Press Release

Hi Folks,

My name is Dave Stevenson and I run a small DVD company in Manchester, NH. Ordinarily, we market silent comedies to our audiences, but have recently decided to branch out into the area of another big love of ours: Steam Power. Accordingly, we have released our first disc in a new series called "All Steamed Up." Details follow. Our company name is Looser Than Loose. Please feel free to check out our new disc (and even prior ones if you like) at

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One of our next few projects is a documentary on the Hudson River Day Line, so there will be a lot more coming down the line that you may find of interest.

Thank you for your time, Best, Dave Stevenson

Here are the details of our first steam-powered DVD:

All Steamed Up! Volume 1

Starring: Laurel & Hardy, Andy Clyde, Helen Holmes and Jack Cooper And an all-new montage with restored theatre organ score

For those of you who like your vintage film steamed (as opposed to fried I suppose), we present the first volume of our "All Steamed Up" series. Contained in this edition is a mixture of silent comedies, home movies, newsreels and industrial-strength promotional films. Our luminaries and clowns are comprised in part by Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy, Andy Clyde, Helen Holmes - in an episode of the Kalem serial "The Hazards of Helen" - and Jack Cooper in "Danger Ahead" from the Weiss Brothers' notorious Hairbreadth Harry series. Additional titles on this disc include a profile of the Bessler Corporation, whose steam- powered innovations extended to automobiles, trains and even aeronautics! Plus, color footage of the last rope-drive Corliss engine to operate in the United States, a 1912 Rice and Sargent 1500 HP compound. This material was shot and recorded by my dad, Jim Stevenson, in 1976 just days before the scrapman's sledgehammer stilled her forever. In the opening montage we have included a number of unique stills, photographs, home movies and silent comedy film clips featuring British and American engines, locomotives, traction engines, steamboats and more. The soundtrack for this montage is a restored theatre organ piece in which the organist recreates a British steam locomotive leaving the station and coming up to speed - listen carefully, as he even opens the drains before the throttle.

Our films have been taken from 16mm prints (except the Corliss footage, which was shot in 8mm). Restored "electric" tracks have been added to the silent material - which constitutes just about two-thirds of everything on the disc.

The Set Contents:

Danger Ahead (released 10/8/26 by Weiss Brothers-Artclass); directed by Perc. Pembroke & Supervised by Billy West. Cast: Earl McCarthy, Charlotte Merriam, Jack Cooper and Max Asher. A typical entry in the Hairbreadth Harry series with Relentless Rudolph (Jack Cooper) pursuing the prerequisite loot and tossing the young lovers who possess it into the jaws of death at every turn. Needless to say, he is foiled at every, ahem, crossing. CURSES! Lots of material filmed with Union Pacific equipment.

The Hazards of Helen - The Wild Engine (released 5/8/15 by the Kalem Company); directed by J.P. McGowan. Stars Helen Holmes as the intrepid telegraph operator who risks life and limb to prevent a runaway train from colliding with a Sunday excursion special. This film was shot using locomotives and rolling stock from the S.P. L.A. & S.L. (San Pedro, Los Angeles and Salt Lake) Railroad.

Laurel and Hardy at the Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway. The Boys inaugurate the reopening of the line to Dungeness in 1947. This footage, presented in its entirety, is part of the opening montage. The source is first generation video.

Bessler Corporation Promotional Reel (approx. 1937); silent with added music track. This is a fabulous look at the innovative steam technologies developed by the Bessler Corp. as applied to a variety of vehicles. This includes a steam car, a locomotive and even a practical steam airplane. Though little is discussed about the nature of the boiler, it must have used an interesting flash technology.

The 1912 Rice and Sargent Corliss of Tyre Rubber (shot and recorded by Jim Stevenson; 1976); a five-and-a-half-minute look at the last rope- drive steam engine to operate in the United States. This 1500HP compound engine was a sight to behold.

The Cannonball (released 12/6/31 by Mack Sennett/Educational); directed by Del Lord & Mack Sennett. Cast: Andy Clyde, Irene Thompson, Lewis Sargent and Vernon Dent. Andy's primitive steam locomotive must compete with a new bus line for the local commuter trade. A stray buzz bomb provides a rocket boost to the ancient steam engine and wins the day for our old friend Mr. Clyde. Note: this is reel two only. It is a silent, Dutch language version of a sound two-reeler, but plays pretty well with an added music track. Some printing and framing defects in the source material are present.

Additional bonus material includes unique photos of steam engines, locomotives, traction engines, steamboats and more....

All Steamed Up! Vol. 1 begins shipping November 16th, 2007

This disc sells for $19.99 (+$6.00 s/h worldwide) PayPal accepted

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