Dream Street
(1921) American
B&W : Ten reels
Directed by D.W. Griffith

Cast: Carol Dempster [Gypsy Fair], Ralph Graves [James Spike McFadden], Charles Emmett Mack [Billy McFadden], Edward Peil [Swan Way], W.J. Ferguson [Gypsy’s father], Porter Strong [Samuel Jones], George Neville [Tom Chudder], Charles Slattery [police inspector], Tyrone Power (Sr.) [street preacher], Morgan Wallace [masked violinist]

D.W. Griffith, Incorporated, production; distributed by United Artists Corporation. / Produced by D.W. Griffith. Scenario by Roy Sinclair (D.W. Griffith), from the stories “Gina of Chinatown” and “The Lamp in the Window” by Thomas Burke. Set design by Charles M. Kirk. Technical supervision by Frank ‘Huck’ Wortman. Cinematography by Hendrik Sartov. Edited by James Smith and Rose Smith. Original music score arranged by Louis Silvers. Presented by D.W. Griffith. / © 14 June 1921 [LP16672]. Premiere 12 April 1921 at the Central Theatre in New York, New York. General release 16 May 1921. / Standard 35mm spherical 1.37:1 format. Photokinema sound-on-disk sound system sequences. / Some dialogue scenes utilized the experimental Photokinema sound system developed by Orlando Kellum. The results were unacceptable and the publicly-shown sound sequences were limited to a love song by Ralph Graves. The sound version of the film received limited showings at the Town Hall in New York, New York. The film was cut to nine reels for general release. / Silent film, with synchronized sound sequences.

Drama.

Synopsis: Synopsis available in AFI-F2 n. F2.1438.

Survival Status: Print exists.

Keywords: Chinese - Composers - Dancers - Early sound film - Families: Brother-brother relationships - Gambling - Music halls - Poets - Police: Detectives - Singers - Synchronized sound film - United Kingdom: England: London

Listing updated: 13 October 2006.

References: AFI-F2 n. F2.1438; Bardèche-History p. 202; Barry-Griffith pp. 35, 67, 69, 84; Everson-American pp. 76, 98, 171, 184; Fell-History pp. 56, 71; Geduld-Birth pp. 69, 70; Limbacher-Feature p. 68; Perry-British p. 60; Vermilye-Twenties p. 55 : Photoplay-24-1 p. 10.

Home Video: DVD.