Jefferson Market Library

By Corinne Neary.

Greta Garbo in The Joyless Street (1925).

Last month at Jefferson Market, we held two book discussions on Daniel Kehlmann’s recent novel, The Director, translated from German by Ross Benjamin. This book has left a lasting impression on a few of us on the staff, and it has several avenues of interest that might draw you in, as it weaves real historical figures through horrifying situations. (This book also just made the NYPL’s 25 Best Books of the Year list!)

Based on the real-life star silent-film director G.W. Pabst of Germany’s Weimar Republic, born in Austria and perhaps most famous for 1929’s Pandora’s Box, starring Louise Brooks, the book imagines the struggles he faced when he initially left Germany for Hollywood during the rise of the Third Reich. Unable to enjoy the artistic freedom that he had been accustomed to in Europe, and feeling himself diminished, he returns to Paris, and then through a series of unfortunate events, to Austria. Kehlmann is amazing at building a mood of oppression and horror through the story of Pabst and his family, as he makes movies at the demand of the Reich’s Ministry of Public Enlightenment and Propaganda. 

As silent film fans, we were drawn to the book, in part, for its depictions of the stars Pabst worked with, Greta Garbo and Louise Brooks to name two. Pabst was credited for discovering Garbo for his 1925 film, The Joyless Street, revolutionary at the time for depicting residents of a slum going about their daily lives in despair, and forced to do things they had never considered in order to survive. We were inspired to show this film, but found that it was never released in its complete form in the United States, heavily cut by censors for unapproved content, and also to highlight Garbo’s storyline, while basically eliminating that of its other female star, Asta Nielsen. 

This sent us on a not unpleasurable mission to find the film in as close to its original length as possible, and we finally discovered that Berlin’s Filmmuseum released a new restoration in 1998. As it turns out, before American censors got their hands on the film, it had already been cut down considerably by the Germans, who considered it too provocative. This Filmmuseum cut brings the film back close to its original, at well over two hours. Because of its long length, we decided to show it on a December Sunday afternoon at 2 p.m, giving us plenty of time to finish up by our closing time of 5 p.m. And being inspired to come up with a theme, we’re running three silent features on December Sundays. 

Please join us for our special Sunday Silents screenings, starting December 7 at 2 p.m. with Lillian Gish in 1920’s Way Down East, directed by D.W. Griffith. Gish plays a woman deceived by a man, and forced to rebuild her life after having a child out of wedlock. Next up, on December 21 at 2 p.m., the aforementioned Louise Brooks in Diary of a Lost Girl, directed by the also mentioned G.W. Pabst. Sensing a theme here, Louise’s unmarried character also falls pregnant, and embarks on a surprising life path. Finally, on December 28 at 2 p.m., we get to Pabst’s Garbo vehicle, The Joyless Street, which as previously stated, was an absolutely pioneering in showing the struggles of impoverished people. Pabst’s cinematography and Garbo’s beauty are a match made in (Joyless) heaven! 

We’ll also have our regular Monday and Thursday 6 p.m. film screenings all month, including our annual holiday showings of Meet Me in St. Louis and The Poseidon Adventure. As always, check our online listings for the most up-to-date program information. We hope to see you soon!