FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Free Outdoor Screening of Greed (1924) at Patricia’s Green

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2007

Contact: Jill Manton, SF Arts Commission
415-252-2585 jill.manton@sfgov.org

The San Francisco Arts Commission and the artists team Wowhaus are pleased to present a free outdoor screening of Greed (1924) on Saturday, September 29th at 8:00 PM in Patricia’s Green, located at the intersection of Octavia Boulevard between Hayes and Fell Streets in San Francisco. Directed by Eric Von Stroheim, Greed was shot in locations throughout Oakland and San Francisco. The film revolutionized cinema by using natural interiors in a major film production, featuring a memorable deep-focus shots of the street from the window of a turret capped building at Hayes and Laguna that still stands today.

The screening is presented in conjunction with the Hayes Valley Historic Miniature Golf Extravaganza designed by the artist team designed by the artist team Wowhaus. Over the past five months, Thousands of visitors have joined the artists for games of miniature golf using wooden golf clubs hand carved by the arists. The golf course design features scale replicas of significant Hayes Valley historic buildings and landmarks, including a giant gold tooth which was one of the many other gold objects seen in Greed.

Based on the 1899 best-selling novel by Frank Norris, McTeague: A Story of San Francisco and widely considered a film masterpiece, Greed was initially a box office failure. It is a dark study of the oppressive forces that decay and corrupt the three protagonists in turn of the century San Francisco. A simple, uneducated former miner and dentist, McTeague (Gibson Gowland), his miserly, vulgar and pathological wife Trina (Zasu Pitts), who wins $5,000 in a lottery, and Trina’s former suitor Marcus (Jean Hersholt). Marcus still pines for Trina, and is McTeague’s arch nemesis. All three characters are trapped in a web of compulsion, debased passion, and greed. The film is a morality tale about the evils of materialism.

The original film ran for nine hours and, much to the frustration of Stroheim, was repeatedly edited down to its current running time of 140 minutes. The original print has been lost forever, although rumors abound of its existence and cinematic brilliance.

This is the third temporary public art project presented by the Arts Commission in Patricia’s Green since its completion in June 2005. It follows the David Best Temple project, a collaboration with the Black Rock Arts Foundation, and the Golden Gateway by Seyed Alavi. Mayor Newsom, an outspoken advocate for public art, states, “Temporary public art adds to the excitement of life in the city and can cause people to interact with their environment in a new way.” With his support and encouragement, the Arts Commission has facilitated 14 displays of temporary public art over the past two years.