Y'all know the movie's plot, sufficiently rehashed in the reviews........and you wouldn't be checking it out if you don't like Thirties classics. You're prepared for some elements that will date it:
MacDonald's character is molded into a talented, pure-as-the-driven-snow small town girl, come to the roughest strip in Frisco (of course) to embark on a musical career. Her musical style, while brimming with talent and popular in 1936, is one that hasn't aged well with the average modern audience; the tough characters don't seem too dangerous and spew nary one swear word thanks to the Hays code, (which in hindsight wasn't that bad of a thing, considering the near-complete lack of restraint in 2023.)
Still, this movie's pluses far outweigh a few old-fashioned moments and it still tells a great story, brisk and well-played by the leads and supporting cast. Spencer Tracy's buddy-chemistry with Gable is natural. And oh, yeah.....those impressive special effects. Give it a watch.
Review of San Francisco
