Queen Kelly is the title of an Americansilent film produced in 1929. A silent film is a film which has no accompanying soundtrack. ... 1929 was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ...
The film was directed by Erich von Stroheim and starred Gloria Swanson in the title role, a poor student in a convent who pursued by, and ultimately marries, a young prince. The film director, on the right, gives last minute direction to the cast and crew, whilst filming a costume drama on location in London. ... Erich Von Stroheim (September 22, 1885 - May 12, 1957) was a filmmaker and actor, noted for his arrogant Teutonic character parts. ... Gloria Swanson (March 27, 1897 – April 4, 1983) was an American actress. ...
Queen Kelly was widely publicised during its production as a result of its elaborate sets and high production values, however the production proved to very difficult. Von Stroheim had created more than four hours worth of film with much of the story remaining to be filmed, when Swanson frustrated by his filming methods had production stopped. The footage was edited down to a manageable length but was not successful with either critics, or the viewing public. Von Stroheim's career was virtually ruined by the event, with Hollywood producers viewing him as undisciplined. Swanson's own career was severely damaged by the enterprise. She had new scenes filmed in 1932 which provided some conclusion to some of the storylines, and this new version was released in 1933. It also failed to find an audience. 1932 is a leap year starting on a Friday. ... 1933 was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ...
Scenes from the film were seen in the film Sunset Boulevard being watched by Gloria Swanson as Norma Desmond, and Von Stroheim playing her former director and husband. The film was depicted as having been one of Norma Desmond's great successes. For the Broadway production see: Sunset Boulevard (musical). ...
The film has been reassessed by some modern critics who consider that it contains some of von Stroheim's most striking work, however the length of the film was unsuitable for cinema audiences.
Because QueenKelly was a vanity project, a prestige product for an actress who'd recently become an independent producer; it was financed by her lover Joseph Kennedy, bootlegger, father of JFK, and the man who saved the company that would become RKO, even if he didn't know the first thing about movies.
Kelly was to have been an actress's tour-de-force, in which Swanson would have to master all styles from comedy to tragedy, all emotions from love to degradation.
Kelly herself makes the connection between the two worlds when, cracking under the emotional pressure of the ghastly wedding ceremony, she replaces in hallucination the priest with the supplicating Wolfram, again opening up extraordinary thematic possibilities never to be explored.
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