Dream Street
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Dream Street (D.W. Griffith, April 1921) based on ‘Limehouse Nights’ by Thomas Burke (as well as ‘Broken Blossoms’) camera Hendrik Sartov, with Carol Dempster for D.W. Griffith Productions / United Artists 1.
Based on the ‘Gina of Chinatown’ and ‘The Sign of the Lamp’, stories from the short story collection ‘Limehouse Nights’ by Thomas Burke, whose stories set in London’s Chinatown’s East End and which also form the basis for ‘Broken Blossoms.’
In the introduction we see harbor images such as in ‘Broken Blossoms’. In the first title, Griffith already indicates that the people we see may only exist in a dream. Dream Street could be in Limehouse, London, or maybe not. The power of Good, especially of CONSCIENCE, is represented by the street preacher. The power of TEMPTATION to EVIL is represented by the violinist, a Trickster from the streets. Our players compete between these two with the Evening Star above them, symbol of Eternal Love.
We see two brothers. James (Spike) McFadden, who conquers men with his fist and women with his voice, is the undisputed king of the neighborhood. He walks around in a nice suit and a bowler hat. His devoted brother, Billie, plays harmonica and wants the world to hear the song that burns within him. Although Spike works at the port, the brothers are rightly or wrongly suspected of illegal activities. They have been orphans since their early years and are very devoted to each other. In a flashback at
There are holidays when it sometimes seems as if those dreams come true. There is a crowd of people partying in the street and Spike and Billie are there. Ever since (the negro) Samuel Jones arrived on a ship with mules, he has been trying to get back home to Georgia. He now plays an illegal dice game on the street and flees from the police. Gypsy climbs on a donkey and rides it for a while. But then she falls off the donkey and, while she resists,, she is helped up by Spike, who likes her.
We now come to the shop of the old pawnbroker Tom Chudder (which looks from the outside like the shop of Cheng Huan in ‘Broken Blossoms’). From beneath his counter runs an underground passage to the harbor, through which strange merchandise, hidden from the police, is transported. He blinds the shop window and pushes a piece of counter aside. From underneath comes a man with packages (contraband). Tom is often a friend in need for Gypsy. She comes to retrieve her few possessions. Gypsy is aware that the secret tunnel is a very delicate matter for the pawnbroker and remains silent as a grave. Poverty has put Gypsy’s father under the thumb of the police inspector who visits him. Father is a police informant, a decoy.
We now see the symbol of Conscience, the street preacher proclaiming truths to a group of followers. The voice of the Evening Star may speak through a Sayer of the Ancient Truths: ‘Faith, Hope and Love.’ But the most important of these three is: LOVE. For isn’t it true that the distant, fatherly, God-like voice (of Jesus through the street preacher in a shot at
We see Sway Wan’s gambling house, which is a haunt of those hidden from the police. A group of men, including Spike, are gambling. Sway Wan from Shanghai is sitting at the table with Spike. A renegade from a noble family in China, he has forgotten the plum blossoms of his youth – he now suffers from bad dreams. Among the people dancing in the street stands a violinist with a whitewashed face: ‘The Evil Influence, a deceiver whose music stirs strange, evil thoughts in the heart.’ What things influence us? Isn’t it true that Satan, the Prince of the Pit of Evil Thoughts, still whispers:
Eat and drink, because tomorrow the lights go out.
Sin is as important as noble strength;
For tell me Neighbor, how can there be without the WRONG,
The RIGHT.
