A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (1945)

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PG
2h 9min
Drama, Family
Mar 1945 (USA)
Movie

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Encouraged by her idealistic if luckless father, a bright and imaginative young woman comes of age in a Brooklyn tenement during the early 1900s.

Director:

Elia Kazan

Writers:

Stars:

Awards:

Won 1 Oscar. Another 3 wins & 1 nomination.
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Reviews:

Photos and Videos

Encouraged by her idealistic if luckless father, a bright and imaginative young woman comes of age in a Brooklyn tenement during the early 1900s.

Still of Ted Donaldson, Robert Ferrero, Peggy Ann Garner, Gerald Mackey, Mickey McGuire and Danny Shaw (I) in A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (1945)

Still of Ted Donaldson, Robert Ferrero, Peggy Ann Garner, Gerald Mackey, Mickey McGuire, Danny Shaw (I) and Paul Graeff in A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (1945)

Still of Gerald Mackey in A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (1945)

Still of Ted Donaldson and Peggy Ann Garner in A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (1945)

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64 photos | 1 video

Cast verified as complete

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	Dorothy McGuire	...	Katie Nolan
	Joan Blondell	...	Aunt Sissy
	James Dunn	...	Johnny Nolan
	Lloyd Nolan	...	Officer McShane
	James Gleason	...	McGarrity
	Ted Donaldson	...	Neeley Nolan
	Peggy Ann Garner	...	Francie
	Ruth Nelson	...	Miss McDonough
	John Alexander	...	Steve Edwards
	B.S. Pully	...	Christmas Tree Vendor
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
	Robert Anderson	...	Augie (uncredited)
	Jessie Arnold	...	Nurse (uncredited)
	John Berkes	...	Mr. Creckenbox (uncredited)
	Linda Bieber	...	Girl (uncredited)
	Wyrley Birch	...	Old man on second floor landing (uncredited)
	Ferike Boros	...	Grandma Rommely (uncredited)
	Al Bridge	...	Cheap Charlie (uncredited)
	Virginia Brissac	...	Miss Tilford (uncredited)
	Lillian Bronson	...	Librarian (uncredited)
	Sally Ann Brown	...	Girl (uncredited)
	Sheila Brown	...	Girl (uncredited)
	Steve Brown	...	Schoolboy (uncredited)
	Bobby Burns	...	Library Patron (uncredited)
	George M. Carleton	...	Doctor (uncredited)
	Jack Carr	...	Undetermined (uncredited)
	James B. Carson	...	Undetermined (uncredited)
	Alec Craig	...	Werner (uncredited)
	Peter Cusanelli	...	The Barber (uncredited)
	Adeline De Walt Reynolds	...	Mrs. Waters (uncredited)
	Harry Denny	...	Undetermined (uncredited)
	Joy Duguay	...	Girl (uncredited)
	Al Eben	...	Union Man (uncredited)
	Fernanda Eliscu	...	Undetermined (uncredited)
	Edythe Elliott	...	Nurse (uncredited)
	Robert Ferrero	...	Raider (uncredited)
	Elvin Field	...	Boy (uncredited)
	Norman Field	...	Principal (uncredited)
	Jean Fowler	...	Undetermined (uncredited)
	Paul Graeff	...	Raider (uncredited)
	Vincent Graeff	...	Henny Gaddis (uncredited)
	Joseph J. Greene	...	Hassler (uncredited)
	Irving Gump	...	Undetermined (uncredited)
	Edith Hallor	...	Christmas Tree Customer (uncredited)
	Ethyl May Halls	...	Undetermined (uncredited)
	Charles Halton	...	Mr. Barker (uncredited)
	Mary Lou Harrington	...	Girl (uncredited)
	Harry Harvey Jr.	...	Herschel Knutson (uncredited)
	Paul Hilton	...	Boy (uncredited)
	Janice Hood	...	Girl (uncredited)
	Teddy Infuhr	...	Boy in Soda Fountain (uncredited)
	Edna Jackson	...	Tynmore Sister (uncredited)
	Mickey Kuhn	...	Boy at Christmas Tree Throw (uncredited)
	Eva Lee Kuney	...	Girl (uncredited)
	Jacqueline Larkin	...	Girl (uncredited)
	Jack Lawrence	...	Bakery Clerk (uncredited)
	Susan Lester	...	Flossie Gaddis (uncredited)
	J. Farrell MacDonald	...	Carney The Junkman (uncredited)
	Gerald Mackey	...	Raider (uncredited)
	Douglas Madore	...	School Student (uncredited)
	Robert Malcolm	...	Doctor (uncredited)
	Charles Marsh	...	Undetermined (uncredited)
	Mae Marsh	...	Tynmore Sister (uncredited)
	Patricia McFadden	...	Sheila (uncredited)
	Mickey McGuire	...	Raider (uncredited)
	George Meader	...	Principal (uncredited)
	George Melford	...	Mr. Spencer (uncredited)
	Robert Milasch	...	Citizen (uncredited)
	Sue Moore	...	(uncredited)
	Ronnie Pattison	...	Boy (uncredited)
	Francis Pierlot	...	Priest at Funeral (uncredited)
	Constance Purdy	...	Undetermined (uncredited)
	Gordon Rader	...	Boy (uncredited)
	Nicholas Ray	...	Bakery Clerk (uncredited)
	Ruth Rickaby	...	Undetermined (uncredited)
	Walt Robbins	...	Junkman (uncredited)
	Nancy June Robinson	...	Girl (uncredited)
	Erskine Sanford	...	Undertaker (uncredited)
	Tony Santoro	...	Waiter (uncredited)
	Harry Seymour	...	Floorwalker at 5 & 10 Cent Store (uncredited)
	Danny Shaw	...	Raider (uncredited)
	Art Smith	...	Charley (uncredited)
	William Smith	...	Boy (uncredited)
	Robert Strange	...	Doctor (uncredited)
	Robert Tait	...	Street Singer (uncredited)
	Gloria Talbott	...	Teen-Age Girl in Classroom (uncredited)
	Dink Trout	...	Undetermined (uncredited)
	Joyce Tucker	...	Girl (uncredited)
	Paul Weigel	...	Candy Store Proprietor (uncredited)
	Martha Wentworth	...	Sheila's Mother (uncredited)
	Cecil Weston	...	Undetermined (uncredited)

