Cinema
Piccadilly
E. A. Dupont · 1929
Synopsis
A diner complains about a dirty plate at the Piccadilly, a smart cabaret in the West End. The owner, Valentine Wilmot, goes down to the scullery to find the culprit, and discovers a young Chinese woman, Shosho, dancing on a table in front of the other washers instead of working. He dismisses her. In the dining room, the star act has been faltering since the dancer Vic left: his partner, Mabel, who is also Wilmot's mistress, no longer draws crowds alone, and takings are falling. He thinks again about the scullery.
Context
The film, written for the screen by Arnold Bennett, was shot in London on real streets, from Piccadilly Circus to Limehouse, and on large studio sets, and was released silent in February 1929; a sound version, preceded by a spoken prologue, followed in June. Critics received it well, but the talk was mostly of the relationship it showed between the young Chinese woman and the owner of the nightclub, and a kiss between them was cut to appease the censors in the United States. A greedy customer is played by Charles Laughton, who four years later would take the title role in a film by Alexander Korda. The restoration carried out in 2003 by the British Film Institute has returned it to circulation.
Who it is for
One hour forty-eight minutes in the restored print, longer than the 1929 version: silent, with English intertitles and a new score by Neil Brand.
Prizes and reception
Anna May Wong's first English role, which brought her immediate success; the film caused a scandal through the love it showed on screen.
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