Customer Reviews

San Francisco [VHS]

5 star:		(42)
4 star:		(16)
3 star:		(10)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

"San Francisco", MGM's 'Showcase' film of 1936, demonstrates why no other studio could 'touch' Metro at it's prime. Take the biggest star in Hollywood, team him with the 'Queen' of 1930s MGM musicals, add the greatest film actor of a generation in support, then top things off with a 'no-expense-spared' recreation of the most famous earthquake in American history, and an instant Classic was born!

Seventy years later, the film has lost little of it's luster; certainly the 'Message' is a bit heavy-handed, the long opera sequences may make some viewers cringe, and some of the effects (involving double exposures) seem quaint in an era of CGI...but Clark Gable still projects his signature cockiness and virility, Jeanette MacDonald is still radiant (and can sure belt out "San Francisco"), and Spencer Tracy is still magnificent (it is easy to see why he received a 'Best Actor' nomination, in what was obviously a supporting role; he easily steals the film, in every scene he's in).

Directed by the remarkable W.S. ('Woody') Van Dyke, a consummate craftsman, and one of MGM's fastest directors (contradictory terms, but he combined speed and style, effortlessly), with a screenplay, surprisingly, by future "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" author, Anita Loos (from a story by Robert Hopkins), "San Francisco" exudes confidence, from the riotously decadent New Year's Eve, 1905, opening scene, to the finale, as Gable, MacDonald, Tracy, and, apparently, most of the survivors of the earthquake and fire march to a hilltop, vowing to build a 'better' city, and singing "The Battle Hymn of the Republic", as they view the smoking ruins, which dissolves into the 'modern' San Francisco of 1936.

Corny? Certainly! But undeniably rousing, as well!

The 'Special Features' are excellent, as well; the TNT documentary, "Tall, Dark, and Handsome: Clark Gable", while glossing over some 'seamier' chapters of Gable's life, does offer insights by the daughter he secretly fathered by Loretta Young, and the son he died before ever seeing...and the biography is VASTLY superior to the one offered in the "Gone with the Wind" Special Edition. An 'alternate ending' is barely different from the actual one, other than offering more views of the city, but the 1936 MGM cartoon ("Bottles") is astonishingly well-crafted and gorgeous in Technicolor, and two Technicolor 'TravelTalk' short features, from 1940, on San Francisco, and Treasure Island, at the time of the 1939-40 World Exposition, are both very entertaining and a visual 'time machine' back to a simpler era.

This is a wonderful DVD, certainly worth owning!

From the mid 20s till the mid 50s, METRO-GOLDWYN MAYER(MGM) boasted they had more stars than there are in the heaven. MGM was the first studio to release a film with more than two stars(it was in 1932 - the Academy Award winning GRAND HOTEL starring Garbo, Beery, Crawford and Lionel Barrymore). SAN FRANCISCO proved to be one of the finest that ever came out of Hollywood. 3 Stars; Clark Gable, Jeanette MacDonald and Spencer Tracy; strong story containing drama, music, song, romance A N D disaster; set decorations by Cedric Gibbons, special effects that has never dated, realistic scenes from ol`Frisco, though everything was shot in the MGM studios at Culver City. SAN FRANCISCO is a film that will never lose its appeal because of all these ingredients. This film is a MUST-SEE. One of the best that was ever made.

Now this is what all-timers must have meant when they snapped "they don`t make`m like that anymore!".
MGM`s San Francisco offers us star names, good plot and dialogue, superb photography, special effects, scenary(Cedric Gibbons), sound(Douglas Shearer, brother of Norma), music, song.... The Hollywood of 2day should look back and really learn that you just can`t throw in spcial-effects, PRAY - a n d have hope for a good movie. The Day After Tomorrow is great, but sadly lacking star names like in this 1. Today - more often - the effects are the stars... It didn`t use 2 be like that(The Poseidon Adventure, Earthquake, The Towering Inferno to name but a few)...

I name SAN FRANCISCO(with Mutiny on the Bounty), the best MGM b&w melodrama of the 30s... 20th Century-Fox made "IN OLD CHICAGO" 1937 but as with the MGM musical.... NO ONE COULD TOP METRO-GOLDWYN-MAYER AT THEIR ZENITH.

