Dream Street
About Dream Street
Gypsy Fair, a young dancer, is pushed into life in London's Limehouse and into danger she keeps walking out of. Three men compete for her. She marries the man she has reformed.
Cast & crew
More about Dream Street
D.W. Griffith directed and produced from Thomas Burke's stories Gina of the Chinatown and The Sign of the Lamp, with Carol Dempster, Charles Emmett Mack, Ralph Graves, and Tyrone Power Sr. Hendrik Sartov photographed it and Louis Silvers wrote the music. The silent version opened April 12, 1921, at the Central Theatre in New York; Wikidata lists 135 minutes.
Themes
Making
The spoken prologue was shot so Griffith could step in front of a curtain and address the audience.
Look
Hendrik Sartov photographed the Limehouse story.
Technique
Photokinema, Orlando Kellum's sound-on-disc system, carried the spoken opening.
Music
Louis Silvers is the composer on Wikidata. The Photokinema discs added Griffith's talk and, later, Graves's song.
Preservation
UCLA preserves Photokinema footage that includes Griffith's introduction.
Notes
- On May 2, 1921, at Town Hall, a version opened with Griffith speaking an introduction recorded in the Photokinema sound-on-disc process.
- On April 27 Griffith and Ralph Graves recorded at Orlando Kellum's office at 203 West 40th Street. The film reopened May 15 with Graves singing and a scene of background noise.
- UCLA holds some Photokinema material, including Griffith's introduction.
- Wikipedia says the film was poorly received at the time.
Scenes
- Griffith steps out and speaks to the audience in the sound version.
Influenced by
- Thomas Burke's Gina of the Chinatown
- Thomas Burke's The Sign of the Lamp
Also available
- Wikimedia Commons (Dream Street (1921).webm)
