Dalton Trogdon

This film is full of treats for classic film lovers. There is an early role for Mickey Rooney, the first screen pairing of Powell and Loy, and Clark Gable in a role that explains why only he could play the character Rhett Butler. For me, Manhattan Melodrama is more than anything, a character study that make you care about the trio of leading actors. The ending focuses on the willingness of those characters to make sacrifices for the benefit of others they love. Blackie/Gable, the rogue, makes the greatest sacrifice of all, showing that there is good in the worst of us and bad in the best of us. Historically, John Dillinger was killed after watching Manhattan Melodrama at the Biograph Theatre in Chicago July 22, 1934.

The character of Sir Percy Blakeney and his alter-ego The Scarlet Pimpernel became the model for many of the super-heroes we know so well today. The film revolves around his character and the plot involves the efforts to expose and eliminate him. He is a master of disguise, escape-artist, and also an able swordsman although this aspect is underplayed in the film. The copies I've seen hold up fairly well with the somewhat murky visual actually adding a noirish quality. The three lead actors, Howard, Oberon, and Massey are perfectly cast and their performances are spot on. Some people might have preferred more action but this is more a tale of suspense and a battle of wills. There could have been much more visual violence and if made today there no doubt would be.

Ticket buyers were much smarter than critics in judging this film. They didn't let the trappings sway them rather they simply felt the genuine romance that proceeded in spite of the fairy-tale-like premise. The best fantasies often emphasize universal truths, such as, There is no place like home. The truth found in Pretty Woman is that true love may be found anywhere between the most unlikely of couples.

It is rare when a film moves so energetically based solely upon character development. Heflin, Begley, and Sloane are the core of the film although they are surrounded by an excellent supporting cast. The conclusion forced me to reevaluate my opinion of Sloane's character after learning the true motives for his actions.

The first thing that should strike an experienced film-watcher is the plot comparison to Its a Wonderful Life. In this case that means,what if there were no me in your life or no you in mine? The twist is that Cage's character is no George Bailey. He has to experience sacrifice and true personal, loving emotion through a dream-like glimpse. Maybe,like myself, you will realize, at the conclusion that these two ultra successful people will work toward the ultimate Christmas dream. They will have everything and love too, or does Jack really learn that love by itself is enough? It is worth the watch to see.

I began watching this film without any foreknowledge of the plot but it didn't take long to learn that it is about the Earps and Clantons. Since it is the first movie about the gunfight at the OK corral, making the obvious comparisons to later versions is the first step in any critique. This film is the least sympathetic toward the Earps with them being abandoned by their supporters and only Wyatt surviving at the end. I liked the cast,especially an uncredited appearance by Walter Brennan and Andy Devine,making his first appearance in a western.

At first this story seems lurid and defeatist but as it advances and the romance evolves it becomes quite sweet. Two desperate,used people find hope through their connection with each other. They find that Love can be real and one of their common threads is the fact both of them have been courtesans of a sort although neither was an outright prostitute. Capote's novella contained none of the positive or hopeful consequences.