Bystanders are dancing around the violinist. This image passes via a title into the Pit of Evil Thoughts, which is apparently connected to the underworld. A kind of orgy is taking place behind the violinist and a devil is standing next to the violinist. ‘As if these evil voices are speaking through the strings of his violin.’ Scantily clad girls in underwear climb up from the pit while the violinist continues to make music. ‘Selfishness is the father of Beastliness, Hatred, War.’ Half-naked men, including one with a club, struggle and merge into the dancing audience around the violinist via a hard cut. There are men negotiating with whores. Spike comes over and has fun among the dancing people. The audience steps up, the violinist receives a penny and then takes off his white face mask. Behind it appears a man with an ugly face, a burning cigarette in his mouth, smoke and a mouth with devilishly sharp teeth. The mystery of the mask arouses interest among his small audience. The sensually beautiful mask of Evil also hides – but if you could see behind it…’ We see an evening sky with stars, including one very bright one. ‘While the Evening Star, the Star of Eternal Hope and Divine Love, looks down on the great and the small, the absurd and the sublime on Earth.
The street preacher says:
Life is not what it seems:
It’s just something that exists in our dreams,
So make those dreams pure and sweet.’
Spike comes up to the preacher, makes fun of him and thinks what he says is nonsense, pushes the girl behind the organ and takes a bystander over his shoulder, spins him around a few times and threatens a few others.‘The thoughtlessness of the exultant youth.’
In the music hall the room fills up, while the screen that closes the stage reads reassuringly ‘asbestos’. This is the music hall at the harbor, where ships bring people from the far corners of the earth. The orchestra in the orchestra pit plays music and in addition to Spike and his brother, Samuel Jones and Sway Wan are also in the audience. Gypsy, the leader of the Casino Dance Girls, arrives at the stage entrance. The dancers are changing and the asbestos screen is being hoisted up. Two dancers appear on stage and perform a dance. In the locker room it goes like: Hurry! Put on your clothes! Gypsy is helped by the dresser to put on her stockings. Spike finds the performance a bit sleep-inducing. Gypsy is now ready for the performance. The dancers make their way to the stage. But then a fire breaks out in the wings. A damaged cable causes sparks and ignites the canvas. There is panic and the staff tries to extinguish the fire with buckets of water. The asbestos screen is lowered, but smoke comes out from under the screen. This leads to panic in the room and people look for the exit. The theater management says to a clown: ‘Go on stage, give them a song – something! There is panic!’ People are threatening to trample each other in the aisles. But then Gypsy offers: ‘I’ll try.’ The orchestra starts playing and the asbestos screen is pulled up. Gypsy jumps onto the stage and does a Russian dance, a pirouette and a few somersaults. ‘Keep an eye on the aisles! Otherwise they will trample each other.’ People faint in the pushing crowd. Gypsy shouts: ‘Sit down! I am the only fire here!’ They manage to extinguish the fire and the audience is ‘calmed down again by her courageous performance.’ Sway Wan catches a garter that Gipsy throws into the audience and is completely happy. Also Spike and his brother are both in love. ‘In the hearts of each of the brothers, a love for Gypsy arises that is bound to ignite a problematic fire. Gypsy receives thunderous applause and a big shout-out. The theater director says to her: ‘Girl, you get a contract for the next six months!’
Outside the violinist is playing again. Now booked on three pounds and six shillings a week, Gypsy thinks she is in heaven. Sway Wan looks at the garter at home. He notices that, ‘quite unexpectedly, he can look from his window into the room of the desirable Gypsy and even hear her voice.’ He lives right opposite, something that will become important for the story. At
A police raid follows and Sway Wan is arrested. He has to pay a fine the next morning. Gypsy is there and says to him in a hateful tone: ‘From now on you will let white girls alone.’ Sunday evening Spike and his brother walk past the bank of the river. Spike meets Gypsy there, who is out with a friend. He is a bit pawsy and immediately gets a kick on the foot. It’s your own fault gestures Gypsy, even though she likes him. And then he sings a song inspired by his feelings of love. Now the girlfriend is interested in Spike. Coincidentally, a theater producer, who is looking for local talent, comes by and hears Spike singing. ‘Not bad! An excellent baritone!’ Meanwhile, Billie McFadden tells Gypsy that he wrote the song Spike sang. Spike says: ‘Yes, he wrote it, but ask him to sing it.’ If the theater producer had managed to find the singer, the story would have turned out differently. Meanwhile, Spike impresses Gypsy’s girlfriend with his singing, while Gypsy looks at Billie with love. Gypsy and her friend clear off and leave Billie and Spike alone.
