Kings Row
BBBBB
(out of 5)
This is the most curious masterpiece: a perfect blend of film noir, period drama, and charming small-town situational comedy, all lensed to perfection by cinematographer James Wong Howe. Director Sam Wood knows exactly what he’s doing the whole time, and his risks (like introducing a major character in the last half hour of the film) somehow all pay off in spades. Lead cast members Ann Sheridan and Robert Cummings aren’t strong enough in their roles for the material they’re performing, but it makes no difference to the end result. The story concerns the goings-on in a small New England town, where secrets are capable of destruction and a man’s fortune is subject to the luck of the draw. Exceptional stuff.
USA, 1942
Directed by Sam Wood
Screenplay by Casey Robinson, based on the novel by Henry Bellamann
Cinematography by James Wong Howe
Produced by Hal B. Wallis
Music by Erich Wolfgang Korngold
Production Design by William Cameron Menzies
Costume Design by Orry-Kelly
Film Editing by Ralph Dawson
Cast Tags: Ann E. Todd, Ann Sheridan, Betty Field, Charles Coburn, Claude Rains, Douglas Croft, Egon Brecher, Ernest Cossart, Erwin Kalser, Harry Davenport, Ilka Grüning, Judith Anderson, Julie Warren, Kaaren Verne, Ludwig Stössel, Maria Ouspenskaya, Mary Scott, Mary Thomas, Minor Watson, Nancy Coleman, Pat Moriarity, Robert Cummings, Ronald Reagan, Scotty Beckett
Academy Award Nominations
Best Cinematography (Black-and-White) (James Wong Howe)
Best Directing (Sam Wood)
Outstanding Motion Picture (Warner Bros.)
