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 Manhattan Melodrama (1934) takes place in 1904 where a river paddle wheeler, heading toward Manhattan, catches fire, searing a lifelong relationship between two boys who are rescued by a third who later becomes a priest. Jim (William Powell) grows up to be an upstanding member of society, a successful lawyer, while Blackie (Clark Gable) is a sophisticated racketeer, a successful gambler. Eleanor (Myrna Loy) is Blackie's girlfriend. He sends her to meet Jim on the night the lawyer is elected District Attorney, setting events in motion which spin all three lives in a different direction.
Clark Gable & Myrna Loy
In 1904 a river paddle wheeler, heading toward Manhattan, catches fire, searing a lifelong relationship between two boys who are rescued by a third who later becomes a priest. Jim (William Powell) grows up to be an upstanding member of society, a successful lawyer, while Blackie (Clark Gable) is a sophisticated racketeer, a successful gambler. Eleanor (Myrna Loy) is Blackie's girlfriend. He sends her to meet Jim on the night the lawyer is elected District Attorney, setting events in motion which spin all three lives in a different direction.
 Blackie refuses to make an honest woman of Eleanor. "That's not our style," he says. But marriage is her style, and she and Jim fall in love and marry.
Blackie is involved in a murder and Jim, as DA, must deal with the situation. The case against Blackie is never proven, but then he's arrested for another murder; he's convicted and sentenced to the electric chair. Now governor, Jim is faced with a dilemma of conscience. Will he toss aside his principles for his love for Eleanor and Blackie? His decision will haunt him no matter what he does.
William Powell
Manhattan Melodrama (1934) is part of the the Myrna Loy and William Powell Collection that also the drama Evelyn Prentice (1934), and three comedies Double Wedding (1937), I love You Again (1940), and Love Crazy (1941). Special features on each disk include a cartoon in color, an entertaining vintage short plus the theatrical trailer. The radio show of Love Crazy featuring Powell is on disk 5.
Special Features
€¢ Comedy short Goofy Movies #2
€¢ Classic cartoon The Old Pioneer
€¢ Theatrical trailer
Director: W. S. Van Dyke
Writers: Arthur Caesar who won an Oscar for his work and Oliver H. P. Garrett.
Cast: Clark Gable, William Powell, Myrna Loy, Leo Carrillo, Isabel Jewell, Mickey Rooney, Jimmy Butler, Nat Pendleton
Rating: unrated
Classic Movie Guide Rating: 4 stars out of 5
DVD Release Date: 8/07/2007
Run Time: 93 minutes
Studio: Warner Home Video
Format: B&W Standard Version
Photos credit: Warner Home Video
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