‘In response to the raid on his gambling house, Sway Wan swears revenge against Gypsy and all those associated with her and for this he teams up with a criminal and old arch enemy of Spike.’ Billie makes shy attempts to win Gypsy over: ‘I wrote the song my brother sings – about you.’ But Spike loves action and Gypsy is more sensitive to that. After some hesitation, he grabs Gypsy while Sway Wan watches from the dark, holding a dagger. Spikes picks up the handkerchief Gypsy dropped on and smells it gloriously. But Gypsy doesn’t want to be held by Spikes, pulls away and hits him in the face with the handkerchief. Sway Wan puts the dagger back in the sleeve of his jacket. Gypsy ponders: ‘Oh, God, what’s wrong with me that men only love me the wrong way?’ Billie saves the proceeds from the first song he sold in a jar for Gypsy. He’s so crazy about her: ‘Help me protect her! If a man touches her I will kill him.’
‘Shadows.’ Gypsy’s weakened father sits in the chair on Gypsy’s lap and she embraces him lovingly. Spikes fulminates against his brother: _‘Put money away for her! A snitching daughter of a snitching father! And indeed the police inspector visits Gypsy and her sick father again. Spike’s nemesis, enlisted by Sway Wan, attacks Billie in the stairwell and threatens to strangle him as Samuel Jones watches, but Spikes comes to protect his brother and knocks the attacker down the stairs. Gypsy’_s father, lying in the chair, asks her to perform her new dance for him. Gypsy then performs a clumsy dance. And while she hops around, he collapses limply in the chair: he has died and the doctor diagnoses death, after which Gypsy faints. Above all the shadows on earth, the Star of Eternal Love shines through the clouds.
A few months later, Billie is an usher at the theater - just to be close to Gypsy. But the director tells him: ‘ Don’t bother me – I don’t want any more songs from you.’ To Billie’s shock, a new admirer of Gypsy appears in the theater. But she says to him: ‘No thank you, no wine parties for me!’ Billie says to her: ‘Are you bothered by these kinds of men, Gypsy?’ In an extreme close-up, Gypsy answers, sad and with a handkerchief to her mouth (
Gypsy goes home, but Spike is already waiting for her in the stairwell. He talks to her, but she wants nothing to do with him (close-up
When young lips and young kisses meet,
I love you – I love you –
My own, my love.
She is seduced by his singing, but does not open the door. But he slams the door open and suddenly stands in front of her threateningly. ‘I’ll stay here and I’ll make sure you enjoy it.’ Come here and sit down.’ Gypsy demonstratively sits at a distance and yawns. He becomes increasingly angry and orders her to take a seat next to him, but she refuses. A flower merchant stands outside with his cart. Billie buys some flowers for Gypsy there. A little later, Billie stands hesitantly with his bouquet of flowers in front of the apartment door (
Their feet walk in the dim streets, but perhaps their faces can be lifted up to the Star. We see the star appear in the sky again. And we see the street preacher preaching. Spike walks around restlessly and thinks back (mental POV
Gypsy comes out on the street and sits on a bench. Sway Wan arrives in the stairwell of Spike and Billie’s home with the nemesis of Spike that he has engaged and points to the door of their apartment. Spike meets Gypsy outside and rages at her again. Billie sees that from a distance. Spike says: ‘Say, if I told you what I think of you! Do you think I care about a girl like you! Gypsy barely reacts (in close-up
