In Old Chicago (1938)

VHS CASE/ SIDE

Length of film:  95 Minutes (Roadshow: 111 Minutes)

Rated: A

Genre: Drama, Musical, Romance

Director: Henry King

Starring: Tyrone Power, Alice Faye, Don Ameche, Alice Brady, Andy Devine, Brain Donlevy

IMDB Rank: 6.7 /10

Part 1 Time:  56 Minutes (Roadshow: 73 Minutes)

Part 2 Time:  39 Minutes (Roadshow: 38 Minutes)

***Originally released in roadshow format having an overture, intermission, and exit music. All subsequent releases have excluded the overture, intermission, and exit music.

Where does the first part end? Dion O’Leary (Tyrone Power) and Gil Warren (Brain Donlevy) speak following the Chicago Mayoral election.

Final line of dialogue on the first part: “We O’Learys are a strange tribe,” responds Dion O’Leary.

First line of dialogue on the second part: “Look at him. You know, he really looks like a mayor” Dion states to Belle Fawcett (Alice Faye) during Jack’s mayoral victory parade.

How jarring is it when the first part ends? Somewhat, Dion using his underground influence within ‘the Patch’ burrow of Chicago gets his brother Jack O’Leary (Don Ameche) easily elected as mayor, looking to hopefully have influence of the mayoral office through his brother. However Jack looks to clean up ‘the patch’ by any means necessary. With this conflict of views how will Jack and Dion maintain a positive relationship moving forward?

Which part is better? This fictional film is loosely based around the facts pertaining to the role of the O’Leary family during the events surrounding the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. Part two is significantly better as Jack looks to clean up ‘the patch’ using legal means. However his methods are outmanoeuvred by a cunning Dion. The film is brought to a climatic conclusion with the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, which periodically for the time demonstrates a great use of visual effects, showing the true terror of uncontrolled fire.

Academy Awards: 1938- Best Picture (Nominated), Best Supporting Actress (Winner– Alice Brady), Best Writing Original Story (Nominated), Best Sound Recording (Nominated), Best Assistant Director (Nominated), Best Music Score (Nominated)