Two troublesome boys grow into very different men, one becoming a hoodlum and the other embracing college, but both are in love with the same girl.Two troublesome boys grow into very different men, one becoming a hoodlum and the other embracing college, but both are in love with the same girl.Two troublesome boys grow into very different men, one becoming a hoodlum and the other embracing college, but both are in love with the same girl.
Photos
Jack La Rue
- Frisco Scarfi
- (as Jack LaRue)
Murray Alper
- Dink Rogers
- (uncredited)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaJames Cagney turned down the role of Joe Lorenzo.
- GoofsThe title of this movie is a mistake. The impoverished immigrant neighborhood of New York City at the time, where much of the movie takes place, and to which the title refers, was the Lower East Side. This was located in a section of the east side of Manhattan Island. It therefore would be west, not east, of the river. (Though if you really wanted to stretch the point, it could be argued that it is indeed east of the river--if the river in question is the Hudson.)
- ConnectionsFeatured in The John Garfield Story (2003)
- SoundtracksThe Sidewalks of New York
(uncredited)
Music by Charles Lawlor
[Played during the opening tour bus scenes]
Featured review
This Shows No one at His or Her Best
Two boys behave badly and are to be sentenced. The Italian mama of one implores the judge to let her take care of her son and he hesitantly agrees. The other one, though, is off to reform school. He has no parents. So mama says she will adopt him; and William Lundigan and John Garfield are raised as if they were brothers, above a restaurant in Little Italy.
This movie begins stylishly, with a tour guide telling about New York. Not too different from what they say 80-some years later than the action is meant to take place. Orchard Street used to be an orchard and yes, Canal Street was once a canal.
And the action is standard Warner Brothrs crime drama issue. Not at all bad. Brenda Marshall, furthermore, is very appealing as a moll who decides to walk the straight and narrow. She was a beautiful woman in a somewhat unusual way and, though not a great actress based on her performances, she could have been coached into one had she been so inclined.
The problem is the casting. OK, John Garfield was not Italian. Neither was Edward G. Robinson, but they both played Italians at times. However, what really shocked me is the direction of the mother character, and her man friend as well, to use thoroughly implausible "he's-a my good- bambino"-type dialect. It's almost as if major characters were in blackface.
I didn't notice who the secondary players in the cast at the beginning and was horrified to see that the marvelous character actress Marjorie Rambeau ("Primrose Path," "Scandal Sheet," among many superb performances) was playing this role.
It was in keeping with the times to a degree but it comes across as offensive today. .
This movie begins stylishly, with a tour guide telling about New York. Not too different from what they say 80-some years later than the action is meant to take place. Orchard Street used to be an orchard and yes, Canal Street was once a canal.
And the action is standard Warner Brothrs crime drama issue. Not at all bad. Brenda Marshall, furthermore, is very appealing as a moll who decides to walk the straight and narrow. She was a beautiful woman in a somewhat unusual way and, though not a great actress based on her performances, she could have been coached into one had she been so inclined.
The problem is the casting. OK, John Garfield was not Italian. Neither was Edward G. Robinson, but they both played Italians at times. However, what really shocked me is the direction of the mother character, and her man friend as well, to use thoroughly implausible "he's-a my good- bambino"-type dialect. It's almost as if major characters were in blackface.
I didn't notice who the secondary players in the cast at the beginning and was horrified to see that the marvelous character actress Marjorie Rambeau ("Primrose Path," "Scandal Sheet," among many superb performances) was playing this role.
It was in keeping with the times to a degree but it comes across as offensive today. .
helpful•107
- Handlinghandel
- Dec 6, 2004
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Languages
- Also known as
- Bad Boy
- Filming locations
- Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA(archive footage of various neighborhoods)
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
- Runtime1 hour 14 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.37 : 1
Contribute to this page
Suggest an edit or add missing content