East Side, West Side

Plot

John Breen is a young man living on a river barge with his mother and stepfather, gazing longingly at the Manhattan skyline and dreaming of a better life. After his parents tragically drown when their barge is swamped by a passing ship, John swims to shore and is taken in by a kind Jewish immigrant family, the Lipvitches, on the Lower East Side. He grows up to become a celebrated prizefighter, a career that eventually brings him into the orbit of wealthy Park Avenue society and a millionaire benefactor who is secretly his biological father. As John navigates his newfound fame and the stark class divide of 1920s New York, he must choose between the high-society ward of his benefactor and his childhood sweetheart, Becka Lipvitch. The narrative reaches a dramatic climax involving a subway cave-in and a sinking passenger liner, testing John's character and his loyalty to his roots.

Historical Background

1927 was a pivotal year in both world history and cinema. It was the year of Charles Lindbergh's solo flight across the Atlantic, an event that symbolized the 'vaulting optimism' of the Roaring Twenties, which Dwan captured by filming the actual parade. This was also the 'twilight of the silents,' as 'The Jazz Singer' would be released the same month as 'East Side, West Side,' signaling the end of the silent era. The film reflects the era's obsession with social mobility and the 'American Dream,' as well as the melting-pot reality of New York City before the 1929 stock market crash and the subsequent Great Depression.

Making Of

Allan Dwan was a pioneer of location shooting and preferred the freedom of the East Coast over the increasingly rigid studio system in Hollywood. For 'East Side, West Side,' he insisted on filming in the actual slums of the Lower East Side to capture the 'dirty but real' essence of the city. Dwan was known for his ability to handle large-scale logistics; for the subway cave-in scene, he coordinated with city officials to create a sense of realism that stunned contemporary audiences. The production also utilized the Fox Tenth Avenue studio's massive facilities for the interior sets that contrasted the immigrant tenements with the opulence of Park Avenue penthouses. Dwan's directing style was characterized by 'streamlined montage,' a technique he used to keep the 90-minute epic moving at a brisk, modern pace.

Visual Style

Cinematographers George Webber and Theodore J. Pahle utilized innovative location shooting techniques to capture the scale of New York. The film opens with a sophisticated pan across the Brooklyn Bridge from the Manhattan Bridge, establishing a sense of urban grandeur. Dwan and his team used available light for many outdoor scenes to maintain a sense of realism, while the disaster sequences utilized clever practical effects and miniatures to simulate the sinking ship and the subway collapse.

Innovations

The film is noted for its seamless integration of newsreel footage with fictional narrative, a technique that was relatively advanced for 1927. The staging of the subway cave-in and the sinking ship spectacle demonstrated Fox's high production values and Dwan's mastery of large-scale action sequences. The use of 'streamlined montage' helped condense a sprawling, novelistic plot into a tight 90-minute runtime without losing narrative clarity.

Music

As a silent film, it originally had no synchronized soundtrack. Modern restorations, such as the one screened by MoMA, have featured musical accompaniment by Joanna Seaton (voice) and Donald Sosin (piano). In its original 1927 run, it would have been accompanied by a live theater organist or orchestra, likely incorporating popular tunes of the day like 'The Sidewalks of New York.'

Memorable Scenes

• The opening pan across the Brooklyn Bridge, which establishes the film's epic scale and urban setting.
• The tragic sinking of the river barge, where John Breen loses his parents, filmed with impressive practical effects.
• The boxing match where John Breen showcases his physical prowess and begins his ascent to fame.
• The climactic subway cave-in sequence, a high-tension disaster scene that was a technical marvel for the silent era.
• The final scene of John surveying the city from a penthouse terrace, mirroring the opening shot but from a position of success.

What Critics Said

At the time of its release, the New York Times noted a 'tendency to cater to the movie mind' with its flashy costumes and melodramatic plot, but praised its energy. Modern critics, such as those from the San Francisco Silent Film Festival, view it as an 'exceptional silent melodrama' and a 'love letter to New York.' It is frequently lauded for Dwan's technical proficiency and his ability to blend gritty realism with high-stakes melodrama. While not as avant-garde as 'Sunrise,' it is respected as a masterclass in efficient, engaging silent storytelling.

What Audiences Thought

The film was a crowd-pleaser upon its release, successfully blending elements of romance, sports (boxing), and spectacle (disasters). Audiences of the 1920s were particularly drawn to the 'rags-to-riches' narrative and the charismatic presence of George O'Brien. The inclusion of the Lindbergh parade footage was a major draw, providing a 'ripped from the headlines' feel that resonated with the public's fascination with contemporary heroes.

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