The Bridge of San Luis Rey 1929

This first cinematic version of the classic book is a part-talkie, although the only surviving print is silent (housed in the George Eastman House, Rochester, NY). It is a straight-forward telling of the intermingled lives of a group of strangers doomed to die in a collapsing bridge accident. The Art Direction, paltry and unremarkable, surprisingly won an Oscar over the far more remarkable work nominated in THE IRON MASK. The special effect scene of the lovers plummeting with the bridge into the chasm is unforgettable and remarkably done.

Cast:

Lili Damita
Camila (La Perichole) 

Ernest Torrence
Uncle Pio 

Raquel Torres
Pepita 

Don Alvarado
Manuel 

Duncan Renaldo
Esteban 

Henry B. Walthall
Father Juniper