Underground (1928 film)

84 minutesCountryUnited KingdomLanguagesSound (Synchronized)
English Intertitles

Underground is a 1928 British sound drama film directed by Anthony Asquith and starring Brian Aherne, Elissa Landi, Cyril McLaglen, and Norah Baring. While the film has no audible dialogue, it was released with a synchronized musical score with sound effects using both the sound-on-disc and sound-on-film process. The film examines the lives of ordinary Londoners and the romance between them, set on and around the London Underground.

The Film starts and ends with an Underground train coming into a station. It shows humorous scenes of people coping with the crowds on the underground train. It also has interesting shoots of London, from a bus, of the Thames from the top of a power station which appears to be Lots Road Power Station, a pub, and a shop. Has much to commend it for in terms of looking at London and its people in the 1920s The film has strong roles for the two leading women, while the men are more clichéd, one a villain and the other a blue-eyed, blond angel.

The narrative is very well directed, making it clear what is happening and what is being said, with minimal use of dialogue cards. Harassment of women and abuse of women are themes of the film.

Plot

An electrician and a porter both fall in love with a shop girl they meet on the London Underground.^[1] Their rivalry begins with humour and ends very darkly at the Power Station.

Cast

• Brian Aherne as Bill
• Elissa Landi as Nell
• Cyril McLaglen as Bert, Power station worker
• Norah Baring as Kate, Seamstress

Music

The film featured a theme song entitled "Arms Of Love", composed by Alfred Bryan and Francis Wheeler (words) and Pete Wendling (music).

Production

Underground was made by British Instructional Films at Elstree and Cricklewood Studios^[2] and on location in London including scenes shot at Lots Road Power Station in Chelsea.^[3] The film was based on an original scenario written by Asquith.^[4]

Restoration

The picture portion of Underground was restored in 2009 under the auspices of the British Film Institute (BFI). For unknown reasons, the original synchronized musical score has not been restored to the film. In 2011, composer and well-known silent film accompanist Neil Brand wrote a completely modern score for the film, which was then premiered by the BBC Symphony Orchestra at the Barbican Centre in London.^[5]

References

Bibliography

• Ryall, Tom. Anthony Asquith. Manchester University Press, 2005.

External links

• Underground at IMDB
• Underground at BFI Database
• Sight & Sound article on Asquith's film
• Sight & Sound online review of the premiere of the BFI restoration
• Silent London article on Neil Brand's new score for Underground (with video clip)