Independent films produced in the shadow of Hollywood’s major studios were given the less than complimentary nickname “Poverty Row,” which existed in Hollywood between the 1920s and 1960s. They were usually produced on small budgets, at rented facilities, and on a short production schedule. Despite being overshadowed by bigger studio projects, many of these films have since been rediscovered and appropriately hailed as exceptional and inventive. In fact, more than a few notable names were featured in these films, such as Humphrey Bogart, Fay Wray, Erich von Stroheim, Sterling Holloway and others.
Flicker Alley’s In the Shadow of Hollywood: Highlights from Poverty Row serves up a wonderful sampling of four such films, including a morality tale, a newspaper melodrama, a proto-noir, and a tale of twisted revenge.
Each film is newly restored from 35mm and offers a perspective on the low-budget filmmaking of the time. All of the films were made on miniscule budgets, often less than a tenth of a major studio picture. Still, they feature interesting casts, premises, or interesting direction – sometimes all three in one picture.
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