MANHATTAN MELODRAMA

US, 1934, 93 minutes, Black and white.
William Powell, Clark Gable, Myrna Loy, Leo Carrillo, Nat Pendleton, George Sidney, Isabel Jewell, Thomas E. Jackson.
Directed by W. S. Van Dyke.

Manhattan Melodrama is a famous M.G.M. film of 1934. Myrna Loy has a strangely-written role as the heroine. These stars worked together in many films, especially Powell and Loy in the Thin Man series. The technical credits are very good: the fire and sinking of the ship in the New York river, an example of stunt work with one of the stunt men on fire (thought to be a later technical development), photography by James Wong Howe and a Rodgers and Hart melody with lyrics which later became 'Blue Moon'.

The film has a certain notoriety as it was the film that John Dillinger saw when he was set up and shot down by the police (dramatised in The Lady in Red).

1. An entertaining 1930s gangster film? The glossy M.G.M. style compared with the many tougher Warner Bros. gangster films? Brisk action and sentiment and melodrama?

2. The film as a star vehicle for the M.G.M. cast? Black and white photography, gloss, smooth photography, brisk editing, action and special effects? The score and the Rodgers and Hart music?

3. The atmosphere of the '30s and gangster films, the sympathetic presentation of the gangsters yet the moralising against them? The warning to the public? Themes of integrity and honesty? The focus on the police, corruption, good government? The film seen in comparison with the gangster films of later decades?

4. The prologue: the focus on the two boys and the contrast between them, Blackie and his conman's way of getting money, his tricking the dumb friend (and later using him as his stooge in his career?) Jim and his continued reading? The fire and the atmosphere of the disaster? The boys losing their parents? The rescue by Father Joe, and the later rescuing by the priest, his continued friendship, Jim's helping Blackie and the final ironies about death? Mr. Rosen and his taking the boys after the death of his own boy? Themes of life, death and bonds of friendship? mutual responsibility?

5. The glimpse of their growing up, continuing in their studious and potential gangster ways? Rosen and the speech by Trotsky? The contrast between American freedom and the Russian way of life? Patriotism? Rosen being trampled to death and Blackie vowing to get even with the police? Was this theme of the grudge against the police followed through? (The point made about Jews, Catholics and Protestants living together)?

6. The split-screen technique for the two boys growing up and developing each in their separate ways and styles?

7. Clark Gable as Blackie, relying on his screen presence and style? His gambling place, the dramatic tension of the gambling for the yacht, the contrived raid, Eleanor's arrival, their arguments and her succumbing? Blackie as a hoodlum ? the example of his threats about payment? His henchmen? His relationship with the stooge? The bond between himself and Eleanor?

8. The contrast with Jim, the voting for his becoming District Attorney? The election and the presence of Father Joe and his support? Eleanor and her arrival in the taxi and the discussions about forever waiting for Blackie? The restaurant and their talk together? Her being impressed by Jim and being treated as a lady? The return and their talk? Eleanor telling Blackie that she would leave him? His accepting it? The build up to their marriage and the honesty between the two?

9. Blackie and his reaction, generally a winner? His friendship with Toots Malone? New Year's Eve and the confrontation with the hoodlum who wouldn't pay, the set-up and the death? The story about the overcoat? His congratulating Jim and lying to him? The build-up to the marriage and his absenting himself? The candidacy for Governor and Eleanor's meeting him at the races? His killing Snow? His motivation: loyalty? Violence and yet his pleasant disposition? A nice oafish criminal? The court scenes and the note from Jim and his returning the note? The prison and his friendliness? Moving to the final cell? The discussion with Jim and his pleasure in Jim's conning, forgiving him and refusing the commuting of sentence? Death suggested by the darkening of the lights?

10. Jim and his wedding, his candidacy for Governor, the threats by Snow? The prosecution of Blackie? The condemnation and the crisis? The appeals and his having to turn them down? Eleanor's leaving him and her reasons? The visit to the prison? His wanting to commute the sentence? The impact of Blackie's death? His offering his resignation to the Assembly? Eleanor's appreciating his principles and his application of his principles to himself and her return to him?

11. The background of hoodlums, gangsters, Snow and the corrupt police, the knowledge about Blackie's murder? The cleaning up of the police?

12. The comedy with the dumb henchman? The story about the overcoat? The dumb blonde and her comic remarks?

13. The background of politics, the law?

14. A topical theme for the '30s? Serious and moralising? As cinema entertainment: the blend of laughs, tears, serious themes and melodrama?