$19.99

On-demand DVD

The Juggernaut

Although one of the most successful films of the era, The Juggernaut—described by William K. Everson as second in significance only to The Birth of a Nation on its premiere in 1915—is all but forgotten today. In the century since "The Colossus of Modern Railway Dramas" was released, more than half of the film has been lost. In this reconstruction—new for 2017—all known footage from the best surviving sources has been combined with little- and never-before-seen production and publicity stills to bridge the missing material and present The Juggernaut as it was seen at its New York premiere in 1915.

Also available on Blu-Ray and for download.



 

Featured content

The president of a notorious railroad fights dirty against a lawsuit while, aboard one of his trains, his daughter unwittingly speeds toward her doom.

Starring Earle Williams and Anita Stewart · Directed by Ralph Ince


Additional content

An alternate cut of Vitagraph’s thrilling railroad drama The Juggernaut.

Starring Earle Williams and Anita Stewart · Directed by Ralph Ince

When the trestle her son’s train is about to cross is struck by lightning, a mother must find some way to warn him of the danger ahead.

Starring Mary Maurice

A short 1896 actuality depicting the Black Diamond Express as it approaches and speeds passed the camera.

Directed by James H. White

A short 1897 actuality depicting a Southern Pacific Railroad train with a mail car exiting a tunnel.

Directed by James H. White

A short actuality from 1901 showing the passage of the Empire State Express train.

Directed by Frederick S. Armitage

Two Pennsylvania Railroad locomotives meet in a head-on collision in this 1904 short.

Directed by Edwin S. Porter

  • Photo-reconstruction
    This edition features a new reconstruction of The Juggernaut attempts to recreate the the 1915 New York premiere version by combining all known surviving footage with production and publicity stills to bridge the missing material.

  • Alternate endings
    Reconstructions of all three endings that were shot for the The Juggernaut.

  • The Firing of the Patchwork Quilt (1911)
    A mother must find a way to warn her engineer son that the trestle his train is about to cross has been struck by lightning. With its strong thematic similarities, this Vitagraph short railroad drama seems to be the likely inspiration of The Juggernaut.

  • Locomotive Actualities
    In the late nineteenth century, actualities dealing with trains were among the most popular films with moving picture goers. Perhaps the earliest germs of The Juggernaut may be traced to these. This small assortment includes The Black Diamond Express (1896), the first film Vitagraph ever publicly exhibited.

  • A Railroad Smashup (1904)
    The Juggernaut is in the tradition of the carnival sideshow act known as the smashup, where antiquate trains were wrecked for the amusement of the audience. In this Edison short, two Pennsylvania Railroad locomotives meet in a head-on collision.

  • Thrilling Experiences
    An excerpt from The Life of Earle Williams by Oren Clayton Reel describing the behind-the-scenes action of filming the climactic train wreck scene.

  • Novelization
    Dorothy Donnell's novelization of The Juggernaut published in the April 1915 issue of Motion Picture Magazine.

  • Mini-poster
    A 5.5 by 8.5 inch replica of an original poster for The Juggernaut.

 

Information

Definition:

480p SD

Total length:

139 minutes

 

Format

  • On-demand DVD

 

In stock

  • 15 available