The Garden of Eden

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The Garden of Eden ★★★ 1928

Milestone—whose “Two Arabian Nights” had won an Academy Award the previous year, and who went on to direct “All Quiet on the Western Front” and “Of Mice and Men”—directed this sophisticated ersatz Lubitsch sex comedy. Griffith, the socalled “Orchid Lady,” is a young girl who dreams of diva-dom but falls deep into the underbelly of the seedy side of Budapest. With the aid of a fallen baroness, however, she finds her way to Monte Carlo and has her turn in the limelight. A handsome production designed by William Cameron Menzies, art director for “Gone With the Wind.” 115m/B VHS, DVD . Corinne Griffith, Louise Dresser, Charles Ray, Lowell Sherman; D: Lewis Milestone; W: Hans Kraly; C: John Arnold.