The Joyless Street (1925)

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01/03/1925 (DE)•Drama•2h 28m

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Open any door in Melchior Alley, and you'll come face to face with naked misery.

Overview

In 1921, we follow two women - Marie and Grete - from the same poor Viennese neighborhood, as they try to better the lives of themselves and their families during the period of Austrian postwar hyperinflation.

Top Billed Cast

Werner Krauss
Josef Geiringer
Jaro Fürth
Hofrat Rumfort
Greta Garbo
Greta Rumfort
Asta Nielsen
Maria Lechner (Mizzi)
Agnes Esterhazy
Regine
Karl Etlinger
Generaldirektor Rosenow
Henry Stuart
Einar Hanson
Ilka Grüning

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Reviews 1

A review by CinemaSerf

7.0

Written by CinemaSerf on Jun 6, 2022

This is quite a complex and telling tale of a poverty-stricken family struggling to survive in a post Great war Vienna at the star of the 1920s. The extent of their deprivation almost drives Greta Garbo ("Greta") to sell herself to put food on the table, it certainly drives her to petty crime. To be honest this rather drab and gritty story from the pen of Hugo Bettauer (who also wrote the superb "City Without Jews" (1938)) is, in itself, nothing particular to write home about - It's the excellent, earthy and well crafted performances from the sisters "Marie" (Asta Nielsen) and Garbo alongside ...