In Spike and Billie’s home Spike’s old nemesis walks around. When Billie enters he attacks the intruder and a fierce fight develops. The image of the preacher passes by, but the image of the violinist wins out and Billie, who is cornered, takes out his revolver and shoots. In the stairwell, Samuel Jones flees when he hears shooting. The intruder falls dead, Billie tries in vain to revive him and he realizes what he has done. Samuel Jones tries to accost passers-by outside. Meanwhile, Spike comes home and finds an upset Billie screaming. The two passers-by walk up the stairwell, hear Billie’s scream and look up (acoustic coupling
A whole group follows him through foggy London. The pursuers report Spike’s flight to an officer on the street and give chase. Spike runs through dim, misty alleys and streets and flees into a house. Billie takes shelter with Gypsy’s downstairs neighbor. Sway Wan sees that Spike is wanted by the police and sees that as good news. There are already police at Spike and Billie’s home, where the victim is lying on the floor. The police inspector enters with the passers-by and they declare: ‘It was Spike McFadden who did this.’ Meanwhile, Spike flees to Sway Wan’s house and, unaware of Sway Wan’s hidden enmity for Gypsy, has him deliver a message to Gypsy. Gypsy is happily dancing in her room in nightwear. She opens her door a crack and Sway Wan throws a note inside. Gypsy is pleased when she reads the note and a little later arrives at Spike’s house with Sway Wan. Billie sends out the downstairs neighbor where he is hiding. Sway Wan leaves through a door and past a curtain to the back room and Spike takes Gypsy in his arms. Spike says they are after him for murder, only ‘I didn’t do it, do you believe me?’ Sway Wan now puts on his beautiful silk coat and goes to keep an eye on the hallway through an open door. Spike says to Gypsy: ‘The cops are watching all the streets, get my money and bring it to your house.’ Gypsy leaves after an emotional farewell to Spike, but is dragged into the back room by Sway Wan in the hallway.
There he tells her that one word out will make him send the detective to her sweetheart. Through the open window, Gypsy (eyeball POV
Meanwhile, the disappointed Sway Wan has taken off his silk coat. The police inspector knocks on Gypsy’s door and asks: ‘Where is Spike.’ She says she doesn’t know and when the inspector says that Spike killed a man she does a dance. ‘Stop that nonsense, Gypsy, if he comes to you you have to give me a signal, that’s worth five pounds.’ The conversation between Gypsy and the inspector can be followed by Sway Wan through his window. Gypsy, to get rid of the policeman, pretends to agree. The signal that Gypsy has to give comes from the oil lamp, of which she has to lift the shade, making the flame clearly visible outside. Sway Wan sees the lamp from his nearby window. The inspector says: ‘ I’m standing on the other side of the street, lift the hood when Spike comes.’ When the policeman has left, Gypsy collapses in despair.
Spike walks into the stairwell of Gypsy’s home. At the back is the door of the downstairs neighbor’s apartment where Billie is hiding. When Spike enters Gypsy’s house Gypsy standing by the window calls his name. Sway Wan hears this (acoustic coupling
Spike meanwhile plays with Gypsy’s nightgown and smells it. Sway Wan crosses a long wire with a hook across the street through the windows, hooks it to the lampshade and lifts it up. This is the signal the inspector is waiting for. Thus, Spike’s fate is sealed as he cuddles with the nightgown. Harsh fate thus befalls Spike while we see his soft side. Meanwhile, an entire police force invades Gypsy’s home. When they are in the stairwell, Billie from the ground floor apartment at the back of the stairs hears the policemen talking (acoustic coupling
Love is gentle to the least of men,
Eee-awa, Eee - awa
The Eternal Star shines dimly now.