Ok, all you grizzlers who criticize Jeanette's vocal contributions to this film - you watch a MacDonald film, and you know the lady's going to sing! And does she sing! I remember seeing this film years ago in an Adelaide cinema, and when she hit the high E-flat at the end of "Sempre libera" from "La Traviata", a lady behind me gasped, "Oh, my God!" Then as the audience onstage burst into applause, so too did the audience in the cinema. There was also applause from the audience at the very end of the film - and heaps of teary eyes! I can't criticize a thing about this film; I've watched it dozens of times, and never tire of it. When I'm about to die, I know I'll still rate it as my favourite film of all time. If I could give it more than 5 stars, I would. There - is that glowing enough???

"San Francisco" is the epitome of excellent 1930's filmaking at its best. Boasting a rousing story scripted by Anita Loos, crackling direction by the prolific W.S. Van Dyke (a director unfairly neglected in Hollywood history), and beautiful costumes and sets, the film is most justly famous because of the unforgettable special effects depicting the famous San Francisco earthquake of 1906. These sequences have gone down in Hollywood folklore as possibly the finest of their kind ever created.

The film offers a top notch cast in Clark Gable as Blackie Norton the rough around the edges entrepeneur in the dance hall area of the Barbary Coast, Spencer Tracy in the first of his famous priest roles as the caring Father Tim Mullin, a childhood friend of Blackie's, and last but not least Jeanette McDonald as Mary Blake the singing sensational torn between her strict upbringing and her love for Blackie. They make a memorable trio of performers in their only film together. Gable and Tracy would go on to make two more films together, "Test Pilot" and "Boom Town". Despite it being well known that Gable and McDonald did not get along during shooting they combine well in their acting depite their very different personalities. Spencer Tracy is on screen for less time than is desirable and certainly his father Tim is not as well written a character as the priest he played so wonderfully 2 years later in the classic "Boy's Town". Tracy always had a way with no frills sympathetic characters and he brings conviction and feeling to his role as the self appointed protector of Mary in Blackie's world of dancing girls, card sharps and crooked deals. Gable apparently was very reluctant to undertake his part which in some ways could be classified as a "typical Clark Gable role" however I feel he delivers a wonderfully rounded performance as the heel without a heart who learns about what is important from the person he never thought he would fall in love with in a dozen lifetimes. Many people have commented on the apparent lack of chemistry between Gable and McDonald on screen but I feel that opposites can attract and the two make a most welcome and refreshingly different type of team to Gable's usual pairings with leading ladies such as Jean Harlow or Joan Crawford. The film was a definite showcase for Jeanette McDonald's vocal talents and indeed she was the one that campaigned to get Gable as her leading man. She was then in the middle of her successful teamings with Nelson Eddy and was anxious to work with other leading men on the MGM lot. Her musical numbers at times do tend to slow down the progression of the story but they are beautifuly staged and her voice has never been in finer form. Gifted designer Adrian's stunning costumes for the Mary Blake character are both historically well researched and beautiful to look at and no expense is spared in creating truly breathtaking outfits for one of the Queens of MGM in the mid 30's.

No review or mention of "San Francisco" could be made without a special nod going to the amazing special effects that were created for the famed earthquake scenes near the end of the film. Almost every technician on the MGM lot was involved in the huge undertaking that involved the filming of the earthquake sequences. The sight of tall buildings collapsing, street lights shaking, streets opening up and whole walls falling on people are superbly recreated and even now have a frightening look about them. Never in this era of film making have they ever been surpassed and they still hold up against all the technology now available to filmmakers. Nominated for a number of Academy Awards the film was an outstanding success and MGM's biggest moneymaker of 1936.

Rousing entertainment is what you get in "San Francisco" and it is always a pleasure to watch as it displays the expertise that a major studio like MGM possessed at its peak in the golden era of the 1930's. Known for its perfectionist approach to all aspects of filmmaking here MGM excelled itself and created a memorable classic that has stood the test of time and will surely continue to amaze film watchers with its spectacle for generations to come.

As a fan of the three main stars and one to have been fortunate to see this film with a live audience, I can honestly say this movie is absolutely wonderful without much bias as far as the general population goes. At the end of this film, there was not a dry eye in the house, I looked back at the people in the theatre and almost everyone had a kleenex -- it's a touching film, one for those who enjoy the sentiment of a great classic film. MacDonald, Gable, and Tracy all give strong performances. The emotional impact was particularly strong in the theatre of viewing, because it was the Stanford Theatre, located in an area also impacted by this earthquake (just a half hour south of San Francisco).

In 1936, MGM would release the 1936 drama/adventure film "San Francisco" which would be based on the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. The film would be directed by W.S. Ban Dyke and would feature the first pairing of popular Lubitsch musical actress Jeanette MacDonald with the very popular Clark Gable and Spencer Tracy.

