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IMDbPro

Ah Wilderness!

Original title: Ah, Wilderness!
  • 19351935
  • PassedPassed
  • 1h 38m
IMDb RATING
6.9/10
802
YOUR RATING
Wallace Beery, Eric Linden, and Cecilia Parker in Ah Wilderness! (1935)
Story of small-town life in turn-of-the-century America, and a young boy's problems facing adolescence.
Play trailer3:04
1 Video
10 Photos
  • Comedy
  • Drama
Story of small-town life in turn-of-the-century America, and a young boy's problems facing adolescence.Story of small-town life in turn-of-the-century America, and a young boy's problems facing adolescence.Story of small-town life in turn-of-the-century America, and a young boy's problems facing adolescence.
IMDb RATING
6.9/10
802
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • Clarence Brown
  • Writers
    • Frances Goodrich(screen play)
    • Albert Hackett(screen play)
    • Eugene O'Neill(from the celebrated stage success by)
  • Stars
    • Wallace Beery
    • Lionel Barrymore
    • Aline MacMahon
Top credits
  • Director
    • Clarence Brown
  • Writers
    • Frances Goodrich(screen play)
    • Albert Hackett(screen play)
    • Eugene O'Neill(from the celebrated stage success by)
  • Stars
    • Wallace Beery
    • Lionel Barrymore
    • Aline MacMahon
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 26User reviews
    • 6Critic reviews
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • Videos1

    Official Trailer
    Trailer 3:04
    Official Trailer

    Photos10

    Eric Linden and Cecilia Parker in Ah Wilderness! (1935)
    Lionel Barrymore, Wallace Beery, Mickey Rooney, Spring Byington, Eric Linden, Aline MacMahon, and Cecilia Parker in Ah Wilderness! (1935)
    Mickey Rooney, Spring Byington, Bonita Granville, and Aline MacMahon in Ah Wilderness! (1935)
    Lionel Barrymore and Wallace Beery in Ah Wilderness! (1935)
    Lionel Barrymore, Wallace Beery, Helen Flint, Eric Linden, Aline MacMahon, and Cecilia Parker in Ah Wilderness! (1935)
    Lionel Barrymore, Wallace Beery, Mickey Rooney, Spring Byington, Helen Flint, Eric Linden, Aline MacMahon, and Cecilia Parker in Ah Wilderness! (1935)
    Lionel Barrymore, Wallace Beery, Helen Flint, Eric Linden, Aline MacMahon, and Cecilia Parker in Ah Wilderness! (1935)
    Lionel Barrymore, Wallace Beery, Eric Linden, and Cecilia Parker in Ah Wilderness! (1935)
    Lionel Barrymore, Wallace Beery, Helen Flint, Eric Linden, and Cecilia Parker in Ah Wilderness! (1935)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Wallace Beery
    Wallace Beery
    • Sid Milleras Sid Miller
    Lionel Barrymore
    Lionel Barrymore
    • Nat Milleras Nat Miller
    Aline MacMahon
    Aline MacMahon
    • Aunt Lilyas Aunt Lily
    Eric Linden
    Eric Linden
    • Richard Milleras Richard Miller
    Cecilia Parker
    Cecilia Parker
    • Muriel McComberas Muriel McComber
    Spring Byington
    Spring Byington
    • Essie Milleras Essie Miller
    Mickey Rooney
    Mickey Rooney
    • Tommy Milleras Tommy Miller
    Charley Grapewin
    Charley Grapewin
    • Dave McComberas Dave McComber
    • (as Charles Grapewin)
    Frank Albertson
    Frank Albertson
    • Arthur Milleras Arthur Miller
    Edward J. Nugent
    Edward J. Nugent
    • Wint Selbyas Wint Selby
    • (as Edward Nugent)
    Bonita Granville
    Bonita Granville
    • Mildred Milleras Mildred Miller
    Helen Flint
    Helen Flint
    • Belleas Belle
    Helen Freeman
    Helen Freeman
    • Miss Hawleyas Miss Hawley
    Baby Peggy
    Baby Peggy
    • Schoolgirl at Graduationas Schoolgirl at Graduation
    • (uncredited)
    Harry C. Bradley
    Harry C. Bradley
    • Undetermined Secondary Role - Scenes Deletedas Undetermined Secondary Role - Scenes Deleted
    • (uncredited)
    Tommy Bupp
    Tommy Bupp
    • Boy with Fireworksas Boy with Fireworks
    • (uncredited)
    A.S. 'Pop' Byron
    A.S. 'Pop' Byron
    • Nickolasas Nickolas
    • (uncredited)
    Bruce Cook
    • Boyas Boy
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • Clarence Brown
    • Writers
      • Frances Goodrich(screen play)
      • Albert Hackett(screen play)
      • Eugene O'Neill(from the celebrated stage success by)
    • All cast & crew
    • See more cast details at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      The gazebo in this film, a symbol of the typical American town, was built specially for the movie. That gazebo was gifted to the city by MGM and is still in use in Grafton Commons.
    • Goofs
      Belle's mole on her cheek/upper lip disappears halfway through her scene, then reappears later.
    • Quotes

