Manhattan Melodrama (1934)

The friendship between two orphans endures even though they grow up on opposite sides of the law and fall in love with the same woman.

Director:

W.S. Van Dyke

Writers:

Oliver H.P. Garrett (screenplay), Joseph L. Mankiewicz (screenplay),

Stars:

Clark Gable, William Powell, Myrna Loy

Won 1 Oscar.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Clark Gable	...	Edward J. 'Blackie' Gallagher
William Powell	...	Jim Wade
Myrna Loy	...	Eleanor Packer
Leo Carrillo	...	Father Joe
Nat Pendleton	...	Spud
George Sidney	...	Poppa Rosen
Isabel Jewell	...	Annabelle
Muriel Evans	...	Tootsie Malone
Thomas E. Jackson	...	Asst. Dist. Atty. Richard Snow (as Thomas Jackson)
Isabelle Keith	...	Miss Adams (as Claudelle Kaye)
Frank Conroy	...	Blackie's Defense Attorney
Noel Madison	...	Manny Arnold
Jimmy Butler	...	Jim Wade as a Boy
Mickey Rooney	...	Blackie as a Boy
Shirley Ross	...	Singer in Cotton Club

Storyline

Orphans Edward "Blackie" Gallagher and Jim Wade are lifelong friends who take different paths in life. Blackie thrives on gambling and grows up to be a hard-nosed racketeer. Bookworm Wade becomes a D.A. vying for the Governorship. When Blackie's girlfriend Eleanor leaves him and marries the more down to earth Wade, Blackie harbors no resentment. In fact, their friendship is so strong that Blackie murders an attorney threatening to derail Wade's bid to become Governor. The morally straight Wade's last job as D.A. is to convict his friend of the murder, and send him to the electric chair. After he becomes Governor, Wade has the authority to commute Blackie's death sentence-- a decision that pits his high moral ethics against a lifelong friendship.

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Plot Keywords:

friendship | governor | orphan | murder | gambling | 

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Romance

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

4 May 1934 (USA)

Also Known As:

El enemigo público número 1

Filming Locations:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios - 10202 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Cosmopolitan Productions, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

93 min 90 min (Turner library print)

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

"Lux Radio Theater" broadcast a 60 minute radio adaptation of the movie on September 9, 1940 with William Powell and Myrna Loy reprising their film roles.

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Goofs

When having breakfast in bed, the phone on the nightstand rings, and Eleanor moves to answer it. It the next shot her hands are not in the same position, and she has to reach out again to answer the phone.

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Quotes

Edward J. 'Blackie' Gallagher: Don't commute me - I don't want it. Hey, look, Jim, if I can't live the way I want, then at least let me die the way I want.

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Connections

Referenced in Dillinger (1945)

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Soundtracks

"What's the Matter With Father"
(1910) (uncredited)
Lyrics by Harry Williams
Music by Egbert Van Alstyne
Played aboard the steamboat in the first scene

User Reviews

Quite a movie

They didn't name this "Manhatten *Melodrama* for nothing - it's classic melodrama! If you can get past the first fifteen minutes or so, what saves this film is the three leads: William Powell, Clark Gable, and Myrna Loy. As a Myrna Loy/William Powell fan, I love the whole scene from their first meeting, as she flings herself into his taxi, and he thinks she is out to wreck his career by pretending he assaulted her! Clark Gable is great as the charming bad guy, too. Of course, in this story about unpunished crime vs. betraying a friend, nobody ever considers the third way, but then it wouldn't be a melodrama anymore, would it? Anyway, if you enjoy golden oldies or any of the three main actors, it's worth watching.