Street Angel (1928)

 Frank Borzage's "Street Angel"

After the massive success of "Seventh Heaven," Frank Borzage reunited with his two leads, Janet Gaynor and Charles Farrell, for "Street Angel." The plot of "Street Angel" seems to closely resemble the plot of "Seventh Heaven" with a few major differences. 

In "Street Angel," Janet Gaynor plays Angela, who must become a prostitute to make money for her dying mother. However, after getting arrested, she escapes and joins a circus troupe. There, she meets Gino, and the two fall in love. However, after breaking her ankle, she moves back into the city with Gino. There, she is discovered again by the police. She remains in prison for a year while Gino is unaware of her whereabouts. After reemerging, Gino discovers the reason for her imprisonment and becomes angry. He then realizes his hurtful prejudices and asks Angela for forgiveness.

Like "Seventh Heaven," "Street Angel" deals with the lead female being a prostitute and the perceptions by the man of this knowledge. In both films, the lead male must overcome his incorrect judgments. The other thing both films have in common is the theme of tested love. The couples must endure trials and tribulations that test their faith in love itself. The couples cling to each other as an antidote to the hardships of life. When the hardships start to deal with the love of the couple itself, the couple must decide if their morals or judgments are worth losing this love over. 

The film was another major success for Borzage. The film received multiple Oscar nominations. On top of this, it was a film that Fox Studio experimented with sound elements during the transitional period of talking to sound pictures. Although the film did not have the characters talking, and instead used title cards, the film had a musical accompaniment along with sound effects.