HULA (1927)
Special Features: Intro by film historian David Stenn | Live musical accompaniment by Makia Matsumura
From her nude swimming scene to her exotic grass-skirted hula dance, Clara Bow radiates a sensual vitality that all but ignites the screen. Hula (Bow), the impulsive daughter of a Hawaiian plantation owner, pursues pleasure and eventually romance with a handsome young engineer from the mainland. Bow brought a high-energy sexuality to her performances that no other actress — then and now — could match. Victor Fleming showcases Bow in costumes as daring as the film’s teasingly thin pretext of a plot. Censored almost everywhere it was originally shown, this new restoration from an original nitrate print is complete — and more visually dazzling than audiences have seen since the film’s first release. DIR Victor Fleming; SCR Doris Anderson, Ethel Doherty, George Marion Jr., from the novel “Hula, a Romance of Hawaii” by Armine von Tempski; PROD Adolph Zukor, Jesse L. Lasky. U.S., 1927, b&w, 64 min. Silent with English intertitles. NOT RATED
This 4K restoration is based on a black and white 35mm nitrate print conserved at the Library of Congress National Audio-Visual Conservation Center. Digital intervention was limited to mitigating damage and accumulated wear suffered by the original film material. This restoration was completed in December 2025 by the San Francisco Film Preserve in collaboration with the Library of Congress National Audio-Visual Conservation Center. This restoration was made possible through the generous support of David Stenn. Loaned by the San Francisco Film Preserve.
Also part of the 2026 Silent Cinema Showcase.
