This Movie Can Only Be Described With One Word.

Awesome Movie

The film was still a fun one that will make you laugh and have you leaving the theater feeling like you just stole something valuable and got away with it.

an ambitious but ultimately ineffective debut endeavor.

People talk about the strengths of Golden Age cinema, and I believe in them, too, but watching "In Old Chicago" is to be reminded of the weaknesses:Thin characterizations. Overtly posed close-ups. Clichéd dialogue. Strained humor. Implausible romances. Improbable coincidences.It's all there in this early disaster movie, which depending on the version you see is either 100 minutes or 70 minutes of windy exposition followed by 25 minutes of fiery, building-crushing spectacle when the Great Fire of 1871 roars through Chi-town, courtesy of Mrs. O'Leary's cow.Alice Brady won an Oscar playing the legendary Mrs. O'Leary, though her solid performance only looks stellar compared to the rest of the cast. History tells us it wasn't her cow that caused the fire, yet this cinematic retelling has Mrs. O at the heart of everything having to do with old Chicago, with one son (Don Ameche) an earnest reformer and another (Tyrone Power) the corrupt power behind the throne. Their father died foreseeing a time when the O'Learys would "put their mark" on the city, and this they do, even before they burn it to cinders.The two O'Leary boys have this habit of coming to blows often but then reuniting very earnestly, facing the camera with happy smiles and declarations of sudden unity.As they often say in this movie: "We O'Learys are a strange tribe." "Strange" doesn't cover it.Power's character, Dion O'Leary, falls hard for saloon singer Belle Fawcett, whose job gives Alice Faye plenty of excuses for dressing up and delivering a series of hokey musical numbers. Dion pleads his case with Belle by wrestling her to the floor and ignoring her pleas to let him go until she returns his kisses passionately. Being he's Tyrone Power, this might even work. But could anyone get away with lines like his "We've fought, and maybe we'll go on fighting, but we'll do it – together!"Power does get credited for shedding his pretty-boy persona later in his career with harrowing war service and some tougher parts, but here he's all dimple-cheeked smiles and goo-goo eyes. Even when the script has him backstabbing nominal villain Brian Donlevy (really not that bad a guy compared to Dion through most of the film, though presented here as someone to root against only because he's played by Donlevy), Power can't muster up enough gas to make his skullduggery convincing.There's a tonal problem with the film. Director Henry King seems split between whether to make "In Old Chicago" a drama, a comedy, or a musical, so he tries for a bit of each, sometimes in tandem. The result is odd bits of pathos like Father O'Leary's death crammed up next to a scene where a fat woman is dropped in a mud puddle. Only in the last 20 minutes, when it becomes a full-fledged disaster film, does it find focus, and then only as spectacle with powerful scenics, like people walking on rooftops dwarfed by the fires raging behind them, or buildings raining masonry on the heads of fleeing victims.The focus on the O'Learys remains, however, as tired and improbable as ever, with Brady and Power left to deliver some final lines to the camera about Chicago emerging stronger and better from this disaster. It's all such hooey you almost wish for a lingering piece of masonry to tumble down upon them. But then someone would have to make still another speech about how they didn't die in vain, and then "In Old Chicago" would never end.

This movie tells the story of the great fire in Chicago in 1871.It also tells about the O'Leary family and the feud between its two brothers.Henry King is the director of In Old Chicago (1937).It has a great cast.Tyrone Power is Dion O'Leary.Gene Reynolds plays his young version.Alice Faye plays Belle Fawcett.Don Ameche is Jack O'Leary.Billy Watson is his young version.Alice Brady portrays Mrs. Molly O'Leary.Phyllis Brooks plays Ann Colby.Andy Devine is Pickle Bixby.Brian Donlevy plays Gil Warren.Tom Brown is Bob O'Leary.His young version is played by Bobs Watson.Charles Lane is Booking Agent.This movie may not be the biggest classic, but it's fairly entertaining.It's at its best when the city fights against the flames.This movie is worth your time.

