San Francisco (1936)

Set in the Barbary Coast of 1906 San Francisco, an aspiring opera singer (Jeanette MacDonald) from Colorado accepts a job in a rambunctious nightclub run by Clark Gable. A romance ensues but their different perspectives on life eventually pull them apart. For most of its running time, this is a lively well crafted piece of entertainment until it goes all sanctimonious at the very end. MacDonald is less arch than usual and at her most likable and Gable is brash and charismatic. Unfortunately, there's the smug and judgmental priest played by Spencer Tracy, who inexplicably received a best actor Oscar nomination for his work here. The film's two memorable highpoints are the anthem song San Francisco which became hugely popular and here sung by MacDonald. The other highlight is the recreation of the 1906 earthquake which is superbly done and still impresses today. Still, after letting us enjoy all the bawdiness and boozing, in true DeMille style, the film punishes us at the end with MacDonald singing Nearer My God To Thee and the entire cast including the background serenading us with The Battle Hymn Of The Republic. With Jessie Ralph, Shirley Ross and Ted Healy.