The Heart of New York (1932)

In the Jewish enclave of New York's lower East Side, hapless inventor Mendel is constantly in debt since he uses all his (and other people's) money to tinker with machines that will make ... See full summary »

Director:

Mervyn LeRoy

Writers:

David Freedman (based on the play by), Arthur Caesar (adaptation),

Stars:

Joe Smith, Charles Dale, George Sidney

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Joe Smith	...	Sam Shtrudel
Charles Dale	...	Bernard Schnaps
George Sidney	...	Mendel Marantz
Ruth Hall	...	Lillian Marantz
Aline MacMahon	...	Bessie - the Neighbor
Anna Appel	...	Mrs. Zelde Marantz
Donald Cook	...	Milton
Oscar Apfel	...	Otto Gassenheim
Harold Waldridge	...	Jakie Marantz (as Harold Waldrige)
Marion Byron	...	Mimi Marantz
George MacFarlane	...	Mr. Marshall
Ann Brody	...	Mrs. Nussbaum
Charles Coleman	...	Mendel's Butler

Storyline

In the Jewish enclave of New York's lower East Side, hapless inventor Mendel is constantly in debt since he uses all his (and other people's) money to tinker with machines that will make him rich. He finally does create a dish washing machine and becomes involved with his match-making, rent-collecting brother-in-law Bernard and Bernard's partner to market the machine. Success leads to strife in the family and Mendel's wife Zelda moves 'uptown' with her new found wealth while Mendel builds a luxurious townhouse in the East Side. Complications with finances lead to a reconciliation between Zelda and Mendel and cumuppence for the wheelers and dealers involved.

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Plot Keywords:

jewish | inventor | lower east side manhattan new york city | jewish culture | jewish humor | 

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Genres:

Comedy

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Certificate:

Passed

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Yiddish

Release Date:

26 March 1932 (USA)

Also Known As:

East Side

Filming Locations:

New York City, New York, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros

Technical Specs

Runtime:

73 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The credits for Joe Smith and Charles Dale include a parenthetical statement "members of the Avon Comedy Four." That group, which included Irving Kaufman and Harry Goodwin, was founded about in 1901 and continued as a vaudeville comedy team for 30 years.

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Soundtracks

"Daisy Bell"
(1892) (uncredited)
aka "A Bicycle Built for Two"
Music by Harry Dacre
Played during the opening credits

User Reviews

If I Were A Rich Man ...

"Heart Of New York" is essentially a filmed stage play, and since it is a heavily ethnic story it was probably put on by the NY Jewish Theater group. It is about Mendel the Plumber (George Sidney), who lives on the Lower East Side during the depression and is constantly short of money for the basics - food, rent, clothing, etc. He is a dreamer, not a worker and is waiting to hit it big on one of his inventions. His wife is a long-suffering yente (Anna Appel) who harasses him to bring in some money. Then, one day, it happens ...

The story is unremarkable but the reason to watch this picture is to watch one of Vaudeville's most celebrated comedy teams, Smith and Dale. They get precious little screen time but just enough to pull an ordinary movie into the Must-See category with their fractured English repartee and caricature personages. They were a very funny team and are largely forgotten today and didn't make many films. One of their best vaudeville routines can be seen in "Two Tickets To Broadway" (1951). They make an average curio of a movie special indeed.