Man's Castle (1933)

User Rating:

7.7/10   

Director:

Frank Borzage

Writers:

Lawrence Hazard (play)
Jo Swerling (writer)

Release Date:

27 October 1933 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Plot:

Bill takes Trina into his depression camp cabin. Later, just as he finds showgirl LaRue who will support him, Trina becomes pregnant.

Plot Keywords:

Toy | Freight Train | Love | Unwed Pregnancy | Baseball

Cast

Spencer Tracy	...	Bill
Loretta Young	...	Trina
Marjorie Rambeau	...	Flossie
Glenda Farrell	...	Fay La Rue
Walter Connolly	...	Ira
Arthur Hohl	...	Bragg
Dickie Moore	...	Joey

Also Known As:

A Man's Castle (USA) (review title)

Runtime:

75 min | USA:69 min (TCM print)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Noiseless Recording)

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Quotes:

Trina: Even birds can't fly all the time.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Thou Shalt Not: Sex, Sin and Censorship in Pre-Code Hollywood (2008) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Surprise!

One of the essential Depression dramas

Unfortunately, this film has long been unavailable (as other posters have noted), but this is one of the essential dramas of the Great Depression, a lyrical and touching drama of love set in a shanty-town. It features performances by Spencer Tracy and Loretta Young that are just about the finest of their careers, and it's a surpassing example of how the director, Frank Borzage, was able to create an almost fairy-tale aura around elements of poverty, crime, and horrendous social inequity, which just proves that how truly romantic and spiritual his talents were. This film shows how love survives amidst squalor and desperate need, and it is totally life-affirming. This is a real masterpiece of the period, and is a movie that deserves to be more widely known.