycoon (Victor Janson) to marry off his free-spirited daughter (Ossi Oswalda) to a titled prince (Harry Liedtke). But in the Lubitsch universe, things never quite go according to plan. This is also true of Lubitsch’s 1919 comedy Meyer from Berlin, in which the director stars as an unhappily married urbanite who escapes to the Alps of Tyrol in search of physical and sexual adventure.

For thoughts on The Oyster Princess, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic:

[youtube https://youtu.be/-PPneOXXT6M?t=3014]

Video Quality

The Oyster Princess and Meyer From Berlin make their Blu-Ray debut thanks to Kino Classics with a magnificent transfer from lovely restorations courtesy of Friedrich-Wilhelm-Murnau-Stiftung. These films are over 100 years old, yet they have been preserved quite well. The black-and-white photography of The Oyster Princess looks gorgeous in high definition with consistent natural grain intact. Meyer From Berlin opts for color tinted photography, which likewise makes for a lovely image. You might be surprised by the amount of detail revealed with rich textures on the clothing and within the setting.

The transfer captures a striking amount of depth and enhanced detail within the film’s composition. Black levels present some good depth with no excessive occurrence of black crush or compression artifacts. The contrast is firmly defined with not much in the way of flicker or significant specks of damage to the print, especially compared to many films of this vintage. There are some stray, faint vertical lines and stretches of damage to the edges that make a quick appearance without ruining the look of the features. The lighting is consistent between these two features so nothing ever appears washed out. Kino Classics continues to treat these Lubitsch classics with care.

Audio Quality

This Blu-Ray presents these films with great DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio tracks that deliver on all fronts. Each film is graced with an original score; Aljoscha Zimmermann & Ensemble handle the 2006 score for The Oyster Princess, while Brett Miller whips up a brand new 2023 accompaniment for Meyer From Berlin. The music is the only element to worry about with these tracks, and it sounds bright and pleasing with no clipping or other such anomalies. Silent film fans will be more than pleased with the sound quality, as these composers have created tracks that complement the narrative well and with unwavering fidelity. Optional English subtitles are provided.

Special Features

The Oyster Princess Commentary: Joseph McBride, author of How Did Lubitsch Do It?, provides a really insightful commentary track which delves into some analysis of the story, how society at the time influenced the picture, the known behind-the-scenes details and history of key figures in the production, the filmmaking techniques, how this fits into the career of Ernst Lubitsch, the film’s legacy and much more.

Meyer From Berlin Audio Commentary: McBride returns for another solid commentary track which not only gives some great background about this film, but also Lubitsch as a director in general.

Final Thoughts

The Oyster Princess and Meyer From Berlin are really fun and clever efforts from the great Ernst Lubitsch. The filmmaker has a sharp mind for cutting class dynamics down to size, but he also never loses sight of the need to keep his work entertaining. Both efforts keep a good pace and never feel like they fall into a creative rut. These are among the stronger silent era films we have seen from the director. Kino Classics has released a Blu-Ray with a top tier A/V presentation and an interesting pair of commentary tracks. If you are a Lubitsch fan looking to round out your collection, buy this without hesitation. Recommended

The Oyster Princess (and Meyer From Berlin) 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.