The Roaring Road (1919)
Excuse My Dust! (1920)

Two terrifically entertaining Silent films brought to life by Frederick Hodges' lively and authentic piano playing. Fans of Ragtime will recognize many classic rags and Ragtime-era songs in the scores.

The Roaring Road: Famous Players-Lasky, April 27, 1919
Directed by James Cruze, Starring Wallace Reid, Theodore Roberts, Ann Little

Excuse My Dust!: Famous Players-Lasky, March 21, 1920
Directed by Sam Wood. Starring Wallace Reid, Theodore Roberts, Ann Little

The All-American appeal of Wallace Reid made him one of the top stars of his era, but his films are very rare today. This DVD presents two of his Paramount features, uncut and tinted throughout.

The Roaring Road is a showcase for Reid, set in the world of early auto racing. Here he plays a speed-crazy racer, with his mind set on winning the glory and his heart set on winning the boss's daughter, Cigar-chomping Theodore Roberts plays that boss, and the film winds up with a wild road race from Los Angeles to San Francisco.

The film was such a success that a sequel followed a year later. Not only does Excuse My Dust! pick up where the last one left off, it actually tops the original. The same cast returns, and there's an inventive twist to the climactice cross-country road race.

Reid returned to the speed-demon theme in future films, but fate would carry him across life's finish line all too soon. Still the legend lives again in these two thrillers!

Piano scores by Frederick Hodges. 110 minutes total.

Bonus: A photo gallery of 40 rare Wallace Reid stills!

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Frederick Hodges, San Francisco, Piano Music, Piano, Berkeley