You and Me (1938)

An altruistic department-store owner hires ex-convicts in order to give them a second chance at life. Unfortunately, one of the convicts he hires recruits two of his fellow ex-convicts in a plan to rob the store.

Director:

Fritz Lang

Writers:

Virginia Van Upp (screen play), Norman Krasna (based on a story by),

Stars:

Sylvia Sidney, George Raft, Robert Cummings

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Sylvia Sidney	...	Helen Dennis
George Raft	...	Joe Dennis
Robert Cummings	...	Jim
Barton MacLane	...	Mickey Bain
Roscoe Karns	...	Cuffy
Harry Carey	...	Jerome Morris
George E. Stone	...	Patsy
Warren Hymer	...	Gil Carter aka Gimpy
Guinn 'Big Boy' Williams	...	Taxi, Tough Lothario (as Guinn Williams)
Carol Paige	...	Torch Singer
Vera Gordon	...	Mrs. Abie Levine aka Mama
Bernadene Hayes	...	Nellie
Egon Brecher	...	Abie Levine
Paula DeCardo	...	Cigarette Girl
Harriette Haddon	...	Cigarette Girl

Storyline

Mr. Morris, the owner of a large metropolitan department store, gives jobs to paroled ex-convicts in an effort to help them reform and go straight. Among his 'employed-prison-graduates' are Helen Roberts and Joe Dennis, working as sales clerks. Joe is in love with Helen and asks her to marry him, but she is forbidden to marry as she is still on parole, but she says yes and they are married. In spite of their poverty-level life, their marriage is a happy one until Joe discovers she has lied about her past, in order to marry him. Disillusioned, he leaves, goes back to his old gang and plans to rob the department store.

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Plot Keywords:

department store | ex convict | marriage | parole | song | 

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Taglines:

Every time she says "I Love You"... she breaks the law!

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Genres:

Crime | Romance

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

3 June 1938 (USA)

Also Known As:

Casamento Proibido

Filming Locations:

Paramount Studios - 5555 Melrose Avenue, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paramount Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

90 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

One of over 700 Paramount Productions, filmed between 1929 and 1949, which were sold to MCA/Universal in 1958 for television distribution, and have been owned and controlled by Universal ever since.

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Quotes

Helen Dennis: The big shots aren't little crooks like you. They're politicians.

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Connections

Referenced in The Phantom (1996)

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Soundtracks

"Song of the Cash Register"
Music by Kurt Weill
Lyrics by Sam Coslow

User Reviews

He final film with Fritz Lang

Fritz Lang had a reputation for disliking american actors and actresses, but he made three films with Sidney; sadly, because the reviews and receipts were lacking, it was their final film together. You And Me has some spectacular shots of machinery and late 30's office work that stands up even today, with a clear message about industrialization, the "modern" work-place, and american society in general. The film also features magnificent music and song from Kurt Weill. This may not be as riveting as Fury, or as depressing as You Only Live Once, but it is indeed, a masterpiece! And George Raft is just fine, too.