A tale of star-crossed lovers caught in the whirlwind of romance in the mad rush of the big city, "Lonesome" is a charming and realistic take on the joy and sorrow of true love. Directed by Hungarian expatriate Paul Fejos and starring Glenn Tryon and Barbara Kent this part silent, part talkie, part B&W and part colored release is a madcap visual on Jazz Age exuberance and promise.
A working class man and woman find solitude and loneliness unbearable in New York City. Crossing paths one fine day, they interact and immediate attraction follows as they decide to spend the day together - going to the beach, having fun in a fair, etc., until playful fate intervenes where their hopes are put to the test. The film is mostly a fast-paced stream of images with many scenes superimposed on another and frequent multiple shots shown onscreen at the same time conveying the energy and high of modern urban life. The scenes of Roaring Twenties Manhattan are a delight and Barbara Kent's comely cuteness certainly helps. Although the simplicity and banality of the plot and the lack of scenes needed to convey the sadness and ache of the second half slow down the film the charming ending more than makes up for the film's shortcomings.
Included in the Library of Congress as one of the important films worth preserving, "Lonesome" depicts the timelessness of love in all its bittersweet drama and is one vintage flick that still holds up as it nears its century mark.
A working class man and woman find solitude and loneliness unbearable in New York City. Crossing paths one fine day, they interact and immediate attraction follows as they decide to spend the day together - going to the beach, having fun in a fair, etc., until playful fate intervenes where their hopes are put to the test. The film is mostly a fast-paced stream of images with many scenes superimposed on another and frequent multiple shots shown onscreen at the same time conveying the energy and high of modern urban life. The scenes of Roaring Twenties Manhattan are a delight and Barbara Kent's comely cuteness certainly helps. Although the simplicity and banality of the plot and the lack of scenes needed to convey the sadness and ache of the second half slow down the film the charming ending more than makes up for the film's shortcomings.
Included in the Library of Congress as one of the important films worth preserving, "Lonesome" depicts the timelessness of love in all its bittersweet drama and is one vintage flick that still holds up as it nears its century mark.