Piccadilly

Valentine Wilmot (Jameson Thomas) owns Club Piccadilly in England. He's in love with its leading dancer Mabel (Gilda Gray). However she's not pulling in the crowds and he hires unknown Shosho (Anna May Wong) to perform. She's a huge success and romances Valentine. Mabel gets jealous and leaves Piccadilly...but still wants Wilmot but he's falling for Shosho...

This movie is a showcase for Anna May Wong. Virtually unknown today she was the first Chinese-American star (and for a long time the only one). She's just great in this--beautiful, talented and can really dance. Thomas and Gray are also good in their roles. I'm really surprised they got this out--its made quite clear that Wilmot and Shosho have sex--interracial couplings like that must have been shocking at the time. This is beautifully directed by Arnold Bennett--there are many stunning sequences and most of the story is told by images--there are very few title cards. The only complaint I have is that it moves a little slow by today's standards. Still it's well worth seeing. I give it an 8.

PICCADILLY (1929), a fun-to-watch account of a sexual triangle which unfolds, to fatal effect, in a London nightclub - all pencil thin moustaches, louche owners and jazz dancing. As directed by Dupont it is a film which showcases its lurid (if ultimately unconvincing) storyline very well and entertainingly enough, even if one can imagine a Von Sternberg version using the same elements, which included orientalism in the form of Anna May Wong as an exotic temptress, much more effectively. Dupont's career went off the boil at the end of the silent era, previously however he had notable successes with this sort of thriller-esquire showbiz material as VARIETE. PICCADILLY also features a notable cameo from Charles Laughton as a drunk man with a dirty plate.

With a very interesting blend of elements including a convincing Jazz Age setting, effective expressionist-style photography, and a tight story filled with human passion, "Piccadilly" would make for interesting viewing in itself. But it is Anna May Wong's dazzling performance that stands out, even above everything else in the movie.

Set in the "Piccadilly" night club, the story ostensibly stars Jameson Thomas as the club owner, and Gilda Gray as one of the club's star dancers. But it's Wong's character who drives most of the story, and indeed, as soon as Wong comes on screen, it quickly becomes hard to pay much attention to the other characters, except insofar as they interact with her and her plans. The rest of the cast is solid, and there's nothing to criticize about their performances, but they cannot compete with Wong.

What makes Wong's performance so stunning is not only her obvious allure, but also the way in which she plays the role. She communicates a great deal about her character's thoughts and feelings by the most economical and well-chosen of gestures and movements, and by so doing she makes her dominance over the other characters quite convincing. Her little smirks can be devastating, and her subtle encouragements can be nearly overwhelming.

The story is told with good style, making very effective use of lighting and settings to complement the fluid cinematography. The opening sequence is well-conceived, both in pulling the viewer into the world of the characters, and in setting up the story. This part also includes a brief appearance by Charles Laughton in an amusing role.

From there, things build up steadily to a melodramatic, twist-filled final 10 minutes or so. The climactic series of events is made more effective by the careful build-up, and by the way that Wong has made Shosho such a vivid and believable character, one who is more than capable of creating strong feelings in the other characters. It all makes "Piccadilly" well worth seeing.

Anna May Wong may have been one of the most beautiful women in film history. She should have been a huge star but obviously racial prejudices of the time prevented it and Hollywood certainly badly misused her. In this film,made in England by the great E.A.DuPont, she proves that she could act as well as look good. Notice her controlled facial expressions and body movements....they are very low key in a time when acting was often over the top and bordering on "hammy".

The story concerns the rise of Ms. Wong (Shosho) as a dancer and inamorata of nightclub owner, Valentin (Jameson Thomas)....much to the distress of Mabel (Gilda Gray) as the featured act at the Picadilly and also a lover of the owner. Ms. Gray looks fat and frumpy and the line "You're too old for him" spoken to her by Shosho rings true. Things go from bad to worse and lead to the scene in Shosho's apartment which is the highlight of the film. Ms. Wong is absolutely terrific. Murder happens and the mysterious Jimmy gets involved. The resolution of that murder is unsatisfying and the ensuing trial mirrors the racial stereotypes of the times.

But all that aside, if you want to see a gloriously stunning woman and a wonderful performance, see this film. And by the way.....if you can figure out exactly what the relationship between Shosho and Jimmy is, let me know!

This is the kind of film that would have made a great early sound movie. If you get the DVD release, you may be somewhat put off by the score - I know I was. There are two major musical numbers in the film, and it would have really accentuated them to have the music of the times in the film rather than the modern score that just doesn't seem to fit. Unfortunately, British films didn't convert to sound until 1930, so this film remains as a "silent musical".

It's a very good film that is basically about how life goes on, and today's celebrities and scandals are quickly forgotten tomorrow. It also shows the flimsy basis in many cases for being considered talented. The female headliner of the night club is basically there because she is the owner's girlfriend and is being carried to a large degree by her dance partner. When he decides to leave England and try to make it on Broadway, the owner knows the score and seeks a novelty to fill in what he has lost. He sees Anna May Wong's character dancing in the night club scullery and fires her for it, but later he realizes that maybe an exotic act is what he needs to draw an audience. He rehires her as a dancer. He is captivated by both the girl and her act, and at this point the film takes a sharp turn and becomes a bit of a crime drama and mystery.

Anna May Wong is probably the only performer most American audiences will recognize with one fleeting exception. At the beginning of the film there is a heavyset customer of the nightclub who is complaining about a dirty dish. That complaining customer is Charles Laughton in a very small and very early role.