The film would be nominated for six Academy Awards and win one for "Best Sound Recording" (facing major competition with "My Man Godfrey", "Thre Great Ziegfeld" and "Mr. Deeds Goes to Town") and would become the #1 film in the box office of 1936. The DVD was released in 2006 and is also part of the Warner Bros. "Clark Gable: The Signature Collection" DVD Box Set (which also contains the films "Boom Town", "China Seas", "Dancing Lady", "Mogambo", "San Francisco" and "Wife vs. Secretary").

VIDEO:

"San Francisco" is presented in black and white in standard definition. Picture quality ranges from very good to very grainy at some scenes. It is evident that the original print source has had some degradation considering the film is nearly 75-years-old. But compared to many classics that I have seen, the film still holds up well and is very watchable. I didn't see an enormous amount of speckles, dust or scratches nor did I see major compression artifacting. Blacks are nice and deep and for the most part, unless there is major restoration for Blu-ray, this is probably the best version of "San Francisco" we are going to see of the film for now.

AUDIO & SUBTITLES:

"San Francisco" is a center channel driven film. Presented in Dolby Digital monaural (English and French), I preferred to have my home theater receiver set on stereo on all channels for a more immersive soundscape. Dialogue is clear and understandable but for many, "San Francisco" is known for its music.

If a film was going to have a leading lady singing plenty of songs, especially for the character of Mary Blake, Jeanette MacDonald is a perfect choice. Having enjoyed her Lubitsch musicals and hearing her sing, she was a natural playing the part of a woman who sings opera. From singing the San Francisco song to songs from "La Traviata", MacDonald's singing vocals comes out quite clearly on this DVD.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

"San Francisco" comes with the following special features:

* Alternate Ending Sequence - (:46) The original ending featured the film overlooking San Francisco via Market Street and the construction of the Golden Gate Bridge. But because the film was re-released in 1948, the studio felt the ending was dated and thus chose to feature a shot of the business district instead. Thus this alternate ending sequence is the original ending shown in theaters back in 1936.
* Clark Gable: Tall, Dark & Handsome Documentary - (46:28) A TNT documentary hosted by Liam Neeson. From Clark Gable's earlier years, entering Hollywood for the first time, his career and his painful life losing his love Carole Lombard, remarrying several times and his death.
* Cavalcade of San Francisco - (8:53) MGMs "Traveltalks - The Voice of the Globe" featuring James A. Fitzpatrick talking about San Francisco during the early '40s in Technicolor
* Night Descends on Treasure Island - (8:06) MGMs "Traveltalks - The Voice of the Globe" featuring James A. Fitzpatrick talking about Treasure Island during the early '40s in Technicolor.
* Bottles - A Happy Harmonies 1936 animated cartoon titled "Bottles" in which an older scientist's inventions turns on him while he is sleeping and shrinks him.
* Theatrical Trailer - (2:09) The original theatrical trailer for "San Francisco"

JUDGMENT CALL:

"San Francisco" was definitely an ambitious film with special effects that manage to capture the 1906 earthquake 30-years after the tragedy had literally destroyed the entire city but yet capture the human spirit of willing to rebuild the city and start over.

Clark Gable did a wonderful job playing Blackie Norton, but I have to admit that the role was reminiscent of his Blackie Gallagher character in the 1934 film "Manhattan Melodrama" which was also directed by W.S. Van Dyke. The character of a man on the wrong side but yet has good in his heart and in some way, the film can be seen as spiritual as Spencer Tracy's character as Father Tim Mullen prays for Blackie to be a God believing man someday. And as Gable and Tracy are known for their work on the big screen, Jeanette Macdonald steals the show.

Although, the actress was not nominated for an Academy Award, it was great to see how she would grow from her Ernst Lubitsch musical roots and instead of being the woman known for comedies and musicals, she gets paired with Clark Gable for the first time instead of an actor/singer like Maurice Chevalier or Nelson Eddy and I felt the chemistry between the two worked quite well onscreen. And even today, the song is still a big part of San Francisco as it's played at the sports stadiums and the song for the film will always be connected to the city.