We are at the Court of Judicial Investigation, which is presided over by the police inspector. Witnesses are interrogated under oath. The prosecutor says: ‘As the investigation shows, this prisoner previously savagely attacked the unfortunate victim in the hallway.’ Spike feels like he has been betrayed by everyone (including Gypsy). And Gypsy sits in court with an expressionless face (typical of Carol Dempster in this film). The next witness is the passerby who says Spike dropped the gun on the table. Billie is still at his hiding place and is struggling with two feelings: he feels remorse because Spike seems to be paying for his crime. This is also symbolized by the image of the preacher (
Sometimes dreams come true. It is no coincidence that their dark path leads to light, because dreams are our inner self and perhaps they would all come true if only we would dream right. In a luxurious interior and expensively dressed, Spike and Gypsy stand with the theater manager: ‘This (contract) offers an opportunity for your art and your voice to bring beauty to the world.’ The precious wedding gift is of equal importance to their big contract. Gypsy signs the contract and Billie appears in a nice suit: after penance he has been pardoned by the King. Billie has the music of a new song with him and shows it to the theater manager. Delighted, the three of them leave. ‘Dream Street’s sweetest dream’ we see at Gypsy and Spike’s home: a little daughter that they are very happy with. Out of Billie’s concerns came a great composition - to the Eternal Star, which brings hopeful excitement - and Love, in the hearts of the people. Billie sings the song and Uncle Billie’s best listener is the daughter playing with her doll. So everything is harmonious and happy again and the Evening Star shines in the London sky. End.
Mental POV:
- Gypsy just makes things up: in the harbor she sometimes dreams that she is an Egyptian princess. At
00:08:12 we see Gypsy’s dream in mental POV: she is standing there as one of three Egyptian dancers (model Denishawn Dancers). - Spike walks around restlessly, thinking back (mental POV
01:14:26 ) of how he threatened Gypsy. - And Spike thinks of Gypsy (close-up and mental POV
01:16:24 ). - When the passers-by enter the room and see the victim, Spike thinks for a moment about his brother and his sadness (mental POV
01:30:22 ). - Gypsy feels a sharp dagger on the table behind him and thinks of Spike (mental POV
01:41:21 ). - ‘That Old Chudder (the pawnbroker) will do anything for you – he could let me go through that tunnel.’ We see in mental POV at
01:50:31 the entrance to the tunnel that Spike has in mind. - Sway Wan tries to ingratiate himself with the police inspector and tells him how he helped catch Spike by lifting the lampshade (mental POV
02:04:27 ). - ‘Greater love has no man than this, for he lays down his life for his friends.’ Spike sees in his mind’s eye Mount Golgotha with the three crosses (mental POV
02:07:05 ). - ‘He came to rob me – I had to do it – for…’ And then we see (in mental POV
02:09:30 ) how Billie was attacked by Sway Wan’s accomplice , ended up on the ground, hit with a chair and shot the intruder dead in self-defense.
Eyeball POV:
- Sway Wan lives right across from Gypsy. At
00:32:51 we get to see in an eyeball POV shot what Sway Wan sees through the two windows : the middle part of Gypsy’s body. But now Gypsy is going to undress, we see her underdress and she quickly closes the blinds. - Through the open window, Gypsy (eyeball POV
01:39:11 ) sees the police patrolling on the street.
Relational cross-cut:
At
Shadows:
The violinist plays in the gambling hall, while black menacing shadows of dancing people are projected on the back wall (
(Extreme) close-up:
- In an extreme close-up, Gypsy replies, sad and with a handkerchief to her mouth (
00:55:09 ,00:55:23 ,00:55:36 ,00:55:49 ): ‘No – well, there’s one that’s really bad.’ - Gypsy goes home, but Spike is already waiting for her in the stairwell. He talks to her, but she doesn’t want nothing to do with him (close-up
00:58:45 ). - Gypsy barely reacts (in close-up
01:19:33 ), but Billie clenches his fists. - Spike bursts into tears and Gypsy is moved (extreme close-up
01:20:34 ,01:20:44 ) and, to Billie’s dismay, embraces Spike. But Spike continues to fight: ‘I am not a suitable partner for physical contact for you, Gypsy.’ But Gypsy (close-up01:21:22 ) doesn’t consider that as a problem
Acoustic coupling:
- Gypsy is terrified and hunted by him like prey. Billie hears (acoustic coupling
01:07:29 ) the fight taking place inside, during which Gypsy is thrown across the room and held in a headlock by Spike. - The two passers-by walk up the stairwell, hear Billie’s scream and look up (acoustic coupling
01:28:07 ). - When Spike enters Gypsy’s house, Gypsy standing by the window calls his name. Sway Wan hears this (acoustic coupling
01:49:47 ) from his house opposite. - When they are in the stairwell, Billie from the downstairs apartment at the back of the stairs hears the policemen talking (acoustic coupling
01:55:06 ).
