A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (1945)

Director:

Elia Kazan

Writers:

Frank Davis (writer)
Tess Slesinger (writer)

Release Date:

28 February 1945 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

Encouraged by her idealistic if luckless father, a bright and imaginative young woman comes of age in a Brooklyn tenement during the early 1900s.

Plot Keywords:

Poverty | Tenement | Tree | Alcoholism | Struggle

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 1 nomination

Cast

Dorothy McGuire	...	Katie Nolan
Joan Blondell	...	Sissy Edwards
James Dunn	...	Johnny Nolan
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

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:

Besides Gene Tierney, Mary Anderson and Jeanne Crain were rumored for the Katie Nolan role, while it was reported that Phil Regan was the leading candidate for the role of Johnny. Alice Faye was the first actress considered for the role of Katie, not Aunt Sissie, according to the Hollywood Reporter in 1943.

Quotes:

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

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Gossip Girl: Bonfire of the Vanity (#2.10)" (2008)

Soundtrack:

Oh! You Beautiful Doll

Flawless human drama

What a delightful combination of concepts this film is; it is one of the quintessential 1940s "good old" movies that is full of sentiment and endearment, yet it is a brilliant, thought-provoking study in the lives of a poor turn-of-the-century Brooklyn family.

Peggy Ann Garner's performance is, quite simply, the finest juvenile portrayal in film history. What makes her performance so great and unique is that she NEVER comes across as line-fed or artificial (as were so many child actors of the day, when children were often told off-camera that their favorite pet died to make their crying scenes realistic). In particular, the scene where she receives her flowers and the emotional overflow that follows is touching; it hasn't aged a bit over the years. Why she didn't go on to be a huge star is quite disappointing because she had the gift.

Dorothy McGuire is equally superb. Although her character is a hard, life-beaten woman, you feel a deep understanding for her and sympathize with her immensely because she is the bedrock of the family, the only one who maintains a sense of stability. She doesn't mean to be that way, but times were simply much harder then; life turned people that way.

But then again, the same feelings apply to James Dunn as the drifting father. To call him a lazy drunk would be very black-and-white thinking because his character was so much more than that; yes, he couldn't hold jobs because of his drinking but above that he was a wonderful father who provided the love and sense of imagination that his daughter so desperately needed. It is very clear to see why the two of them were so close, and why the rift between the daughter and mother was inevitable.

I also feel compelled to mention Joan Blondell's character; she is the perfect foil to her hard-as-nails sister. She softens up her sister just when she needs it the most, and makes her see things through more understanding eyes.

Overall this movie is a MUST for any person with a brain who appreciates classic film that has aged well into our modern sensibilities. Why this movie was not nominated for Best Picture (but two VASTLY inferior pictures--Mildred Pierce and Anchors Aweigh--were) is a tragedy. Again, though it is like many other 1940s sad films, it is unique in that it is such a deep character study; there are countless underlying issues that get explored as the film progresses. A fantastic debut for Elia Kazan, and a true gem of film history.