Movie of the Week: Manhattan Melodrama (1934)

This week’s movie is Manhattan Melodrama (1934).

Clark Gable is Blackie Gallagher, a gambling, gun-slinging gangster, who remains best friends with his childhood pal, Jim Wade (William Powell), an ambitious lawyer. Blackie’s girl, Eleanor (Myrna Loy) grows tired of the shady side of life and soon falls in love with Jim and marries him. Jim is promoted to district attorney and starts a campaign to become New York’s next governor. When a blackmailer threatens Jim’s campaign, Blackie decides to handle the situation himself and kills the man. On trial, Jim has no choice but to prosecute Blackie and he is sentenced to death. The conviction helps Jim win the election, but on the day of Blackie’s execution, Eleanor pleads with Jim to pardon Blackie and reveals to him that Blackie killed the man to protect Jim. Jim rushes to the prison to commune Blackie’s sentence, but Blackie refuses to let Jim waver on his original decision. After Blackie is put to death, Jim resigns as governor and makes up with Eleanor at the fade out.

Myrna and Clark have great chemistry as always, although Clark loses the girl to Bill Powell. Myrna leaves Clark for his buddy Bill since Bill will provide “security, consideration, a shelter–someplace to get out of the rain” and Clark rejects her idea of him making an honest woman out of her. She wants marriage and babies.

This is the first ruthless “Blackie” Clark played, but not the last. He was law-breaking “Blackie” again in San Francisco two years later. Hey, when it works, it works I guess.

He’s a tough guy in this one, murdering men in cold blood. But of course has a soft side with Myrna and is devoted to his pal Bill. A murderer, yes, but a likable one! Even though you see him murder two men, you still feel bad that he gets the electric chair.

Couple of notable things about this film:

• The legendary film duo of Powell and Loy began here. They had never even met before until she opens the door of a car and falls into his lap in their first scene. Their witty banter and easy chemistry prompted director Van Dyke to decide they were right for his next picture, The Thin Man. And thus started a beautiful teaming that spanned 14 films. Myrna remembered: “My first scene with Bill, a night shot on the back lot, happened before we’d even met. Woody [Van Dyke, the director] was apparently too busy for introductions. My instructions were to run out of a building, through a crowd, and into a strange car. When Woody called “Action,” I opened the car door, jumped in, and landed smack on William Powell’s lap. He looked up nonchalantly: “Miss Loy, I presume?” I said, “Mr. Powell?” And that’s how I met the man who would be my partner in fourteen films.”
• Notorious bank robber John Dillinger was gunned down outside Chicago’s Biograph Theater after seeing this film on July 22, 1934, a footnote in history that has been tied to the film forever. Myrna recalled: “Supposedly a Myrna Loy fan, he broke cover to see me. Personally, I suspect the theme of the picture rather than my fatal charms attracted him, but I’ve always felt guilty about it, anyway. They filled him full of holes, poor soul.” This was portrayed, with clips from the film, with Johnny Depp as Dillinger in Public Enemies.
• Mickey Rooney was offered a contract with MGM after his emotional performance playing the younger version of Clark’s character in this film.
• Only film to star both of Carole Lombard’s husbands–while she was between them!–Powell past, Gable future.

Nutshell review is here.

Full review is here.