Man's Castle (1933) :
Brief Review -
Frank Borzage picks his own classic "7th Heaven" (1927) and modifies early talkies with a contemporary crime touch. "Stiffs don't squeak," she says at the end to blow me away. Typical, but highly commendable for the early 30s. Man's Castle comes as a good surprise in the pre-code era with a decent story, good performances and brilliant direction. Frank Borzage's "7th Heaven" had me in tears of joy. I couldn't have asked for a better mix of two classics, "Sunrise" (1927) and "The Wings," and Borzage did an exceptional job. With Man's Castle, he takes the story to a different ghetto. A con artist and tramp, Bill, takes a homeless woman, Trina, into his depression camp cabin. Trina falls in love with Bill, but he never has a habit of getting hooked on one place or one woman. Later, just as he finds showgirl LaRue, who will support him financially, Trina becomes pregnant. Bill had to choose between his responsibility and his freedom. What will he choose, and will it be good for him and Trina? See the answers in the climax. Spencer Tracy's Bill goes to a different league altogether, as I have never seen this man in such a different avatar in the early days of his career. What he did later, over the next two decades, remains a chapter in the history books. Tracy gives a rock-solid performance as a cold-hearted tramp. Even though you know he is not a good, sophisticated guy, you still love his attitude. Loretta Young looks young, and her youthful beauty is simply gorgeous. The way she looks at Bill, the way she talks to him and talks about him, optimistically, everything is so adorable. As expected, Glenda Farrell's club dame is sexually attractive. Marjorie Rambeau goes with the most powerful line in the film, as I mentioned above, right in the beginning, while Walter Connolly's lines from the Bible are equally strong. Borzage knew his stuff and the changing phase of cinema, so he conducted enough contemporary material to deliver a fine drama.
RATING - 7/10*
By - #samthebestest.
Frank Borzage picks his own classic "7th Heaven" (1927) and modifies early talkies with a contemporary crime touch. "Stiffs don't squeak," she says at the end to blow me away. Typical, but highly commendable for the early 30s. Man's Castle comes as a good surprise in the pre-code era with a decent story, good performances and brilliant direction. Frank Borzage's "7th Heaven" had me in tears of joy. I couldn't have asked for a better mix of two classics, "Sunrise" (1927) and "The Wings," and Borzage did an exceptional job. With Man's Castle, he takes the story to a different ghetto. A con artist and tramp, Bill, takes a homeless woman, Trina, into his depression camp cabin. Trina falls in love with Bill, but he never has a habit of getting hooked on one place or one woman. Later, just as he finds showgirl LaRue, who will support him financially, Trina becomes pregnant. Bill had to choose between his responsibility and his freedom. What will he choose, and will it be good for him and Trina? See the answers in the climax. Spencer Tracy's Bill goes to a different league altogether, as I have never seen this man in such a different avatar in the early days of his career. What he did later, over the next two decades, remains a chapter in the history books. Tracy gives a rock-solid performance as a cold-hearted tramp. Even though you know he is not a good, sophisticated guy, you still love his attitude. Loretta Young looks young, and her youthful beauty is simply gorgeous. The way she looks at Bill, the way she talks to him and talks about him, optimistically, everything is so adorable. As expected, Glenda Farrell's club dame is sexually attractive. Marjorie Rambeau goes with the most powerful line in the film, as I mentioned above, right in the beginning, while Walter Connolly's lines from the Bible are equally strong. Borzage knew his stuff and the changing phase of cinema, so he conducted enough contemporary material to deliver a fine drama.
RATING - 7/10*
By - #samthebestest.