Weary River (1929)

A gangster is put in prison, but finds salvation through music while serving his time. Again on the outside, he finds success elusive and temptations abound.

Director:

Frank Lloyd

Writers:

Courtney Ryley Cooper (story), Bradley King (screen version),

Stars:

Richard Barthelmess, Betty Compson, William Holden

Nominated for 1 Oscar.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Richard Barthelmess	...	Jerry Larrabee
Betty Compson	...	Alice
William Holden	...	Warden
Louis Natheaux	...	Spadoni
George E. Stone	...	Blackie (as George Stone)
Ray Turner	...	Elevator Boy (as Raymond Turner)
Gladden James	...	Manager

Storyline

Jerry Larabee (Richard Barthelmess)is a gangster who can play piano and sing, mostly to entertain his girl Alice (Betty Compson), who is quite visibly thrilled by his crooning. But as the result of a gangland shootout he had with rival mobster Spadoni (Louis Natheaux), Larabee must do a stretch in prison. The kindly warden (William Holden) sees a potential for redemption in him, and talks Mary into giving him up, so he will break all contact with his previous life. Through his musical talents, Jerry is soon doing radio broadcasts with the prison orchestra, and one of his own compositions, "Weary River" is a smash hit with listeners. In no time, he's released, with a concert tour lined up. unfortunately, hecklers cause the overly sensitive ex-gunman to lose his confidence and he's a flop. Down on his luck, he drifts back to his old gang buddies and Mary, who's never stopped loving him. After learning that his stint up the river was a frame-up by Spadoni, a showdown is arranged at their...

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Plot Keywords:

warden | prison | shootout | gangster | frame up | 

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

Passed

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

10 February 1929 (USA)

Also Known As:

Das Lied des Sträflings

Filming Locations:

Warner Brothers Burbank Studios - 4000 Warner Boulevard, Burbank, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

First National Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

86 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric System) (Western Electric Apparatus) (sound effects, music and talking sequences)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

This film was restored by The Library of Congress Motion Picture Division, the UCLA Film and Television Archive and Warner Bros./Turner Entertainment Company.

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Soundtracks

"Weary River"
(1929)
Music by Louis Silvers
Lyrics by Grant Clarke
Sung by Richard Barthelmess (dubbed by Johnny Murray)

User Reviews

Part-talkie tale of crime/prison and rehabilitation

Frank Lloyd earned one of three Oscar noms for direction this year (1929) for this part-talkie tale of crime, prison and redemption. The song, from which the title gets its name, is sung over and over again at the drop of a hat. Unfortunately, the only surviving print is silent (Library of Congress) so there are scads of dialogue and singing scenes accompanied by silence. A curio.