A Tree Grows in Brooklyn **** (1945, Peggy Ann Garner, James Dunn, Dorothy McGuire Joan Blondell, Lloyd Nolan, Ted Donaldson, James Gleason) – Classic Movie Review 5813

Director Elia Kazan’s warm, meticulous, fully-realised and believable 1945 movie re-creation of life in working-class Brooklyn in the early 1900s before World War One is based on Betty Smith’s novel.

It centres on one Irish family, carefully etched in touching performances from James Dunn who won a Best Actor in a Supporting Role Oscar in his finest hour as the alcoholic father Johnny Nolan, Dorothy McGuire as strong-willed mom Katie, and Peggy Ann Garner (who won the 1946 Juvenile Award special Oscar for the outstanding child actress of 1945) and Ted Donaldson as the kids, Francie and Neeley.

Dunn ‘s character is a nice drunk who tries to keep going as a singing waiter, but it is mom who has the tough stuff to survive.

Joan Blondell scores too as their visiting Aunt Sissy, as do Lloyd Nolan as cop Officer McShane and James Gleason as restaurateur McGarrity.

It is a claustrophobic set-bound movie, but that turns out to be an asset in this case, thanks to the atmospheric production designs, moody photography and Kazan’s sure début direction.

Also in the cast are Ruth Nelson, John Alexander, B S Pully, Ferike Boros, J Farrell MacDonald, Adeline De Walt Reynolds and Charles Halton.

It runs 129 minutes, is made and released by 20th Century Fox, is written by Tess Slesinger and Frank Davis, is shot in black and white by Leon Shamroy, is produced by Louis D Lighton, and scored by Alfred Newman.

It was remade for TV in 1974 with Cliff Robertson, Diane Baker James Olson and Nancy Malone.

© Derek Winnert 2017 Classic Movie Review 5813

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