San Francisco (1936)
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San Francisco Movie Review
San Francisco is a 1936 historical musical disaster movie directed by W. S. Van Dyke and starring Clark Gable, Jeanette MacDonald and Spencer Tracy. It’s a very odd, but at times very effective flick.
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“Well, we certainly don’t do
things halfway in San Francisco“
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A gambling hall owner Blackie Norton manages his business with his Paradise Cafe, and his heart amidst the backdrop of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. That’s the premise behind this odd movie which never quite manages to get hold of its identity as it felt like watching a couple of movies stitched together into one.
First, you have a musical which I really disliked. That’s my least part to this movie as all of the songs are way too operatic in quality while also being boring and overlong. They grind this movie to a halt which was unfortunate as the rest of it is quite solid.
The historical drama elements worked much better with solid character relationships and interactions, and a fine romance at the center of it. I wanted more of those elements, but overall the film is charming at times, and serious when it needs to be.
Undoubtedly, the reason to see this movie when it comes to modern audiences lies in its third act which is basically a disaster movie, and a glorious one at that. The 1906 San Francisco earthquake is a real historical event and thus the scenes are even more potent, but the effects here are amazing for its time as everything felt super real. The action is great, and the sense of danger and a documentary feel to it are splendid.
It’s a shame thus that it was put in the last scenes as the whole movie should have revolved around that. But the actors are strong, all three of them. Jeanette MacDonald is annoying when she sings, but otherwise solid. Spencer Tracy is typecast, but for a good reason. And of course Clark Gable is suitably suave and stealing the show from everyone.
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San Francisco is phenomenally shot and scored. But the direction from Van Dyke is disappointing given his caliber, and the same should be said for the film’s mediocre pacing, structure and musical numbers. It is a film that was much better to me upon first viewing. Thus, it did not deserve its Oscar noms with only the sound nod being well deserved.
San Francisco is a very odd movie in terms of structure and identity as it never really knows what it wants to be. It features great actors, but mediocre pacing and musical numbers. Thus, it’s weak as a musical, but much better as a historical drama, and particularly memorable in its disaster movie third act which looked and sounded amazing.
