Queen Kelly
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
|
Related e |
|
Featured: |
Queen Kelly is the title of an American silent film produced in 1928-29 and released in 1929, originally by United Artists.
The film was directed by Erich von Stroheim and starred Gloria Swanson in the title role.
A portion of the film was used in the 1950 film Sunset Boulevard, representing an old silent picture Swanson's character - herself a silent movie star - had made. Coincidentally, Von Stroheim is also a primary character in Sunset Boulevard, as her ex-director, ex-husband, and current butler.
The film was never completed as intended, although ultimately there was an alternate version that played in European theatres that wrapped up its storyline thanks to clever editing. In that ending, the title character commits suicide. In the most well-known version of the film, the title character is sent to live in an African brothel. By 1985, Kino International had acquired the rights to the movie and restored two versions, one that uses still photos and subtitles in an attempt to wrap up the storyline, and the other the European "suicide ending" version. Kino remains the rights holder and is responsible for all distribution, including television and home video.
See also
- Sunset Boulevard (1950)
