Film archive, 1929

Piccadilly

Director E.A. Dupont

1Festival entries

Overall

★Avg. rating

At London’s Piccadilly Club, the star dancers Mabel and Victor are hugely popular. But Victor walks out in anger over Mabel’s affair with the club’s owner, Valentine, and the club loses many of its customers and faces ruin. Just then, Valentine discovers the dancing talent of Shosho, a scullery maid, and puts her on stage. Shosho becomes a star overnight and catches Valentine’s eye, which makes Mabel jealous, while Shosho’s boyfriend Jim, consumed by jealousy, grows resentful… A gem of British silent cinema starring Anna May Wong, the first Chinese American Hollywood star, the film shows the rise and fall of desire in London’s nightlife. Its camera work, with 360-degree pans, tracking shots and close-ups that were avant-garde for their time, perfectly unites the art of film with visual spectacle.

Stills(3)

Film details

Director: E.A. Dupont
Country/Region: United Kingdom
Year: 1929
Length: 109min
Original language: English
Elsewhere: Letterboxd IMDb Wikidata TMDB Douban

Director

E.A. Dupont

Credits

Director: E.A. Dupont
Screenplay: Arnold Bennett
Cast: Gilda Gray, Anna May Wong, Jameson Thomas, Charles Laughton, Cyril Ritchard

Festival appearances(1)

Choose a festival entry to see its screenings, articles and audience reviews.

Piccadilly (2K Restoration)British Flair: A Showcase of Classic Cinema 2026British Flair: A Showcase of Classic Cinema

Festival history(1)

Shanghai Film Archive, 2026British Flair: A Showcase of Classic Cinema

Film posters

Poster language