This film may not have the most flowing story line but it is an interesting view of life in the 1917 American city.
We get a view of the criminal underworld, the city legal system struggling to deal with it, and fashions that were beginning to head in the direction of the 1920s flappers.
Criminals do their "slumming" and scheming at the Dolphin night club in a Spartan atmosphere with talented black jazz musicians. Later in the court room scenes, there appears to be more overblown grandstanding, than cogent legal arguments being made. I'm not sure how realistic these two depictions are but at least they are visions from a 1917 film maker's perspective.
The women's fashions were an interesting transition between old lady temperance outfits and oversized flapper dresses (ie. A flapper dress shaped like a tent rather than a pencil). Their hats were puffy or odd-shaped rather than the tighter caps from the 1920s.
The print that I saw was a restoration by the George Eastman Museum. They did an excellent job as it was mostly clear and detailed but there was significant nitrate deterioration in several spots that made for difficult viewing. I recommend visiting the George Eastman Museum if you are ever near Rochester, NY.
The other review here by Bob Lipton does a great job setting up the story and assessing the plot. Be sure to read that review too.
We get a view of the criminal underworld, the city legal system struggling to deal with it, and fashions that were beginning to head in the direction of the 1920s flappers.
Criminals do their "slumming" and scheming at the Dolphin night club in a Spartan atmosphere with talented black jazz musicians. Later in the court room scenes, there appears to be more overblown grandstanding, than cogent legal arguments being made. I'm not sure how realistic these two depictions are but at least they are visions from a 1917 film maker's perspective.
The women's fashions were an interesting transition between old lady temperance outfits and oversized flapper dresses (ie. A flapper dress shaped like a tent rather than a pencil). Their hats were puffy or odd-shaped rather than the tighter caps from the 1920s.
The print that I saw was a restoration by the George Eastman Museum. They did an excellent job as it was mostly clear and detailed but there was significant nitrate deterioration in several spots that made for difficult viewing. I recommend visiting the George Eastman Museum if you are ever near Rochester, NY.
The other review here by Bob Lipton does a great job setting up the story and assessing the plot. Be sure to read that review too.