Directed by

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Elia Kazan

Written by

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Tess Slesinger	...	(screen play) and
Frank Davis	...	(screen play)

Betty Smith	...	(adapted from the novel by)

Anita Loos	...	(contributor to dialogue) (uncredited)

Produced by

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Louis D. Lighton

...

producer

Music by

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Alfred Newman

Cinematography by

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Leon Shamroy

...

director of photography

Editing by

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Dorothy Spencer

...

film editor

Editorial Department

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Lyman Hallowell

...

apprentice editor (uncredited)

Art Direction by

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Lyle R. Wheeler

...

(as Lyle Wheeler)

Set Decoration by

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Thomas Little

...

(set decorations)

Costume Design by

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Bonnie Cashin

...

(costumes)

Makeup Department

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Guy Pearce

...

makeup artist

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director

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Saul Wurtzel

...

assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department

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Frank E. Hughes	...	associate set decorator
Nick Kalten	...	head of landscape department (uncredited)

Sound Department

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Bernard Freericks	...	sound
Roger Heman Sr.	...	sound (as Roger Heman)

Special Effects by

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Edwin Hammeras	...	transparency projection shots (uncredited)
Edward Snyder	...	transparency projection shots (uncredited)

Visual Effects by

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Fred Sersen

...

special photographic effects

Camera and Electrical Department

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Curt Fetters	...	second camera (uncredited)
E. Truman Joiner	...	key grip (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department

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Sam Benson

...

wardrobe supervisor (uncredited)

Music Department

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Edward B. Powell	...	orchestral arrangements (as Edward Powell)
Murray Spivack	...	music mixer (uncredited)
Vinton Vernon	...	music mixer (uncredited)

Additional Crew

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Gertrude Kingston	...	research assistant (uncredited)
Arthur Pierson	...	dialogue director (uncredited)
Nicholas Ray	...	dialogue director (uncredited)
Frances C. Richardson	...	research director (uncredited)

