gagman66 Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 Wonderful movie starring Janet Gaynor and Charles Farrell, the most beloved on-screen couple of their day. Directed by Frank Borzage. Definitely a TCM premier. This Thursday the 17th at 2 PM Eastern time. I only wish it were debuting in Prime-time, along with the more famous *SEVENTH HEAVEN (1927)*. But *STREET ANGEL* is a great film, in it's own right.If you haven't seen this before set you DVR, DVD Recorder, or whatever it is that you use.Be sure to have plenty of Kleenex on hand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hibi Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 I've been watching for this and will be recording it! I dont get why this is being thrown off in the afternoon when this is a long awaited TCM premiere. Very strange! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kinokima Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 Luckily I will be home (the small benefits of being out of work). But yes I am definitely looking forward to this. I also really want to see Seventh Heaven. It is on my Netflix Queue but it would still be nice if TCM airs it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gagman66 Posted February 15, 2011 Author Share Posted February 15, 2011 Kinokima, I wouldn't get *SEVENTH HEAVEN* from Netflix. It's my understanding that what they have of *STREET ANGEL* is a bad bootleg transfer of the old Critics Choice VHS release. Most likely *SEVENTH HEAVEN* is as well. The only way you can get these in the States in good prints with cleaned up audio tracks is to buy the huge Murnau/Borzage box set collection from Fox. However, the BFI in Region 2 in the UK has both films together for a very reasonable price. In November both films were released on Blu-ray in France. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kinokima Posted February 16, 2011 Share Posted February 16, 2011 Gagman reviews for Street Angel are negative about the print on Netflix but no mention of this issue on Seventh Heaven. Hopefully they have the good print. I will consider your suggestion about getting it from the UK however. Are you sure those prints are good? If I rent something with a not a great print it's one thing but buying something is a different matter. The US Murnau/Borzage boxset however is way beyond my price range right now. Actually I think it is a shame those films are now only available in an expensive box set. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gagman66 Posted February 16, 2011 Author Share Posted February 16, 2011 Kinokima, Yes, the prints are good. If you get the BFI (British Film Institute) set. they should be as good or better than in Murnau/Borzage. The print of *LUCKY STAR* from the BFI is excellent. Though, I am not big on Chris Caliendo's score. I like some of it, but there is plenty of the music I don't like. Both *7TH HEAVEN* and *STREET ANGEL* have the Movie-tone tracks. As long as you can play Pal format and region 2 this is the best option by far. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kinokima Posted February 16, 2011 Share Posted February 16, 2011 I can play Region 2 DVDs and I have bought things from the UK before without a problem but I guess I won't know until I try. I am going to add those DVDs to my wish list on Amazon UK. But hopefully TCM will consider playing Seventh Heaven soon (it won't be until after May at this point though). Just to double check I am guessing this is the DVD set you mean right? http://www.amazon.co.uk/Frank-Borzage-Vol-Seventh-Heaven/dp/B001TQROB2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1297817543&sr=8-1 edit: Also do you know anything about this DVD of Sunrise? http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sunrise-Masters-Cinema-George-OBrien/dp/B002J91V3K/ref=wl_it_dp_o?ie=UTF8&coliid=I1I7XD70X81ONU&colid=3M1LARDJEFAD1 Edited by: Kinokima on Feb 15, 2011 7:57 PM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redheadedwoman Posted February 16, 2011 Share Posted February 16, 2011 I'm traveling and the past 2 hotels I've been in have not had TCM! Very disappointing, I'd like to see this! I guess it could be worse, at least I am somewhere warm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gagman66 Posted February 16, 2011 Author Share Posted February 16, 2011 Kinokima, Yes, those are the DVD's from the BFI. Notice there is also one with *LUCKY STAR.