Enlarge image The Loves of Pharaoh (© San Francisco Silent Film Festival) THE LOVES OF PHARAOH ( Ernst Lubitsch )stars Emil Jannings as Amenes, a powerful Egyptian Pharaoh who to prevent war needs to marry Theonis (Dagny Servaes), the daughter of the Ethiopian king. But Amenes discovers that he has a rival for her affection, his advisor Ramphis (Harry Liedtke). Lubitsch made THE LOVES OF PHARAOH  to show Hollywood that he could make epics. Lubitsch's plan worked, and he became a top Hollywood director. He followed with the revered THE LOVE PARADE, NINOTCHKA and THE SHOP AROUND THE CORNER. Musical accompaniment by Dennis James.

Enlarge image Pandora's Box (© denversilentfilm.org) PANDORA'S BOX was directed by G.W. Pabst, a significant filmmaker in his own right. From the early ’20s into the early sound era, the Austrian-born director made a number of socially conscious and sexually frank movies. But ever since Pandora’s Box was “rediscovered” some decades ago, the emphasis has been on its bewitching 22-year-old star Louise Brooks. Musical accompaniment by the Matti Bye Ensemble.

Enlarge image Docks of New York (© San Francisco Silent Film Festival) Josef Von Sternberg’s atmospheric, shadowy DOCKS OF NEW YORK presages film noir in its depiction of hapless souls straight out of a police blotter. In a seedy bar, a sailor (George Bancroft) and a good-time girl (Betty Compson) create a bond out of animal attraction and commiseration. Their romance is unsentimental and von Sternberg’s characteristic exquisite camerawork and framing imbue the story with depth and courage. Musical accompaniment by Donald Sosin. It screens on Sunday/July 15/12 noon/Castro Theatre at 429 Castro Street near Market.

See the attached PDF for a full program note:

The Loves of Pharaoh [pdf, 627.02k]

Docks of New York [pdf, 1,233.08k]
Pandora's Box [pdf, 886.16k]