Symbols:
The street preacher symbolizes the power of Good, especially of CONSCIENCE. The power of TEMPTATION to EVIL is symbolized by the violinist, a Swindler from the streets. Between these two battle Spike and Billie with above them the Evening Star, symbol of Eternal Love.
The underworld that occasionally comes into view symbolizes destruction, decadence and inappropriate lust.
Flowers as a sign of love:
- The next evening, Sway Wan stands at the artist entrance with a flower in his hand (
00:33:51 ). Another dancer walks past him and he drops the flower. But then Gypsy appears, picks up the flower and asks if it was meant for her. Sway Wan very carelessly asks if she wants to visit his hidden gambling house. Gypsy doesn’t like that and puts the flower in his clothes and leaves. In this way the flower can serve as an invitation to love, but also as a rejection. - Outside is a flower merchant with his cart. Billie buys some flowers for Gypsy there. A little later, Billie stands hesitantly with his bouquet of flowers in front of the apartment door (
01:04:24 ), does not dare to knock on the door and puts the bouquet of flowers down, after which he leaves. Billie writes then in the stairwell a note: ‘That white rose, it is so pure, that is you.’
Violence against women:
- When she comes home she sees the police inspector who apparently has a crush on her (
00:15:09 ) and takes her hand. She pulls her hand away and when the inspector has left, father says: ‘Men, Gypsy – look – you will have to fight your own battle.’ Gypsy gestures that she will slap the watching men. - Spike sits down next to Gypsy (
01:04:37 ) and tries to put his hand on her back, causing her to shoot up. But then the Evil Voice comes along, the violinist including his audience. Inspired by Evil, Spike grabs Gypsy again, chases her across the room and stands opposite her with clenched fists. Gypsy is terrified and hunted by him like prey. Billie hears the fight taking place inside, during which Gypsy is thrown across the room and held in a headlock by Spike.
Hands like claws:
Billie enters the room where Spike is chasing Gypsy and stands with hands like claws (
Billie sees Spike being taken away through the open door of the apartment at the back of the stairwell. In his desperation, his hands form into claws (
Griffith
probably wanted to repeat the success of ‘Broken Blossoms’ with ‘Dreamstreet’ and based his film on the same stories and setting, but missed the subtle acting of Richard Barthelmess, Lilian Gish and the magical photography of Billy Bitzer. The story is also far too complex and far too moralizing. Griffith made an attempt to add synchronous sound to his silent film in ‘Dreamstreet’ and used Orlando Kellum’s sound system, Photokinema, which used sound on a gramophone record. The sound quality was poor and the display system was only installed in two movie theaters in New York City. The silent version of Dream Street premiered on April 12, 1921. Audio recording was performed at Kellum’s Photokinema studio in New York on April 27, with the version premiering with Griffith’s synchronized spoken introduction on May 2 at Town Hall in New York City. On May 15, a version opened with two short sound clips in addition to Griffith’s introduction: Spike singing a love song and the background noise in the gambling house. With the exception of the Shubert Crescent Theater in Brooklyn, other theaters were only able to show the silent version while the reviews were scathing. The verdict varied from ‘disappointing’ to ‘horrific’, mainly due to – the missing – performance by Carol Dempster. Critics consider it Griffith’s worst film.