UNDERWORLD (1927)
Special Features: Silent with live musical accompaniment by the Anvil Orchestra
This was the film that launched director Josef von Sternberg's career. Ben Hecht, who wrote the screenplay, won the first ever Academy Award® for Best Writing, Original Story — among his uncredited collaborators were Howard Hawks and von Sternberg. "Bull" Weed (George Bancroft) is the high-living kingpin of Prohibition Chicago. When a rival gangster (Fred Kohler) puts the moves on Weed's girl (Evelyn Brent), the criminal code demands retaliation. A favorite of audiences and critics alike, UNDERWORLD is credited as the first gangster film, and the model for the popular genre. DIR Josef von Sternberg; SCR Ben Hecht, Robert N. Lee, Charles Furthman. U.S., 1927, b&w, 80 min. Silent with English intertitles. NOT RATED
No AFI Member passes accepted.
About the Anvil Orchestra
The Anvil Orchestra consists of Roger C. Miller and Terry Donahue of the Alloy Orchestra, who are joined by Boston drumming legend Larry Dersch. The Anvil Orchestra will continue the tradition of writing and performing original scores for silent films. theanvilorchestra.com
Run Time: 80 Minutes
Opening Date: Sunday, November 07, 2021
Genre: Silent drama
