Image Entertainment plans to bring something rare and different to DVD this December with Civil War Films Of The Silent Era.

Commemorating the fiftieth anniversary of the American Civil War was a deluge of literature, drama, re-enactment, ceremony–and movies. The three films on this DVD include a feature, The Coward (1915, 76 min.), and two nickelodeon films, Drummer of the Eighth (1913, 28 min.) and Grand-Dad (1913, 28 min.), made by pioneering producer Thomas H. Ince. Less important than the plots of these films is their pictorial beauty, their sense of romance, and the emotional grandeur of unsuspecting characters pitted against fate.

Variously directed by Reginald Barker and Thomas H. Ince, some of the actors in these films include: Frank Borzage, Frank Keenan, Charles Ray, Gertrude Claire, Mildred Harris, and William Desmond Taylor.

Image presents these films in their original Full Frame, black and white glory, including original tinted sequences. A remixed stereo soundtrack is included.

The disc should be on the streets December 19th, with a suggested retail price of $24.99.

Bravo Image…it’s heartening to see companies seeking out esoteric pieces that helped form the history of cinema.