Copycatting and one-upmanship were popular sports among the major studios of classic era Hollywood. In 1936 MGM had had a massive hit with San Francisco, an epic about the city's early days culminating with the infamous 1906 earthquake. The following year Fox sought to mine the same gold with a similarly massive production of fictional drama leading up to the great fire of Chicago.In Old Chicago was also a vehicle for Fox's latest rising star, Tyrone Power. Power is handsome and charismatic but not a great actor. This is a surprisingly ambiguous role for him, verging on villainy more than once. As it happens Power is quite well suited to being dastardly and would have made a good gangster. His best scene is the one where he nonchalantly tells Brian Donlevy he sold him out. Other than that he's just a grinning twit. His co-star Don Ameche on the other hand was a fine dramatic player who really stands out here. It's just a shame Ameche so often missed out on the juiciest roles. Alice Brady is very good too, playing the boys' mother. Unlike most Oscar-winners she doesn't have one "big" scene that clinched it, but is throughout full of eye-catching spirit. Also watch out for an uncredited Rondo Hatton, a menacing presence lurking in several scenes.The screenplay is by prolific Hollywood hacks Sonya Levien and Lamar Trotti, based on a story by Niven Busch. It is a rather trite affair, events all slotted together a little too neatly. Very little time is devoted to subplot or character development, and by the picture's climax we do not feel especially attached to these people. Much is made of "The Patch" being a district of squalor and vice, but we never see a glimpse of the sordid side of the city, so it remains just an abstract over which the characters bicker but the audience remains indifferent to. Tyrone Power woos his woman in the manner of the era's swashbucklers, basically with a series of persistent assaults and abductions. The screenplay doesn't really give time to the development of a more touching romance. Despite its ambitious scope, the picture runs only a bit over 90 minutes, then a more typical length for a small chamber drama. The brevity of the picture is disappointing and the culprit is a script that needs more padding.The director was among Fox's most respected professionals, the consistently competent veteran Henry King. As usual King places a heavy emphasis on sets and clutter, bringing a rather dark, oppressive look to the picture. Even the opening scene of the pioneer wagon does not conjure up the freedom of the open plain, beginning instead with an almost entirely black shot with the wagon swinging round to fill the frame. This prevents the switch to the tall buildings and narrow streets of the city from being too stark. You could also see King's approach as being a build-up to the fire sequence, in which the claustrophobic shot composition really enhances the sense of panic. Overall however, this is a somewhat lacklustre effort from a usually ace director, lacking the iconic look he brought to State Fair (1933) or the sublimely relaxed pacing of Jesse James (1939).Like San Francisco before it, In Old Chicago fared well at the box office. Power was gaining in popularity, and the sheer scale of the fire scenes counted for something. However, compared to the earlier movie (a bit of a neglected masterpiece, by the way), which it deliberately set out to better, it fails on every level. As always, a timely bandwagon hop can reap quick financial rewards, but it takes more than a simple formula to make a great motion picture.

The historical drama In Old Chicago is directed by Henry King and stars Tyrone Power, Alice Faye, and Don Ameche. The film takes place in 1870s Chicago.The film starts out with a family heading to Chicago in 1854. On the way to Chicago the father decides to race a train after his children ask him to do so and he loses control of the cart and ends up badly injuring himself, so much so it leads to his death. When the remainder of the family enter Chicago two of the children accidentally dirty a woman's dress and the mother offers to clean it for her. The mother is so good as cleaning she starts a business and then it is cut to 1870. All the boys are grown up one is a lawyer, one is involved with gambling and other frowned on affairs, and the final one does not really have that much of a part so it doesn't matter. The son that is a lawyer, Jack (Ameche), is convinced to run for mayor and Dion (Power) is one of the heads of a somewhat crime organization. The two are rivals, but then the great fire starts burning...The writing for this film is decent. It is an interesting concept having the two brothers pitted against each other, I like that part a lot. But every relationship involving a woman of romance just seemed so unnatural and forced. It was just like if anyone talked to a woman in a few minutes they would be in love. I liked towards the end everything that had to do with the fire, I thought that was very interesting and kept my attention. After the film ended though not much was very memorable.Henry King's direction for this film was quite good. One shot in particular I liked was when it was in the bar and the camera dollied backwards and I saw all the bartenders serving beer to the large crowd of people. This shot was so much more efficient than just an overhead shot displaying the large amount of people because it felt like I was actually there. Also King directed everything with the fire brilliantly as well. He got solid performances from all his leads as well.The editing for this film was equally as good as the direction. One thing I liked in particular was when the mother was washing the clothes and all the years passed by over her washing. I thought that was much smarter than just going to the next shot and putting 1870 on the bottom of the screen. Again with the fire scenes everything was edited perfectly, especially involving the special effects.The acting was solid by most of the cast. I thought Tyrone Power played his part very well, he was likable even though his character was devious. I did think the parts where he was with any woman besides his mother were ridiculous, but that wasn't his fault it was the writers and director. Alice Faye did not give that great of a performance but I thought her role was somewhat useless so it was hard for her to be good. Don Ameche basically just read his lines and furrowed his brow during the whole film so nothing remarkable. Alice Brady won an Oscar for her role as the mother and she deserved it. She was basically a caring mother that did not want her sons to be running around and being with women who were not of class. She played the part perfectly and really could not have improved.Overall I give this film a very weak 7/10. My main issue is that after the film I almost immediately forgot it but during the film it was quite an experience. I would recommend this film to anyone who enjoys historical dramas.