'Queen Kelly' was shot in 1928 and after three months the production was shut down. It was about to become the last movie Erich von Stroheim ever directed. Two years later, Gloria Swanson hired Gregg Toland to shoot some additional scenes to release the movie in Europe. Erich von Stroheim, who owned part of the property, refused to release the new version in the US.
I watched the Kino restoration where through found footage, production stills, and additional title cards the original intended ending in East-Africa was recreated. The first half of the movie is a perfectly lavish camp with great buildup for an epic love story. The fact that Gloria Swanson, who besides being the star of the movie was also the producer, fired Erich von Stroheim, but later still wanted the movie to get released, means that it was good material. Well, it was. It was fantastic, well the parts that had been shot. Well, Gloria Swanson was beautiful too and her performance was great. I am sure that she regretted the decision to cancel the production.
Erich von Stroheim was that director who always fell victim to the studios and producers. Some of that blame can be placed on himself. So, now we can watch only six 'complete' von Stroheim pictures. 'Queen Kelly' is the most incomplete of them, but still worth watching, because in here von Stroheim seemed to be perfected his skill to build the mysterious Middle-European Kingdom where Royal traditions are held high and Cinderella fairy tales (in more sinister tones, of course) are possible. 'Queen Kelly' could have been von Stroheim's biggest masterpiece after the 'Greed'.
I watched the Kino restoration where through found footage, production stills, and additional title cards the original intended ending in East-Africa was recreated. The first half of the movie is a perfectly lavish camp with great buildup for an epic love story. The fact that Gloria Swanson, who besides being the star of the movie was also the producer, fired Erich von Stroheim, but later still wanted the movie to get released, means that it was good material. Well, it was. It was fantastic, well the parts that had been shot. Well, Gloria Swanson was beautiful too and her performance was great. I am sure that she regretted the decision to cancel the production.
Erich von Stroheim was that director who always fell victim to the studios and producers. Some of that blame can be placed on himself. So, now we can watch only six 'complete' von Stroheim pictures. 'Queen Kelly' is the most incomplete of them, but still worth watching, because in here von Stroheim seemed to be perfected his skill to build the mysterious Middle-European Kingdom where Royal traditions are held high and Cinderella fairy tales (in more sinister tones, of course) are possible. 'Queen Kelly' could have been von Stroheim's biggest masterpiece after the 'Greed'.