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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
Made in 1937 as a riposte to MGM's groundbreaking disaster movie "San Francisco" (based on the great earthquake) "In Old Chicago" took 22 months to shoot and includes a staggering reconstruction of the great fire.
Two feuding brothers are at the heart of the film, manipulative Dion O'Leary (Tyrone Power) who exploits the shady side of Chicago for fame and fortune, and Jack O'Leary a hard but caring lawyer with a conscience who becomes a reforming mayor. There is also a good family background with their tough mother Molly (Alice Brady)
Also there is a tempestuous love affair between Dion and Belle Fawcette (Alice Faye) a famous vaudeville singer; this film shows a welcome tougher side to the adorable Alice Faye particularly in the scene where she throws jars and vases at Dion and he wrestles her to the ground.
Great direction by Henry King and fine acting all round in this epic production presented in a pristine transfer and excellent sound, wonderful example of what could be achieved in the mid thirties.
Two feuding brothers are at the heart of the film, manipulative Dion O'Leary (Tyrone Power) who exploits the shady side of Chicago for fame and fortune, and Jack O'Leary a hard but caring lawyer with a conscience who becomes a reforming mayor. There is also a good family background with their tough mother Molly (Alice Brady)
Also there is a tempestuous love affair between Dion and Belle Fawcette (Alice Faye) a famous vaudeville singer; this film shows a welcome tougher side to the adorable Alice Faye particularly in the scene where she throws jars and vases at Dion and he wrestles her to the ground.
Great direction by Henry King and fine acting all round in this epic production presented in a pristine transfer and excellent sound, wonderful example of what could be achieved in the mid thirties.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
I love this film, but the acting is a bit wobbly, the plot is cheesy, and even the cinematography is shaky. If your a big fan of Don Ameche (like me!), Tyrone Power or Alice Faye, then you need this blockbuster in your collection. The film markets itself as an answer to cinema's San Francisco, but like that film the disaster plays a small part in the overall picture. It's a pleasant, frivolous movie for a rainy afternoon.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
After years of being only available in a cut 94-minute version, Fox released both that and the original uncut 110-minute roadshow version on their Region 1 NTSC DVD, but sadly they've only seen fit to include the shorter version on their UK Region 2 DVD.
It has to be said that in its uncut version, In Old Chicago plays like an even more obvious ripoff of San Francisco, merely substituting Tyrone Power, Don Ameche, Alice Faye and the Chicago fire for Clark Gable, Spencer Tracey, Jeanette MacDonald and the San Francisco earthquake and adding more twee Oirish antics than are healthy. The musical numbers are a step down too, particularly Faye's rendition of Carry Me Back to Old Virginny complete with `massa' lyrics, and the finale isn't as grand on screen as it is in your memory: the scenes of the crowds of refugees on the banks tend to be far more effective than the backlot chaos. Still, any film that features Rondo Hatton can't be all bad, but it's easy to see why Zanuck ordered the film trimmed. However, it's worth picking up the US NTSC disc to give you the chance to make up your own mind as to which is the better version.
It has to be said that in its uncut version, In Old Chicago plays like an even more obvious ripoff of San Francisco, merely substituting Tyrone Power, Don Ameche, Alice Faye and the Chicago fire for Clark Gable, Spencer Tracey, Jeanette MacDonald and the San Francisco earthquake and adding more twee Oirish antics than are healthy. The musical numbers are a step down too, particularly Faye's rendition of Carry Me Back to Old Virginny complete with `massa' lyrics, and the finale isn't as grand on screen as it is in your memory: the scenes of the crowds of refugees on the banks tend to be far more effective than the backlot chaos. Still, any film that features Rondo Hatton can't be all bad, but it's easy to see why Zanuck ordered the film trimmed. However, it's worth picking up the US NTSC disc to give you the chance to make up your own mind as to which is the better version.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Fabulous Musical Disaster Movie
1937:Huge budget from producer Darryl Zanuck and Fox. Comparisons with disaster epics such as MGM's 'San Francisco' (1936) and Sam Goldwyn's idea with 'Hurricane' (1937), are fair... Read more
Published 9 months ago by ACB (swansea)
Old fashion
It's great to watch an "old fashioned" movie for a change. It is a pity films aren't made like that any more.
Published on 1 Dec 2009 by Ms. Gillian D. Barr
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