A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (1945)

User Rating:

7.9/10   

Director:

Elia Kazan

Writers:

Frank Davis (writer)
Tess Slesinger (writer)
(more)

Release Date:

28 February 1945 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

In Brooklyn circa 1900, the Nolans manage to enjoy life on pennies despite great poverty and Papa's alcoholism...

Plot Keywords:

Poverty | Alcoholism | Struggle | Tree | Tenement

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 1 nomination

Cast

Dorothy McGuire	...	Katie Nolan
Joan Blondell	...	Sissy Edwards
James Dunn	...	Johnny Nolan aka The Brooklyn Thrush
Lloyd Nolan	...	Officer McShane
James Gleason	...	McGarrity
Ted Donaldson	...	Neeley Nolan
Peggy Ann Garner	...	Francie Nolan
Ruth Nelson	...	Miss McDonough
John Alexander	...	Steve Edwards
B.S. Pully	...	Christmas Tree Vendor
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Robert J. Anderson	...	Augie (uncredited)
Jessie Arnold	...	Nurse (uncredited)
John Berkes	...	Mr. Creckenbox (uncredited)
Linda Bieber	...	Girl (uncredited)
Ferike Boros	...	Grandma Rommely (uncredited)
Al Bridge	...	Cheap Charlie (uncredited)
Virginia Brissac	...	Miss Tilford, First Teacher (uncredited)
Lillian Bronson	...	Librarian (uncredited)
Boots Brown	...	Boy (uncredited)
Sally Ann Brown	...	Girl (uncredited)
Sheila Brown	...	Girl (uncredited)
Bobby Burns	...	Library Patron (uncredited)
George M. Carleton	...	Doctor (uncredited)
Jack Carr	...	Undetermined (uncredited)
James B. Carson	...	Undetermined (uncredited)
Alec Craig	...	Werner (uncredited)
Peter Cusanelli	...	The Barber (uncredited)
Harry Denny	...	Undetermined (uncredited)
Adeline De Walt Reynolds	...	Mrs. Waters (uncredited)
Joy Duguay	...	Girl (uncredited)
Al Eben	...	Union Man (uncredited)
Fernanda Eliscu	...	Undetermined (uncredited)
Edythe Elliott	...	Nurse (uncredited)
Robert Ferrero	...	Raider (uncredited)
Elvin Field	...	Boy (uncredited)
Norman Field	...	Principal (uncredited)
Jean Fowler	...	Undetermined (uncredited)
Paul Graeff	...	Raider (uncredited)
Vincent Graeff	...	Henny Gaddis (uncredited)
Joseph J. Greene	...	Hassler (uncredited)
Irving Gump	...	Undetermined (uncredited)
Edith Hallor	...	Christmas Tree Customer (uncredited)
Ethyl May Halls	...	Undetermined (uncredited)
Charles Halton	...	Mr. Barker (uncredited)
Mary Lou Harrington	...	Girl (uncredited)
Harry Harvey Jr.	...	Herschel Knutson (uncredited)
Paul Hilton	...	Boy (uncredited)
Janice Hood	...	Girl (uncredited)
Teddy Infuhr	...	Boy in Soda Fountain (uncredited)
Edna Jackson	...	Tynmore sister (uncredited)
Mickey Kuhn	...	Boy at Christmas Tree Throw (uncredited)
Eva Lee Kuney	...	Girl (uncredited)
Jacqueline Larkin	...	Girl (uncredited)
Jack Lawrence	...	Bakery clerk (uncredited)
Susan Lester	...	Flossie Gaddis (uncredited)
J. Farrell MacDonald	...	Carney The Junkman (uncredited)
Gerald Mackey	...	Raider (uncredited)
Robert Malcolm	...	Doctor (uncredited)
Charles Marsh	...	Undetermined (uncredited)
Mae Marsh	...	Tynmore Sister (uncredited)
Patricia McFadden	...	Sheila (uncredited)
Mickey McGuire	...	Raider (uncredited)
George Meader	...	Principal (uncredited)
George Melford	...	Mr. Spencer (uncredited)
Sue Moore	...	(uncredited)
Ronnie Pattison	...	Boy (uncredited)
Francis Pierlot	...	Priest at Funeral (uncredited)
Constance Purdy	...	Undetermined (uncredited)
Gordon Rader	...	Boy (uncredited)
Nicholas Ray	...	Bakery clerk (uncredited)
Ruth Rickaby	...	Undetermined (uncredited)
Walt Robbins	...	Junkman (uncredited)
Nancy June Robinson	...	Girl (uncredited)
Erskine Sanford	...	Undertaker (uncredited)
Tony Santaro	...	Waiter (uncredited)
Harry Seymour	...	Floorwalker at 5 & 10 cent store (uncredited)
Danny Shaw	...	Raider (uncredited)
Art Smith	...	Charley (uncredited)
William Smith	...	Boy (uncredited)
Robert Strange	...	Doctor (uncredited)
Robert Tait	...	Street singer (uncredited)
Gloria Talbott	...	Teen-Age Girl in Classroom (uncredited)
Dink Trout	...	Undetermined (uncredited)
Joyce Tucker	...	Girl (uncredited)
Paul Weigel	...	Candy store proprietor (uncredited)
Martha Wentworth	...	Sheila's Mother (uncredited)
Cecil Weston	...	Undetermined (uncredited)

