''Dream Street'' is a 1921 American silent

romantic drama Romance films involve romantic love stories recorded in visual media for broadcast in theatres or on television that focus on passion (emotion), passion, emotion, and the affectionate romantic involvement of the main characters. Typically their ...

film directed by D. W. Griffith, and starring

Carol Dempster Carol Dempster (December 9, 1901 – February 1, 1991) was an American film actress of the silent film era. She appeared in films from 1916 to 1926, working with D. W. Griffith extensively. Early years Born in Duluth, Minnesota, Dempster was ...

, Charles Emmett Mack, and

Ralph Graves Ralph Graves (born Ralph Horsburgh; January 23, 1900 – February 18, 1977) was an American screenwriter, film director and actor who appeared in more than 90 films between 1918 and 1949. Biography Born in Cleveland, Ohio, Graves had already ...

in a story about a

love triangle A love triangle is a scenario or circumstance, usually depicted as a rivalry, in which two people are pursuing or involved in a romantic relationship with one person, or in which one person in a romantic relationship with someone is simultaneo ...

set in London, and based on two short stories by Thomas Burke, "Gina of the Chinatown" and "The Sign of the Lamp". The cast also features Tyrone Power Sr. The film, released by

United Artists United Artists (UA) is an American film production and film distribution, distribution company owned by Amazon MGM Studios. In its original operating period, it was founded in February 1919 by Charlie Chaplin, D. W. Griffith, Mary Pickford an ...

, was poorly received in its day, and critics still consider it one of Griffith's worst films.

Plot

As described in a film magazine review, Gypsy Fair, a young dancer, is forced through circumstances to live in the London

Limehouse Limehouse is a district in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets in East London. It is east of Charing Cross, on the northern bank of the River Thames. Its proximity to the river has given it a strong maritime character, which it retains throu ...

district and associate with the other residents there. Through her courage and loyalty, she is forced into numerous hazardous situations from all of which she emerges unharmed. Finally, she marries the man she has reformed and finds true happiness with him.

Cast

Premiere

The original 1921 version of ''Dream Street'' is notable for a brief sequence when D. W. Griffith steps out in front of a curtain at the beginning of the movie, and talks to the audience about the film, using

Photokinema ''Photo-Kinema'' (some sources say ''Phono-Kinema'') was a sound-on-disc system for motion pictures invented by Orlando Kellum. 1921 introduction The system was first used for a small number of short films, mostly made in 1921. These films prese ...

, an early

sound-on-disc Sound-on-disc is a class of sound film processes using a phonograph or other disc to record or play back sound in sync with a motion picture. Early sound-on-disc systems used a mechanical interlock with the movie projector, while more recent sys ...

process developed by Orlando Kellum. Some films made in the Photokinema process, including Griffith's ''Dream Street'' introduction at the beginning, are preserved at the

UCLA Film and Television Archive The UCLA Film & Television Archive is a visual arts organization focused on the film preservation, preservation, film studies, study, and appreciation of film and television, based at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). As a nonpro ...

. The silent version premiered on April 12, 1921, at the Central Theatre in New York City. On April 27, Griffith and

recorded their respective sound segments at Orlando Kellum's Photokinema office at 203 West 40th Street. The premiere engagement of the sound version of ''Dream Street'' took place on May 2, 1921, at

Town Hall In local government, a city hall, town hall, civic centre (in the UK or Australia), guildhall, or municipal hall (in the Philippines) is the chief administrative building of a city, town, or other municipality. It usually houses the city o ...

in New York City, with Griffith's introduction. The film reopened on May 15, now also with two other short sound sequences — Ralph Graves singing a love song, and background noise in a scene showing a

craps Craps is a dice game in which players gambling, bet on the outcomes of the roll of a pair of dice. Players can wager money against each other (playing "street craps") or against a bank ("casino craps"). Because it requires little equipment, " ...

game. No other theaters could show the sound version of the film, for no other theaters had the Photokinema sound system installed. On Sunday, May 29, ''Dream Street'' opened at the Shubert Crescent Theater in

Brooklyn Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...

with a program of short films made in Phonokinema. However, business was poor, and the program soon closed.

Reception

Leonard Maltin's Movie Guide ''Leonard Maltin's Movie Guide'' was a book-format collection of movie capsule reviews that began in 1969, was updated biannually after 1978, and then annually after 1986. The final edition was published in September 2014. It was originally calle ...

'' describes the film as "disappointing", owing to Dempster and her performance. ''The Encyclopedia of Horror Movies'', the first edition of '' The Aurum Film Encyclopedia: Horror'', includes an appendix of Critics' Top Tens. In a supplementary paragraph to his list, Richard Combs includes ''Dream Street'' as an example of a horrific (in terms of "mood and rationale") film that belongs to a genre other than horror, describing it as "what passes for a Christian allegory of Good and Evil." Tom Milne, Paul Willemen, Verina Glaessner, Julian Petley, Tim Pulleine. ''The Encyclopedia of Horror Movies''. ed. Phil Hardy. New York: Harper & Row, 1986. p. 397.

References

External links

*
Progressive Silent Film List: ''Dream Street''
at silentera.com {{D. W. Griffith 1921 films 1921 romantic drama films American black-and-white films 1920s English-language films American silent feature films Articles containing video clips Films based on multiple works Films based on short fiction Films based on works by Thomas Burke Films directed by D. W. Griffith Films set in London Transitional sound films United Artists films Films scored by Louis Silvers Early sound films 1920s American films English-language romantic drama films Silent American romantic drama films Surviving American silent films