East of the River

East of the River (1940)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

Predictable Warner film tells the story of two friends who go different ways in life. One becomes a good guy while the other, played by John Garfield, can't seem to stay out of trouble. We've seen this story countless times so I'm going to guess Warner just used one of their old screenplays to give Garfield something to shine in. We've seen this story in countless gang pictures from the studio so if you've seen at least one of them then this film won't offer you anything new. As usual, Garfield is given a boring screenplay but he makes the film watchable due to his great performance. He's very strong in the film and allows us to feel sorry for him as well.

It is 1927 New York City. Joey Lorenzo is a kid who gets into trouble. He and his friend Nick batter a railroad worker. The cops track them down. The Judge is ready to send them both to reform school. Joey's mom convinces the Judge to give them a second chance and she agrees to take on the orphan Nick. Nick grows up to be a great student and the perfect son. On the other hand, Joe Lorenzo (John Garfield) grows up to be a bad student and a criminal although his mother doesn't know that part. He comes home with his criminal girlfriend Laurie Romayne.

This idea of a triangle upon a triangle is interesting. It's the two boys and their mother in one. The other one is the boys with the girl. I never really felt for Nick or quite frankly Laurie although her progression is more interesting. Big momma is doing big momma things and she dominates. As for Garfield, he does fine as the urban hood. I believe it sometimes. I'm not sure about the ending, but that's kind of a Hollywood safe ending. All in all, I like some parts and less with other parts.

In this hammy melodrama from Warner Brothers and director Alfred E. Green, Italian immigrant "Mama" Teresa Lorenzo (Marjorie Rambeau) struggles to raise her son Joe on her own. Despite the hardship, she even agrees to adopt Joe's orphaned, homeless friend Nick. As the boys grow into men, Nick (William Lundigan) stays on the straight and narrow, graduating from college. Meanwhile, Joe (John Garfield) has fallen into a life of crime, which he keeps secret from Mama. When Joe returns home with new girlfriend Laurie (Brenda Marshall), the stage is set for conflict as Nick falls for the gal, too.

This is yet another substandard film that Garfield had to endure, and this one is further hampered by some bad acting and a cliche script. Rambeau is just terrible as the stereotypical "Mama", sporting one of the most exaggerated phony accents ever committed to celluloid. George Tobias, too,lays it on thick, but one expects that of his generally boisterous performances. Marshall makes for a bland leading lady, and I had a hard time figuring out why both guys went crazy over her.

A wonderful heartwarming movie especially the differences between the son and the adopted son!

Gotta admit it, no studio was as good at making crime movies as Warner Brothers during the 1930's. With Cagney, Bogie, and, here, John Garfield, there were fewer actors at any one studio who were as good at being bad. And that's what makes "East of the River" so watchable. The performances help to turn what's basically a routine crime drama into a watchable, second-string noir treasure.

As to the basic plot, that's been done again and again in endless variations. Warners even used it at least a half a dozen times. Boyhood best friends/brothers get into some sort of juvenile scrape. One goes "good," the other "bad." Both meet years later and thereby hangs the tale. However, when the boys are played by Garfield and popular 30's second-lead William Lundigan and the girl they both love by Brenda (Mrs. William Holden) Marshall, the good performances that result raise the story above the standard clichés. Almost as good, albeit with a lot of stock "Italian" mannerisms ("You a good-a boy!"), is Marjorie Rambeau as the boys' mother. Rambeau was one of those actresses who could shine in a broom closet, playing either the star's mother or a world-weary chippie (Catch her her in 1931's "The Secret Six" sometime) with equal finesse, transcending whatever stereotyped qualities may have been in the script. Also excellent are old Warners standby George Tobias as an excitable "Italian" waiter, Douglas Fowley as a particularly despicable heavy, and Moroni Olsen playing yet another of the authority figure roles he always did so well.

Okay, "East of the River" may not be in the same league with "Little Caesar," "The Public Enemy," "Angels with Dirty Faces," or even "You Can't Get Away with Murder." What it IS, though, is an excellent little (75 minutes) crime melodrama of the old school that is definitely worth a look.