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Manhattan Melodrama (1934)

 -  Crime | Drama | Romance  -  4 May 1934 (USA)
7.0
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Ratings: 7.0/10 from 1,732 users  
Reviews: 27 user | 15 critic

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.

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Writers:

(screenplay), (screenplay), 1 more credit »
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Title: Manhattan Melodrama (1934)

Manhattan Melodrama (1934) on IMDb 7/10

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Won 1 Oscar. See more awards »
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Cast

Complete credited cast:
...
Edward J. 'Blackie' Gallagher
...
Jim Wade
...
Eleanor Packer
Leo Carrillo ...
Father Joe
Nat Pendleton ...
Spud
George Sidney ...
Poppa Rosen
...
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
...
Blackie as a Boy
Shirley Ross ...
Singer in Cotton Club
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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. Written by Gary Jackson <garyjack5@cogeco.ca>

Plot Summary | Add Synopsis

Genres:

Crime | Drama | Romance

Certificate:

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Parents Guide:

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Details

Country:

Language:

Release Date:

4 May 1934 (USA)  »

Also Known As:

El enemigo público número 1  »

Company Credits

Show detailed on  »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

| (Turner library print)

Sound Mix:

(Western Electric Sound System)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1
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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. See more »

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. See more »

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.
See more »

Connections

Referenced in Dillinger (1945) See more »

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
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User Reviews

Quite a movie
25 October 2003 | by (Montreal, Quebec, Canada) – See all my reviews

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.


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