ccthemovieman-1 This is very dated, but that's part of the charm with this 1933 movie. You can say the same for most Pre-Code films; they're just different, and usually in an interesting way.It was the short running time, the great acting of Spencer Tracy and the beautiful face and sweetness of Loretta Young's character which kept me watching and enjoying this stagy-but-intriguing film.You'd be hard-pressed to find a nicer girl than "Trinna," played by the 20-year-old Young who was already into making her 50th movie! (She started acting as a small child. That, and the fact they made movies quickly back in the old days.) The camera, although in soft focus throughout much of the film, zoomed in on Loretta's face and eyes many times and I was mesmerized by her beauty.Playing a crotchety man with a cynical outlook on life, Tracy's "Bill" slowly transformed into a loving man, thanks to Trinna. Spencer delivered his lines here with such naturalness that you hardly knew he was acting.Although they have small roles, supporting actors Walter Connolly, Marjorie Rambeau, Arthur Hohl and Glenda Farrell leave lasting impressions long after viewing this 75-minute film. I was particularly fascinated with Connolly's role as the minister/father figure of the camp.The story is a little far-fetched but - hey - that's the movies. This story is about two lonely Great Depression victims trying to survive in a "Hooverville"-type camp and it winds up to be a very touching tale.

Michael_Elliott Man's Castle (1933) *** (out of 4) A rather bizarre love story from Borzage set during the Depression-era as two different people are brought together through being poor. Spencer Tracy plays a hot tempered man who has the charm to live a good life but instead plays it day to day just making what he has to. He takes in a poor woman (Loretta Young) and they hit it off well even though he mistreats her and she might want something out of him that he'd never be able to give. If the term love story makes you want to pass this film up then you might want to think again because this isn't the tear jerker that would have women lining up buying tickets. Instead, this is a pretty mean spirited pre-code that has all sorts of stuff from premarital sex to abused women to suffering because of being poor and even a brief mention of an abortion. Did I mention that Tracy and Young go skinny dipping early in the movie? At the heart of the film is a love story but we've got so much other stuff going on that you might lose site of that. For starters, Tracy's character is one of the biggest S.O.B's you'll likely see in a film from this era. He's incredibly mean and often takes it out on Young who doesn't mind getting insulted or being left behind when he's out with other women. I think a lot of people are going to be turned off because of how mean he is but I guess this is a part of the "moral" in the film. Tracy delivers another fine performance and I think the reason I personally didn't hate his character more is because of how good the actor was. He certainly pulls off the meanness without any trouble but at the same time you can just look at him and know there's something under that toughness. Young, perhaps my favorite actress, also delivers another winning performance. She's very believable in the abused woman role even though you want to ask her why she's with the jerk. The film has a message about a lot of issues and this is another reason why it remains rather fresh today especially since we're going through another hard time with people without jobs and unable to eat. The speech Tracy's character gives to a restaurant early on is something that would probably get a standing ovation today.

Neil Doyle SPENCER TRACY plays a rough and tumble character in a role that was tailor made for Clark Gable. Somehow, his chemistry with LORETTA YOUNG is not quite what it should be. She, however, gives a very sensitive performance as the lovely girl attracted to him despite his arrogant behavior. This is the weakness of the story. If played by a charmer like Clark Gable, Loretta's yen for Tracy would be more understandable. As it is, he plays a real scoundrel without any attempt to soften his character for the sake of romance. He's sometimes so despicable that he alienates the viewer from sympathizing with him.But it's Loretta Young who holds the film together, even though her character often seems naive and foolish to stay with Tracy. MARJORIE RAMBEAU is effective in a good supporting role as a woman with backbone who helps Tracy and Young when he has to flee the authorities. WALTER CONNOLLY, as a man Tracy attempts to rob, is also fine.The film looks as though it was bathed in soft focus, perhaps to make the tone of the love story less gritty than it would have looked if filmed realistically. Whatever, Loretta Young has never looked more beautiful. Her costuming belies the fact that she's a Depression era heroine. Another unrealistic touch by director Frank Borzage, who has chosen to tell the story as if it were a fairy tale Depression story.

miroslava stern I have seen this film recently during a retrospective of Borzage´s filmography. It´s a film situated in that strange period of time before "Hays code" when american movies could tell stories who break (explicitly) the conservative rules of the "classic Hollywood moral". Like in other films of Borzage (The seventh heaven, bad girl...) love faces poverty and survives because of his almost "magic" nature. But what makes this film more remarkable than others from Borzage is the complexity of Spencer Tracy´s role. He is full of passion for life but also fears "everybody´s life". When he meets Loretta Young has to face a new situation than creates an earthquake of contradictions. I was very surprised with this role and it explains why this movie had so many problems in his time. In the end, a very nice surprise