Spencer Tracy
Saint Louis
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Comedy
Crime
Daily life at men and women's prison units where baseball and the marching band are serious business. Two prisoners escape in order to help paroled Steve from being blackmailed by his girlfriend's ex-partner-in-crime.
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| Release Date | 1930-10-10 |
|---|---|
| Runtime | 1h 25m |
| Directors | John Ford, Joseph H. August, Edward O'Fearna, Wingate Smith |
| Producer | William Fox |
| Writer | Maurine Dallas Watkins |
This is really only of interest as a cinema curio - an early talkie with Warren Hymer ("Dan") and a slightly irritating "Saint Louis" (Spencer Tracy) escaping from prison to help out their pal "Steve" (Humphrey Bogart) from a little domestic mischief whilst he tries to keep his gal "Judy" (Claire Luce) - all under the direction of John Ford. None had made their mark on Hollywood by this stage, and the film's production and storyline are all just a bit too basic and over-stretched to hold the interest for a whopping great 90 minutes. It has moments of humour, and there is a brief appearance from Ward Bond too, but the film is pretty static and stage bound with too many monologues delivered in quite a wooden fashion. It's fair to say that everyone was still learning their craft here, and knowing what we know now makes it worth a watch - but be prepared to be a bit bored, I was.
— CinemaSerf