SAN FRANCISCO

(1936)

IN COLOUR

Starring

Clark Gable,  Jeanette MacDonald, Spencer Tracy and Jack Holt.

This 1936 epic of a movie was first colorized back in 1987 and released to the home video market on VHS/Betamax etc video tape. Consequently most of the colorized versions available today are sourced from vintage VHS/Betamax tapes, the playback quality of which leaves much to be desired.

The version we offer here is a recent modern ai colorization, although the colours may be muted (which seems to the preference these days) the playback quality is excellent see the screen shots provided.

The story is based around the Great 1906 San Francisco Earthquake. Mary Blake (Jeanette MacDonald) arrives at Blackie Norton's (Clark Gable) Paradise gambling hall and beer garden looking for work as a singer. He embarrasses her by asking to see her legs, but he hires her. She faints from hunger. Nob Hill Socialite Jack Burley and Maestro Baldini of the Tivoli Opera House see her singing and offer her a chance to perform at the opera, but Blackie has her under a two-year contract and she ruefully stands by it. Later, when he makes up posters featuring her in tights, Father Tim Mullen (Spencer Tracy) boyhood friend to Blackie accuses Blackie of exploiting Mary, Blackie hits the priest, causing the priest and mary to break with Blackie and leaves for the Tivoli.

I have watched this movie many times and every time the final scenes leave me emotional. It's a great movie.

Originally filmed in Black and White, we have colorized it.