      Richard 'Dick' Miller: I'm afraid I was born a hundred years before my time.

      Muriel McComber: I was born ten days ahead of mine.

    • Crazy credits
      The opening credits appear as though embroidered.
    • Connections
      Referenced in Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942)
    • Soundtracks
      Long, Long Ago
      (1883) (uncredited)

      Music by Thomas Haynes Bayley

      Played during the opening credits and often in the score

    User reviews26

    Review
    Top review
    10/10
    Nostalgic Charmer
    In a small American town, a young man from a good family faces some of the realities of maturity.

    Clarence Brown's fond recreation of Eugene O'Neill's popular stage play AH, WILDERNESS! makes a wonderful celebration of basic American virtues. Attention to detail, coupled with excellent performances & MGM's best production values, results in a film full of quiet joys & sorrows.

    The story follows young Eric Linden (in his best film role) during the one month period from his 1906 high school graduation until the Fourth of July, as he deals with the pangs & confusions of puppy love. His yearnings for his pretty neighbor and his experimentation with an older, much rougher sort of female, perfectly underscore the angst so often found in young adults regardless of the era. This is brilliantly displayed in the film's most hilarious sequence, the graduation ceremony which Linden hopes to sabotage, which reveals the honest insecurities and mawkishness of the senior class.

    Wallace Beery, playing Linden's dyspeptic bachelor uncle receives top billing, and he is a scene stealer with much experience, but he acts alongside an equally good Lionel Barrymore, as Linden's father, who quietly underplays his role as head of the family. Each actor had a powerful screen persona, however neither attempt to dominate what is in effect a prime example of ensemble acting from the entire cast.

    As Barrymore's spinster sister, Aline MacMahon is especially fine, her romantic feelings for Beery barely canceled beneath her prim exterior. Spring Byington, as Barrymore's wife, shows a touching sensitivity in her sometimes flustered, nervous concern for her brood.

    Playing Linden's collegiate brother, Frank Albertson is good-natured and sturdy, and in a poignant moment gives a gentle parody of his own considerable musical talent by crooning ‘When Other Lips' from The Bohemian Girl. Bonita Granville & Mickey Rooney portray the youngest siblings in the family, with Rooney in particular having some very funny moments.

    In smaller roles, Cecilia Parker is all innocence as Linden's sweetheart, while crusty old Charley Grapewin almost spits vinegar as her cantankerous father. Helen Flint gives a forceful performance, considering Production Code restrictions, of the wanton woman who attempts seducing the much younger Linden.

    Movie mavens will recognize an uncredited Eily Malyon as the family's Irish maid.

    The title is an ironic reference to a line from The Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám. Will Rogers was originally pegged to play the role which ultimately went to Barrymore, but he backed out in order to make his tragic plane flight to Alaska.
    helpful•27
    2
    • Ron Oliver
    • Dec 27, 2002

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • April 1936 (Japan)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Ljuva ungdomstid
    • Filming locations
      • Grafton, Massachusetts, USA
    • Production company
      • Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 38 minutes
    • Color
      • Black and White
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.37 : 1

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