Piccadilly (1929)

A young Chinese woman, working in the kitchen at a London dance club, is given the chance to become the club's main act which soon leads to a plot of betrayal, forbidden love and murder.

Writer:

Arnold Bennett (an original screenplay by)

Stars:

Gilda Gray, Anna May Wong, Jameson Thomas

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Gilda Gray	...	Mabel Greenfield
Anna May Wong	...	Shosho
Jameson Thomas	...	Valentine Wilmot
Charles Laughton	...	A Nightclub Diner
Cyril Ritchard	...	Victor Smiles (as Cyrill Ritchard)
King Hou Chang	...	Jim (as King Ho Chang)
Hannah Jones	...	Bessie

Storyline

The star attraction of the Piccadilly Club is the dancing team of Mabel and Vic. Victor is infatuated with Mabel, but she rejects his advances, since she is in love with Valentine Wilmot, the club's owner. One night, as Mabel and Vic perform their act, there is a disruption caused by a customer who is unhappy about a dirty plate. When Wilmot goes back to the kitchen to investigate, he finds several employees in the scullery watching Shosho, one of the dishwashers, dancing on a table. That night, Wilmot fires both Shosho and Victor. But the club's sagging fortunes soon lead him to re-evaluate Shosho's talent.

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Plot Keywords:

dancing | dishwasher | chinese | murder | nightclub | 

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Genres:

Drama | Crime

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Certificate:

TV-PG

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

1 June 1929 (USA)

Also Known As:

Nachtwelt

Filming Locations:

British International Pictures Studios, Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

British International Pictures (BIP)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

92 min 109 min (restored)

Sound Mix:

Mono Silent

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

This film was screened for free at the Royal Festival Hall in London on Saturday 12th September 2009 as part of the Thames Festival. It was accompanied by a live performance of a new score written by Ruth Chen and Suki Mok.

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Goofs

During the inquest, the handgun is repeatedly referred to as a revolver. It is obviously a small semiautomatic, and not a revolver.

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Crazy Credits

The opening credits appear on the sides of London buses.

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Connections

Featured in Silent Britain (2006)

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Soundtracks

"When Love Comes Stealing"
(1928) (uncredited)
Music and Lyrics by Erno Rapee, Lew Pollack and Walter Hirsch
The sheet music is shown onscreen; possibly used in the score

User Reviews

Interesting Blend of Elements, & A Dazzling Performance By Anna May Wong

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.