Royals like to take international tours, don’t they? Now Queen Kelly has played Venice, Lyon, Sao Paulo and many, many cities in the US, the royal entourage is finally en route to the UK. Where better for the British premiere of Milestone’s stunning new restoration of Erich von Stroheim famously unfinished, notoriously excessive, beautiful and sleazy melodrama to play than the UK’s best archive film festival, Cinema Rediscovered in Bristol?

And what is better than one screening of Queen Kelly? Two screenings of Queen Kelly.

You can see the film on Saturday 25 July at the fabulous Watershed Cinema in Bristol city centre, hub of the festival. Or you can see it on Sunday 26 July at the stunning vintage Curzon in Clevedon, by the seaside. Or you can go to both – I will.

You can consider me some kind of low-ranking lady-in-waiting to the Queen, I mean Gloria Swanson, because I will be at both screenings to introduce the film. I hope to be able bring some books to sell too. Both screenings are supported by our good friends at South West Silents.

Yes, it has been at least three minutes since I last mentioned my new book The Curse of Queen Kelly (Sticking Place Books), which tells the full, shocking and surprising saga of the film’s history. It’s out now, and Mike Mashon called it a “brilliant history of Queen Kelly‘s legendarily messy production and astonishing afterlife … a tale of ambition, hubris, and sex, a marvellous concoction illuminating a notorious film that’s worthy of critical reexamination.” And he knows what he is talking about.

The new restoration/reconstruction of Queen Kelly from Milestone really is tremendous and features a beautiful new score composed by Eli Denson. You don’t want to miss seeing it on the big screen. See you in the West Country!

PS. Watch this space for a London screening, in September, maybe!

• The 10th edition of Cinema Rediscovered runs from 22-26 July 2026 at venues across the Bristol area, with 70+ events including screenings of newly restored films (including 17 UK premieres), rediscoveries and film-on-film rarities plus projection tours, cinema walks, improv workshops, a FREE interactive BFI National Archive exhibition, a quiz and lots more. You can browse the lineup and book tickets (from Monday) here.
• You can read my essay on Queen Kelly for the San Francisco Silent Film Festival here.
• The Curse of Queen Kelly is available to order direct from Sticking Place Books, or from all good online bookshops.
• Silent London will always be free to all readers. If you enjoy checking in with the site, including reports from silent film festivals, features and reviews, please consider shouting me a coffee on my Ko-Fi page.