Eyes Right (1926) / Who's Your Friend (1925) (DVD)

Francis X. Bushman, Jr. (1903-1978) was the son of silent screen legend Francis X. Bushman. Born Ralph Bushman, his father's popularity lead to him to changing his name and launching his own acting career in 1920. For several years, Bushman was an in-demand lead, usually playing a put-upon everyman. With the advent of sound, Bushman's career waned, though his towering 6'4" frame guaranteed continued work as henchmen and thugs in numerous "B" pictures. He retired in 1943 (ironically, his father's career continued more than two decades after his.) This collection brings together two of his extremely rare silent features.

Eyes Right! (BW, 1926): Ted Winters is a former high school football star down on his luck after the death of his father. Looking to enroll in the Army and Navy Academy but too poor to pay tuition, he takes a job on campus as a dishwasher. There he catches the eye of Commandant Davis' pretty niece, Betty. A stroke of luck leads to him proving his prowess on the gridiron, and Ted's dreams come true when he is made a cadet. But Davis, infuriated upon learning that the Academy's new star player is romancing his niece, bans Ted from playing in the big game. Ted must find a way to make sure his alma mater wins the championship and prove his worth to Davis. Co-starring with Bushman in Eyes Right! is another thespian gifted with a famous surname--Flobelle Fairbanks, niece of Douglas Fairbanks. Directed by Louis Chaudet.

Who's Your Friend (BW, 1925): Wealthy Alice Stanton is engaged to professional gambler Ken Lanning. Alice's parents, however, are unimpressed with him. They hire a gorgeous vamp, Yvette, to distract Ken and trick Alice into thinking her fiance is a two-timer. If he can survive the advances of the vivacious Yvette, the befuddled young man may win back the woman he loves. This charming silent comedy is scripted by Tay Garnett, a former Mack Sennett gagwriter who would go on to direct such classics as The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946) and A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court (1949). Directed by Forrest K. Sheldon

• silent