* I don't have a Blu-Ray player yet, but i have heard that the Eureka Master's of Cinema version of *SUNRISE* looks very nice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JonasEB Posted February 16, 2011 Share Posted February 16, 2011 Kinokima, the international DVDs and Blu-rays from BFI and Carlotta (France, I have these) are from the same prints Fox used for the Murnau, Borzage, and Fox box set. Fine quality all around I have the Masters of Cinema Blu-ray of Sunrise which is excellent so I can affirm the quality of the DVD. Like the Borzage films, it is sourced directly from Fox (and it's the transfer TCM shows.) You get two versions of the film: the original American cut and an export cut from the Czech Republic of exceptionally high quality (the American cut is a multi-generation 35 mm copy with weakened contrast and detail, the export version is a first generation print made in 1927.) Eureka's Masters of Cinema sub-company is the "UK Criterion", so that should tell you all you need to know about their standards (in fact, Criterion, BFI, and MOC have close working relationships and share transfers and materials between each other.) The Blu-rays of Sunrise, Seventh Heaven, and Street Angel (and Murnau's City Girl and Borzage's Lucky Star) are all notably region free but if you don't have a Blu-ray player the DVDs are certainly nothing to scoff at. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hibi Posted February 17, 2011 Share Posted February 17, 2011 So did anyone watch it this afternoon? (NO spoilers, please!) I cant wait to see it (I recorded it) Will watch it this wknd................ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
misswonderly3 Posted February 17, 2011 Share Posted February 17, 2011 Yes, I watched it this afternoon. Plus I taped it (Hallelujah ! I can finally say that - taped ! ) Anyway, I won't post any spoilers, I'll just say I loved it. Janet Gaynor had a very sweet face, suits silent films very well. The young man who plays her beloved is very good-looking and appealing too. Why am I just talking about the looks of the lead actors ? It was a wonderful film, with that mysterious almost other-worldly look that many silent movies have. I was totally engaged in watching it. After seeing a film like that, I'm more puzzled than ever with people who say they don't like silent movies. The more I watch them, the more I like them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FredCDobbs Posted February 17, 2011 Share Posted February 17, 2011 Wow, ?Street Angel? was a wonderful film. I?ve never seen it before. TCM airs several Frank Borzage films, such as China Doll, Moonrise, The Spanish Main, Stage Door Canteen, Smilin? Through, Billy the Kid, Flight Command, The Mortal Storm, Strange Cargo, Three Comrades, Flirtation Walk, A Farewell to Arms, and others. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kinokima Posted February 17, 2011 Share Posted February 17, 2011 Thank you Jonas for the information Anyways I watched Street Angel today and enjoyed it. Gaynor & Farrell were really good and they had great chemistry. The film did get a bit melodramatic for me at parts towards the end but other than that I enjoyed it. Loved the scenes at the circus especially. This film also had a really nice soundtrack with certain songs being sung with words. I was impressed with that. I also liked that some of the music was the same used in one of my favorite films from the 30's Trouble in Paradise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gagman66 Posted February 17, 2011 Author Share Posted February 17, 2011 *STREET ANGEL* is one of the greatest of Silent films. Your heart melts. Janet Gaynor and Charles Farrell are both magnificent. It's just so tragic that better materials of this picture do not survive. Original Negatives were destroyed in the 1937 Fox Vault fire. The best source now is maybe 5th generation at best. *SEVENTH HEAVEN* is in similar condition, but that is still a little crisper, at times allot sharper, and I know for a fact that Museum of Modern Art has much better elements on the film, despite Fox claim that this is the best available. It isn't. Hope you recorded *STREET ANGEL* on the highest bit-rate. For the Murnau/Borzage set, I still think that Fox clearly spent some bucks on restorations of *LAZY BONES,* a new transfer of *SUNRISE, CITY GIRL,* and *LUCKY STAR,* both look wonderful, but they didn't bother much with either *7TH HEAVEN* or *STREET ANGEL.* No one can tell me any different. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cody1949 Posted February 22, 2011 Share Posted February 22, 2011 I finally found the time to watch this movie. Wow ! I was so moved by this film. A wonderful surprise.Gaynor and Farrell were a perfect match. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now