We tend to think of the evolution of the title sequence as moving from a simple series of cards with actors names on them (sometimes splashed up a little with caricaturist representations of the actors), gradually becoming more dramatic, exotic or even story-heavy as the years progressed. But back in 1929–an age of antiquity as far as movies go–there was a stunningly strange title sequence that’s always been one of my favorites and which must have played like gangbusters to the astonished audience members. Lewis Mileson’s “New York Nights” starring Gilbert Roland and Norma Talmadge, uses a nighttime, ‘French Connection’-esque P.O.V. shot from the front windshield of a racing police cart hurtling through the streets of New York as the backdrop to its titles. It’s an unexpected, jarring way to begin a gangster movie–especially in 1929–and adding to the effect is the fact that he uses no music, only a wailing police car siren. The rest of the movie is strictly for 1920s movie geeks (myself included) and you need not watch more past the one-minute opening–although there are some pretty cool wild-party-prohibiton-era-style scenes to be found. Enjoy the ride…