Crew verified as complete

Production Companies

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Twentieth Century Fox (presents)

Distributors

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Twentieth Century Fox (1945) (United States) (theatrical) (as 20th Century Fox) (released through)
Fox Films (1945) (Argentina) (theatrical)
Twentieth Century Fox Film Company (1945) (United Kingdom) (theatrical)
Twentieth Century-Fox (1946) (Mexico) (theatrical)
Fox Film (1948) (Denmark) (theatrical)
20th Television (2008) (United States) (tv) (syndication)
CBS/Fox Home Video (1988) (Australia) (video)
Epoca (Argentina) (VHS)
Jeunesse kikaku (2009) (Japan) (DVD)
Media Cooperation One (MC-One) (2005) (Germany) (DVD)
NHK-BS2 (1992) (Japan) (tv)
inD DVD (2005) (United Kingdom) (DVD)

Special Effects

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Other Companies

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Western Electric (sound recording)

Storyline

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Plot Summary	In Brooklyn circa 1900, the Nolans manage to enjoy life on pennies despite great poverty and Papa's alcoholism. The film presents the family and follows their big and little troubles: Aunt Sissy's scandalous succession of "husbands"; the removal of the one tree visible from their tenement; and young Francie's desire to transfer to a better school...if irresponsible Papa can get his act together. Written by Rod Crawford Plot Summary
Plot Keywords	barbershop f-rated period-drama christmas-tree marriage-proposal See All (101) »
Taglines	A Great and Haunting Book Pours Its "Heart" Out on the Screen! See more »
Genres	Drama Family Romance
Parents Guide	View content advisory »
Certification	Argentina:Atp Australia:PG Australia:G Finland:S France:Tous publics Germany:0 Italy:T Japan:G Norway:A Sweden:Btl United Kingdom:U (DVD rating) United Kingdom:A United States:Approved United States:PG

Additional Details

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Also Known As	Le Lys de Brooklyn (France) Lazos humanos (Spain) Laços Humanos (Brazil) Χαμένα νειάτα (Greece) Un albero cresce a Brooklyn (Italy) See more »
Runtime	129 min
Country	United States
Language	English
Color	Black and White
Aspect Ratio	1.37 : 1 See more »
Sound Mix	Mono (Western Electric Recording)
Filming Locations	Stage 5, 20th Century Fox Studios - 10201 Pico Blvd., Century City, Los Angeles, California, USA See more »

Did You Know?

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Trivia	According to Turner Classic Movies, Joan Blondell performed a very adult scene during the filming of "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn," which the censors deleted from the film's final cut. The Nolan children find a condom, and her character, Aunt Sissy, is tasked with describing to them what it is. She approaches this explanation with compassion as opposed to clinical coldness. Despite the fact that this scene was omitted from the final product, Blondell always considered it the best work she ever did on screen. See more »
Goofs	The portrait of General Washington in Francie's classroom was issued nationwide to public schools and buildings in 1932 to mark the bicentennial of his birth. The chronology of the story has events taking place at least 20 years earlier. See more »
Movie Connections	Featured in Elia Kazan: A Director's Journey (1995). See more »
Soundtracks	I've Got Rings on My Fingers (Mumbo Jumbo Jijjiboo J. O'Shea) See more »
Quotes	Francie Nolan: Out the window, our tree they killed it! Johnny Nolan aka The Brooklyn Thrush: Well, would you like at that now. Francie Nolan: They didn't have any right to kill it did they papa! Johnny Nolan aka The Brooklyn Thrush: Now wait a minute. They didn't kill it. Why they couldn't kill that tree. Francie Nolan: Promise? Johnny Nolan aka The Brooklyn Thrush: Why sure baby. Don't tell me that tree is gonna lay down and die that easily. Look at that tree. See where it's coming from. Right up outta that cement! Didn't nobody plant it. Didn't ask the cement to grow. It just couldn't help growing so much it just pushed that old cement out of the way. Now when you bust it with something like that, can't anybody help it, like... like that little ole bird up there. He didn't ask anybody could he sing and he certainly didn't take any lessons. He's so full of singing it just has to bust out someplace. Why they could cut that ole tree right down to the ground and a root would push up someplace else in the cement. See more »

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