Amid the crush of humanity known as New York City a couple of loners face another day in the hectic rat race. She's a switchboard operator, he handles a punch press in a factory. Their lives are mostly consumed by battling with the rush hour, noisy clients and the din of machinery. Yet in a city of millions they are alone struggling with a variant of despair. Reluctantly both head for Coney Island, cross paths, fall for each other and then abruptly separated.
A simple tale of boy meets girl boy loses girl (unintentionally) told in razzle dazzle style by director Pal Fejos. Conveying the chaos of of the big city, gruffly pushing its populace too and fro through daily life with little respite in the pre depression, heady Jazz Age Fejos brings the lovers together at Coney Island where he makes the most out of the surreal possibilities with some stunning imagery. Clearly weighted in favor of form over content the film is given extra boost by the sympathetic, relatable and well acted portrayals of Glenn Tryon and Barbara Kent as the sudden sweethearts.
An excellent example of silent film art as well as an outstanding document of the period told with energetic expressionism.
A simple tale of boy meets girl boy loses girl (unintentionally) told in razzle dazzle style by director Pal Fejos. Conveying the chaos of of the big city, gruffly pushing its populace too and fro through daily life with little respite in the pre depression, heady Jazz Age Fejos brings the lovers together at Coney Island where he makes the most out of the surreal possibilities with some stunning imagery. Clearly weighted in favor of form over content the film is given extra boost by the sympathetic, relatable and well acted portrayals of Glenn Tryon and Barbara Kent as the sudden sweethearts.
An excellent example of silent film art as well as an outstanding document of the period told with energetic expressionism.