Frank Borzage Volume Two: Lucky Star, Liliom

Frank Borzage, the sensitive actor-turned-director famed for his mystical romanticism created some of Hollywood’s most acclaimed and sensual films. This second BFI Frank Borzage volume brings together two more classics from the period that saw his transition from silent pictures into sound.

His sensual masterpiece Lucky Star (1929) sees the great romantic screen pairing of Janet Gaynor and Charles Farrell for a third time. The tale of a poverty-stricken girl (and budding crook) who is transformed through her friendship with a wheelchair-bound Great War veteran. The chemistry is palpable, and combine with Borzage’s visual techniques to create an ethereally beautiful and delicate result.

Liliom (1930) is Borzage’s seminal version of Ferenc Molnar’s celebrated play which was later remade as the much-loved Rodgers and Hammerstein musical Carousel. Set in Budapest it charts the troubled relationship between Liliom (Farrell), a fairground barker, and Julie (Rose Hobart), the woman who loves him despite his flaws.

• The River (1929) — Borzage’s once-lost masterpiece lovingly reconstructed by Herve Dumont.
• Lucky Star commentary by Tom Gunning. 
• Illustrated booklet, with essays and film notes.