Street Angel (1928)

Good story, Not enough for a whole film

Did you people see the same film I saw?

I enjoyed watching this film and would recommend other to give it a try , (as I am) but this movie, although enjoyable to watch due to the better than average acting fails to add anything new to its storyline that is all too familiar to these types of movies.

A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

Janet Gaynor (Angela), Charles Farrell (Gino), Alberto Rabagliati, Gino Conti (policemen), Guido Trento (Neri, the police sergeant), Henry Armetta (Mascetto), Louis Liggett (Beppo), Milton Dickinson (Bimbo), Helena Herman (Andrea), Natalie Kingston (Lisetta), David Kashner (the strong man), Jennie Bruno (landlady).Director: FRANK BORZAGE. Based on the 1926 novel Cristilinda by Monckton Hoffe. Adaptation: Philip Klein, Henry Roberts Symonds. Screenplay: Marion Orth. Titlers: Katherine Hilliker, H. H. Caldwell. Assistant director: Lew Borzage. Camera: Ernest Palmer. Film editor: Barney Wolf. Art director: Harry Oliver. Executive producer: William Fox.Copyright 3 April 1928 by Fox Film Corp. New York opening at the Globe, 9 April 1928. U.S. release: 19 August 1928. Sydney opening at the Prince Edward, 10 January 1929 (ran 9 weeks). 10 reels. 9,221 feet. 102½ minutes.SYNOPSIS: Wanted by the police, a girl hides out in a circus.NOTES: Best Actress, Janet Gaynor (see Seventh Heaven). Also nominated for Cinematography (White Shadows in the South Seas) and Art Direction (The Bridge of San Luis Rey). Number 5 on The Film Daily annual poll of U.S. film critics.COMMENT: Basically a silent film with a synchronized music score and a clever use of sound effects, Street Angel has lost little of its charm. In fact it's difficult to nominate which particular feature-the appealing acting of the two principals, the deft direction of Frank Borzage, the atmospherically adroit camerawork of Ernest Palmer, or the brooding sets created by Harry Oliver-deserves the most praise.

Frank Borzage's silent classic about the relationship between a circus performer (Janet Gaynor) and a painter (Charles Farrell). When her criminal past catches up to her, it threatens to ruin their innocent romance. The film reunites Borzage with his 7th Heaven stars. Sensitive, believable performances from the leads, particularly Gaynor. I just love Gaynor and Farrell together. 7th Heaven is one of my favorite silent films and this one is almost as good. They have an amazing chemistry. Not a total silent; includes in-film music and even a singing scene. All in all, this is a wonderful love story, beautifully photographed and acted, with an achingly lovely score.

As much as I love silent cinema and can usually enter into the spirit of the emotions and story telling techniques of the 20's, this film left me sorely disappointed.SEVERAL SPOILERSThe first half hour was rather grim and quite promising, as the waif like character played by Gaynor tried everything she could to save her mother, including a half hearted attempt at soliciting and a little thievery. All to no avail, and worse still she get's caught and arrested. These scenes are handled in an atmospheric and brooding way, with excellent photography and a good synchronised score.She escapes from prison, and goes to the circus where for a short time she's successful. She meets and falls for Charles Farrell, a performer in a rival troupe and all is well until one day the prefect of police and the man who arrested her happen to pass by as she is performing her trapeze act. In fright she falls and is too badly hurt to continue performing. Unable to continue in the circus she and Farrell sail across the river and set up a platonic home in town, where she must fear that arrest could come suddenly. She keeps the secret of her criminal past from Farrell for fear that he will dessert her.Up to the point they leave the circus I really enjoyed this film, Gaynor and Farrell were appealing and the sequence where he rows her across the river to safety is beautiful done, but once they set up home the film degenerated into an unbearably slow and mawkish romance, and Janet's child like (or in this case just childish) persona began to grate badly. For one thing, these two relatively adult looking people were living together in a situation so chaste it was laughable. Why they couldn't just make up their minds to be a couple was beyond me, although this undoubtedly points to the standards of the time. I can see the film is aiming for a fairy tale feel - and presumably for audiences in '28 it achieved it, but for me the result was quite different. But more importantly the sense of drama that drove the first half hour is completely dissipated by these over-long and meandering scenes. Another thing that really wore me down was the repeated motif of the film where the two would whistle sweetly to each other. The first time it was cute but after about the eighth time I wanted to strangle them.After what seemed like an eternity of this bland pair's simplistic billing and cooing I was actually pleased when the law caught up with her and she was hurled back in jail. At least they wouldn't whistle that damned tune again. But oh no, now they do it in a split screen effect. aaaargh I'm tearing my hair out!!!The last 10 minutes or so actually improved as there was a very real possibility that now Farrell knew her sinful past, he might well kill her.However by this time, the film had killed my interest and I really didn't care anymore. Maybe some day I'll see it again and feel differently, who knows. If I do you can be sure I'll review it here.

Melodramatic, atmospheric romance with some great tracking shots that look like they influenced Scorsese decades later. Gaynor and Farrell, are extraordinarily well used; this film probably epitomises their appeal better than any other. He's all youthful exuberance, and she's all liquid-eyed yearning. The print I saw had a musical soundtrack with sound effects -- very soupy, but for a take-it-or-leave-it love story like this, just right.