Too much of everything

The film makes a home in your brain and the only cure is to see it again.

At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.

Harlow's a big hearted working class same who is employed at a fish cannery. Tracy's an aggressive strike breaker, often at odds with Harlow who nearly knocks his block off with a flying mackerel. He is publicly humiliated by her, but secretly they are crazy about each other. The only thing that stands in their way (besides his arrogance and her feistiness) is waterfront organized criminal leader Leo Carrillo. In spite of that, Spencer and Jean make it to the altar, but the road to happiness and security won't be easy thanks to their hot tempers.Fighting only minutes after they tie the knot, Tracy and Harlow are a delight, and this slice of life drama with many comic moments is extremely enjoyable. There's also Una Merkel and Mickey Rooney as her siblings, and it's obvious that Mickey was destined for stardom. Harlow's platinum hair is a bit darker here, yet she's extremely lovely. She gets above the title billing and he's under the titles, but it's obvious that they are equal in talent. This takes on some serious social issues among the taming of the shrew subplot, with waterfront boss Carrillo gregarious but ruthless, a sore loser over Tracy getting Harlow. The comic first half smoothly moves to social drama in the second half, yet the mood is not jarring. A musical moment featuring "You are my Lucky Star" which leads into a sudden burst of fireworks (thanks to the pranksterish Rooney) is one of the great single sequences, with the shot of Mickey with firecrackers in his ears edited into "Babes in Arms". Even lacking the MGM gloss as it emulates a Warner Brothers film, this is an exceptional A film that deserves to be more well remembered.

Jean Harlow and Spencer Tracy find love on the waterfront in this MGM production that has a Warner's look and feel. With its hardboiled and run down backdrop it also addresses contemporary issues of labor unrest, Red union infiltration as well as managing to sneak some risqué moments by the censor.Dutch Muller (Tracy) is the best fisherman on the dock and he knows it. A bit of a charmer he has no problem with the ladies as well. Cannery worker Hattie (Harlow) has her sights on him but the pugnacious and confident Dutch isn't about to get tied down and the exchanges between the two are usually filled with invective. They weather and eventually wear each other down before getting hitched. When labor problems arise Dutch's arrogance and pride get's the best of him and he finds himself living in aq track side hobo camp. Faithful Hattie attempts to right him but instead ends up being sentenced to a long stretch at a women's prison. Dutch in turn vows to spring her.Tracy and Harlow display a nice down to earth terse chemistry driven by pride and desire. Muller's thickheadedness seems impervious to penetrate but the resourceful Hattie's drive is not to be denied and while there is perhaps an overabundance of shouting between the two the tenderness comes across as natural and genuine. A trio of scene stealers Una Merkle, Joseph Calleia and Mickey Rooney doing a waterfront Puck also add to the story's humor and rhythm.Riffraff does get a little improbable during its climax but Tracy and Harlow's dogged persistence and interplay give it an irascible verve.

I enjoyed this 1935 movie. I like Jean Harlow and she gives a splendid realistic portrayal of a girl in love with a man who seems to ignore her. She looks wonderful in this movie. The story is rather far fetched about a tuna fisherman who wants better conditions and better pay for himself and his fellow workers but is rather immature and bull headed about everything and everyone. He is always getting in arguments or fights at the drop of a hat. Una Merkel as the sister is fine and the young Mickey Rooney is also in this movie. It is a pleasant story, if rather dated and old fashioned, but I did enjoy it and recommend it, and especially for us Jean Harlow fans, of whom, there are many.

Not as good as one would expect from the talent -- Spencer Tracy, Jean Harlow and a script of Anita Loos -- but MGM still hadn't quite figured out what to do with Tracy and they were still teaching Harlow how to act. Given the earnest script, there are *no* laughs in this one, but you might want to see this anyway.