Outside of the acting and the music, I have to admit that I as a little skeptical of how the studio can capture a major tragedy on the lot of a major earthquake in San Francisco. And lo and behold, Slavko Vorkapich who created the earthquake sequences and his crew did a wonderful job. There are parts that look authentic and most importantly, there are situations that happened in real life that were featured in the film and that is the destruction of the city due to the detonation of dynamite by inexperienced firefighters. What was planned to create firebreaks by demolishing building ended up causing more fires and more destruction to buildings that could have survived the earthquake. Also, capturing the displaced victims living in tents and also showing how aftershocks affected the city. I was very impressed of how much was captured in this film during the earthquake sequence. Interesting to note that unlike the 1927 film "Old San Francisco" that portrays the Chinese in the community as evil, "San Francisco" features a more multicultural friendliness as everyone of all races are affected by the earthquake.

Although, "San Francisco" was no "Gone with the Wind", "It Happened One Night" or "Mutiny on the Bounty" (both films shot earlier), it's a shame that this film that did extremely well in the box office but yet did not recognize Gable and MacDonald's performance for a nomination of an Academy Award.

But "San Francisco" in my opinion is a classic film that is worth watching. A DVD release that not only contains the film but several features including a wonderful documentary on Gable's troubled life and if you want even more Clark Gable, definitely give the Warner "Clark Gable: The Signature Collection" DVD Box Set a chance!

Definitely recommended!

It's films like 1936's San Francisco on which the reputation of Hollywood was built. Starring Clark Gable as the irrascable Blackie Norton, Jeanette McDonald as aspiring singer Mary Blake,
and Spencer Tracy as the straight arrow Fr. Tim Mullin, Jack Holt as Jack Burley and Jessie Ralph as Jacks mother Maisy.
It's the story of the lives of a group of people leading up to the San Francisco earthquake of 1906.
Jeanette McDonald was in great form in San Francisco (her best film) and was given some wonderful songs to sing, including the immortal title song San Francisco, Jerusalem, Near My God To Thee, the Battle Hymn of the Republic plus bits and pieces of various operas. The soundtrack alone would be worth having.
A few months back I ordered a copy of "In Old Chicago" (Tyrone Power and Alice Faye)from Amazon, in which the special effects relating to the destruction of Chicago by fire in 1871 were very well done - San Francisco does even better.
In San Francisco, the 20 minute earthquake scene (done well before computerised special effects) was awesome, spell binding stuff,and crucial to the sense of realism and authenticity of this great film.
The performances of the cast was superb, Jessie Ralph, who made a career out of playing servants, washer women, and old dears with a touch of the blarney, stole every scene she was in, Spencer Tracy who won an Academy Award for Best Actor in this picture,was magnificent, Gable was Gable and kept the pace of the movie going along, and Jeanette McDonald gave us her unforgettable best efforts marked down on celluloid for us to remember her by.
This is a wonderful,soul stirring film. A must have for the true movie buff.

Unfortunatley I can only give this DVD transfer 3 stars. I have been patiently waiting for this film to be available on DVD so that I can toss out my old videocassette. Instead I think I am going to keep the videocassette and toss out the DVD. MGM's high production values are evident throughout this film. The special effects, for their time, are convincing even by today's standards. The problem with this transfer is that it is too "heavy." The facial tones are all "plugged up" and the shadows are way too saturated. I know this movie, despite it's somewhat contrasty sytle of cinemetography, was not originally shot (exposed) that way. Even if the original negative is permanently damaged this fine film is deserving of the most expensive, time-consuming restoration effort money can buy.

SAN FRANCISCO must surely count as one of the top ten films of the 1930's, an era unnaturally-rich in movie masterpieces. Jeanette MacDonald stars in one of her greatest roles.

The film recounts the months leading up to the Great Earthquake of 1906. Jeanette MacDonald plays Mary Blake, an aspiring singer from the country determined to make her fortune. She crosses the path of Blackie Norton (Clark Gable), an enterprising Barbary Coast opportunist from the wrong side of the tracks, who runs a saloon called the Paradise. He employs her, though she's soon being courted by the manager of the Tivoli Opera. You can guess the rest (Mary torn between the two men), making her debut with the opera only to be dragged back to the Paradise when she decides to marry Blackie.

The climactic sequence is still an impressive piece of film-making, shocking and harrowing in it's realism (if the film works as it's supposed to, the earthquake should come as a surprise because we are so caught up in the drama). Clark Gable and Spencer Tracy (in one of his first big roles) are superb, though the show belongs solely to Miss MacDonald. Determined to excert her Hollywood superstardom without Nelson Eddy, she made a bold choice in starring opposite Clark Gable in what is really a non-musical film. There are, however, ample moments for MacDonald to musically shine (the numbers "Would You?" and "San Francisco" as well as excerpts from FAUST and LA TRAVIATA).

A riveting, ravishing screen entertainment!