Wonderful
The only thing that would make this DVD package better, for me, would be to also have the option of the entire 1952 reissue of the film. I am greatful for the excerpt , but would love to see the whole version with Jr's narration.
But I am so Happy with the Kineo print and that they really Thought about the musical score added. So often I am coming across Fairbanks films that are just impossible for me to get into fully because of the music that has been thrown onto them not relating to what was happening on screen at all. case in point... The Three Musketeers with old 20s Jazz recordings ... that's just lazy to me. I Love 20s Jazz, and it might work with a "contemporary " 20s comedy ... but the musketeers soundtrack reminded me of Laurel and Hardy more than a Musketeer-period adventure film .... anyway, It's an important issue to me regarding silent films.

Also I've been waiting for years to see and hear the sound introductions by Fairbanks senior , since I first read about them back in the 70s, so that addition was a very special treat.

A Triumphant Farewell to the Silent Era
"The Iron Mask" (1929) was Douglas Fairbanks' glorious valedictory to the art of silent film. Collaborating with director Allan Dwan and set designer William Cameron Menzies, the producer-star poured all his resources into this lavish sequel to "The Three Musketeers" (1921) -- acknowledging the advent of sound with two brief talking interludes. Restored by film historians Patrick Stanbury and Kevin Brownlow from an original 35mm print (courtesy of the Museum of Modern Art), "The Iron Mask" can be seen as Fairbanks' finest achievement. However, for all its style and exuberance, the swashbuckling adventure has a melancholic tone that lends a poignant grace to Doug's silent farewell - accompanied by Carl Davis' sweeping orchestral score. For modern viewers unfamiliar with the spirit and athleticism of Fairbanks, "The Iron Mask" represents a terrific starting point.

A somewhat bittersweet end to an era
This film, released in the final year of the silent era (at least in America; other regions of the world were still making silents until the early Thirties), is a sequel to the earlier Fairbanks film 'The Three Musketeers,' and similarly is based upon the novel by Alexandre Dumas père. While it is helpful to have seen the first film (if not read the book) to get some background information on the main characters and a sense of where the general plot is picking up from, it's one of those sequels which one can also enjoy and understand entirely on its own merits. It's not so much a continuation of the prior story as it is a continuation of the adventures of the main characters. It begins in September of 1638, 13 years after the original film took place, and Queen Anne of Austria is about to give birth to the heir of France. King Louis XIII is thrilled to have a son, but what he doesn't know is that the Queen actually gave birth to twin boys. D'Artagnan's sweetheart Constance, who was present at the second birth, is kidnapped and taken to a convent to try to shut her up, but D'Artagnan quickly finds out about it, and as soon as he discovers just where she's been taken, he and the other Musketeers, Porthos (Tiny Sandford, whom fans of classic comedy will recognise as the frequent foil to Charlie Chaplin and Laurel and Hardy), Athos, and Aramis, take off to try to rescue her. Meanwhile the scheming Cardinal Richelieu, fearing a revolution if word of the second heir gets out, has the second-born twin taken away to be raised in Spain. Things don't go well for anyone, and the four friends are ordered to be separated. In the interim, D'Artagnan and the young Prince Louis are as thick as thieves, and D'Artagnan's loyalty to his three dear friends, the future king, and France remain as strong as ever in spite of the passage of time. All four of them still live by their adage of all for one and one for all when they are pressed into service for one last hurrah to rescue the true King Louis XIV and to preserve the glory and honor of France. Although there are a number of rather depressing and heartbreaking events in this film, and the end is quite bittersweet, it almost seems appropriate that this, one of the final great silents, not be all sunshine and roses. It was the end of an era, both the end of the silent era and Fairbanks's final silent feature, and the end of such a wonderful era should be duly mourned. The ending itself is also particularly poignant, sad, and bittersweet, knowing this was Doug's final silent and that the silent era was about to end forever. It's also kind of sad to see him made up to look like an older man in the second half of the film, knowing that he only lived to be 56 in real life. (Though he was 45 when this film when this film was produced, he was still as gorgeous as ever and in incredible physical shape, still able to do all of his trademark stunts and swashbuckling with ease.)

Extras are outtakes, an animated gallery with commentary by Doug, Jr., an excerpt from the 1952 reissue of the film, with all of the title cards deleted and Doug, Jr., narrating, and 7 text essays from the 1999 program book from Photoplay Productions Ltd. and Channel Four Television UK. The outtakes don't have any soundtracks, though since they're not extraordinarily long in length, this isn't as much of a hindrance as it is when similar outtakes or bonus short films on silent DVDs have no soundtracks.

While this film might not be the most perfect first silent for a new fan (primarily because silent costume dramas can take awhile to warm up to, although this is one that I don't feel would have been better as a talkie), it does have terrific production values and tells a very engrossing satisfying story. I found it a lot faster-paced than 'The Three Musketeers,' not to mention easier to follow the plot of. The print used is gorgeous, and the soundtrack is also wonderful. Like many silents made in the transitional period of the late Twenties, this one too has a few scenes of synchronised speech. Doug delivers a spoken prologue, and then makes another speech (much shorter) about midway through the film. Unfortunately, due to the primitive technology of the time, the sound quality isn't very crystal-clear, nor does it give a fully accurate register of his real voice. (The story goes that he was so horrified upon hearing the playback of the prologue that he turned green and someone yanked the plug to put him out of his misery at hearing this high-pitched girlish falsetto that sounded nothing like his real voice.) However, one should expect less than pristine sound quality when dealing with a very early talkie or one of these hybrids, and everything else is so great that that becomes a minor detail.

Great movie, but the DVD has problems
I can't say enough good things about this film, and the restoration done by Kino. Unfortunately, the DVD seems to have some kind of factory defect. The film itself plays fine, but the rare outtake footage suffers from digital dstortion that makes the picture quality completely unwatchable.

I returned my first order of this DVD for an exchange, hoping that a fresh DVD would not have this problem. But it does, and it's factory sealed, so it must be a problem on Kino's end. I had a similar problem with Kino's VHS version of "Nomads of The north" (1920 w/ Lon Chaney), returned it to Kino for a replacement copy, and both had the exact same problem.

It doesn't sound like other users here had trouble with their DVD, but I'm so frustrated because this is the 2nd copy I've bought and STILL can't watch the extras and rare outtake footage.

I wouldn't say that this DVD is a total waste of money - after all, the film itself plays fine. But if you're buying this disc for the extras and bonus outtake footage, you may well end up as frustrated and disappointed as I am.:(

one of the top 5 greatest silent films
This is a magnificent film that has been overlooked for too long.It's Fairbank's shortest swashbuckler and this really helps.
The film just flies by and is not bogged down by too much pagentry or an inane love story. The brief wooing of Constance by D'Artagnan is adorable and the musketeers only "defeat" - though pure slapstick - is simply wonderful. There are other bits of comedy but this a is a very dark film. At the end, eight of the films ten leading characters have died and only one by natural causes Director Dwan has you really caring for Constance and the Musketeers and their deaths are very moving. And best if all is the conclusion - one of a handful of greatest in all film. Only the hardest soul could not shed tears yet feel the warmth as the four great friends go on to "greater adventure."