Street Scene (1931)

Set during a heat wave in a working class neighborhood in New York City, the residents of a tenement apartment house live out their lives. Some are content to accept their lot in life while others dream of more. Based on the Pulitzer Prize play by Elmer Rice (who adapted his play for the screen) and directed by King Vidor (OUR DAILY BREAD). This pre code drama makes little concession to cinema for most of its running time as (like the play), almost the entire action takes place on the stoop of a brownstone apartment house. With the exception of one brief scene, director Vidor shot the entire film on a single soundstage. Toward the tragic finale, Vidor breaks away from the stoop front and opens up the film including some marvelous wide crane shots. It's a talky film but the dialogue is good and Rice gives us a sense of the frustration of its characters who dream of getting out of its often shallow and petty neighborhood where small minds gossip and judge. Many of the actors in the film are recreating their stage roles. The film is also notable for Alfred Newman's titular title theme which has been cinematically synonymous with the New York skyline and which he re-used in many subsequent film scores (notably HOW TO MARRY A MILLIONAIRE). The excellent cast includes Sylvia Sidney, Estelle Taylor, Beulah Bondi, William Collier Jr., David Landau, Russell Hopton and John Qualen.