Directed by
Elia Kazan

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Frank Davis		writer
Anita Loos		uncredited
Tess Slesinger		writer
Betty Smith		novel

Produced by
Louis D. Lighton	....	producer

Original Music by
Alfred Newman

Cinematography by
Leon Shamroy

Film Editing by
Dorothy Spencer

Art Direction by
Lyle R. Wheeler		(as Lyle Wheeler)

Set Decoration by
Thomas Little

Costume Design by
Bonnie Cashin

Makeup Department
Guy Pearce	....	makeup artist

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Saul Wurtzel	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Frank E. Hughes	....	associate set decorator

Sound Department
Bernard Freericks	....	sound
Roger Heman Sr.	....	sound

Special Effects by
Fred Sersen	....	special effects

Camera and Electrical Department
E. Truman Joiner	....	key grip (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Sam Benson	....	wardrobe supervisor (uncredited)

Music Department
Edward B. Powell	....	orchestrator (as Edward Powell)

Other crew
Nicholas Ray	....	dialogue director (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Distributors

• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation (1945) (USA) (theatrical)
• Media Cooperation One (MC-One) (2005) (Germany) (DVD)
• inD DVD (2005) (UK) (DVD)

Also Known As:

Ein Baum wächst in Brooklyn (Austria) (West Germany) [de]
Laços Humanos (Brazil) (Portugal) [pt]
Brooklynissä kasvoi puu (Finland) [fi]
Der vokser et træ i Brooklyn (Denmark) [da]
Det växte ett träd i Brooklyn (Sweden) [sv]
Die Jahre der Jugend (Austria) [de]
Hamena neiata (Greece) [el]
Lazos humanos (Spain) [es]
Le lys de Brooklyn (France) [fr]
Un albero cresce a Brooklyn (Italy) [it]

Runtime:

128 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

Australia:PG | Finland:S | Sweden:Btl | USA:Approved

Company:

Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

The Betty Smith novel was the object of prepublication bidding competition between several studios with Darryl Zanuck and Fox ultimately paying $55,000 for the rights.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Katie Nolan: This'll be the last of them now, Francie.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Spin City: A Tree Falls in Manhattan (#6.2)" (2001)

Soundtrack:

Molly Malone

Go Forth Into the World and Make Thy Dreams Come True.

A youngster (Peggy Ann Garner) in circa 1900 Brooklyn dreams of a suitable education and ultimately a better life. She and her young brother (Ted Donaldson) experience highs and lows as their lives are followed in a documentary-style format that creates a realistic and compassionate view. Poverty is tough in the area though as mother Dorothy McGuire (in arguably her greatest role) and father James Dunn (in one of the finest performances ever captured on film, he deservedly won the Best Supporting Actor Oscar in 1945) have a hard time making ends meet. McGuire has a difficult time seeing the bright things in their lives, while Dunn (a hopeless alcoholic) treats everyone, including strangers on the street, with love, respect and understanding. Dunn sees greatness in Garner, even when most do not, and does his best to see that her hopes do come true. The title is symbolistic as a large tree in front of the family's low-rent apartment is about to be cut down to their dismay. It also refers to the fact that Garner is growing up and showing maturity way beyond her years; she is literally branching out and letting her leaves flourish. First-time director Elia Kazan arguably does the best work of any film-maker who had never completed a feature previously as he just lets Betty Smith's wonderful novel unfold methodically with a deliberate pace, tone and style. The screenplay yielded Oscar nominations for adapters Frank Davis and Tess Sleringer. Dunn, an actor who had a very pedestrian career, showed just how much of a hidden talent he really was. He is the straw that mixes the entire movie into an American classic. Arguably one of the top 10 films of the 1940s and one of the best features of all time. 5 stars out of 5.