Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Victor Sjöström

Victor Sjöström began his film making career in Sweden. As happens so often, especially in the early days of commercial film making, the big money of Hollywood, U.S.A. called out to him and he released some very good movies, using the name Victor Seastorm. We would work with, Lillian Gish, Lon Chaney as well as Greta Garbo before he would quit directing in 1937.

The Phantom Carriage-Körkarlen (1921) What an idea, the last person to die before New Year is required to drove the carriage of death for the coming year. Sjöström presents a haunting story full of saints and sinners. I had first found this on youtube (someone had place it their in it's entirity). Since my first viewing there, it has come up on Turner Classic movies, giving me an opportunity to record it onto dvd for a future viewing pleasures.

Notable Exceptions: TCM has shown several of his Hollywood films and I really liked "He Who Laughs" with Lon Chaney as well as "The Wind" and "The Scarlet Letter" both starring Lillian Gish who, if the story I remember is correct, worked with Swedish actors that DID NOT speak English.


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