San Francisco, 1936 (Grade C-)

Director: W.S. Van Dyke
Awards: Won Academy Award for Best Sound, and niminated for multiple otehr Academy Awards
Starring: Clark Gable; Jeanette MacDonald; Spencer Tracy; Jack Holt


sez says: this is overflowing with Jeanette McDonald Singing--so if you like her voice you'll probably really like this movie.  I am not a fan--sure she has talent--but her gift is not my cup of tea..so I just try and be patient while she warbles. (She does do a rousing version of the song San Francisco toward the end of the movie which had enough energy to make me smile.)  Meanwhile the story is predictable and sappy--daughter of a minister and all around good girl Mary Blake (MacDonald) brings bad-boy Blackie Norton (Gable) to God, with the help of Blackie's child hood pal --Spencer Tracy--who has become a priest.  There are some better than average twists and turns before we get Gable on his knees --best of all are the special effects depicting the San Francisco earthquake of 1906.  Overall  I wouldn't call it a bad movie--nor would I say it is a good one.  It occupies that land of limbo, being a sort'a interesting old movie if you don't expect too much. (Grade C-)