Cinema Cram: Film 12: Anna Christie (1930)

How this works

We will release a movie every ten days beginning with Birth of a Nation (1915) and then jumping to the 1920's where we will release one new movie for each year within the decade. Our goal is to work our way from the 20's to the present while gaining insight into the evolution of film. All the movies we choose will be available through Netflix. The basic idea is to build a community of like-minded film fans and connect them with a forum for discussion. Without futher ado...it's time to Cinema Cram!

5/2/10

Film 12: Anna Christie (1930)

Netflix Summary: This classic drama based on the play by Eugene O'Neill stars Greta Garbo as Anna Christie, a woman with a murky past who finds true love with a sailor (Charles Bickford). The film features classic O'Neill themes of dispossessed, disenfranchised people trying nobly to persevere and advance "up the ladder." Garbo is luminous in her first talking picture.

From Wikipedia: Another adaptation by Frances Marion was released in 1930 directed by Clarence Brown, starring Greta Garbo, Charles Bickford, George F. Marion and Marie Dressler. This pre-Code film used the marketing slogan "Garbo Talks!", as it was her first talkie. Her first spoken line has become her most famous: "Give me a whiskey with ginger ale on the side, and don't be stingy, baby." George F. Marion performed the role of Anna's father in the original Broadway production and in both the 1923 and 1930 film adaptations.