Discover
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Jesse L. Lasky
Presenter -
Adolph Zukor
Presenter -
B.P. Schulberg
General Manager -
Harold Rosson
Director of Photography -
Josef von Sternberg
Producer -
Jules Furthman
Screenplay -
Travis Banton
Costume Designer -
Hans Dreier
Art Direction
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CinemaSerf 6/6/2022 6:59:42PM
This is a beautiful example of the film-makers craft. Josef von Sternberg and Harold Rosson have created a thing of aesthetic beauty coupled with an interesting - if not especially deep - character study of two people George Bancroft ("Bill") and Betty Compson ("Mae)". The camera loves both of them - and interestingly for the late 1920s, it is not shy in illustrating the beauty of the male physique as well as the beauty of both Compson and Olga Baclanova ("Lou"). The story isn't really the main feature of the film: "Bill" is a stoker on the docks where he encounters a potential suicide victim - the disillusioned hooker "Mae" with whom he soon bonds - much to the frustration of his ex wife "Lou". It is almost totally devoid of sentiment, it is gritty, earthy and although to look at the pair, their love appears unlikely, it does engage with some almost crude, witty, interventions from "Lou" to keep the story entertaining as well as stylish. I am a fan of most of JVS's films - the "Scarlett Empress" (1934) being my favourite, but this one is up there...
Richard Alexander
Lou's Sweetheart (uncredited)Gustav von Seyffertitz
Hymn Book HarryBob Reeves
Court Bailiff (uncredited)George Irving
Night Court Judge (uncredited)Olga Baclanova
LouMitchell Lewis
AndyGeorge Bancroft
Bill RobertsCharles McMurphy
Policeman (uncredited)