Pittsburgh | |
---|---|
Directed by | Lewis Seiler |
Screenplay by |
|
Story by |
|
Produced by | |
Starring | |
Cinematography | Robert De Grasse |
Edited by | Paul Landres |
Music by | |
Production company | Charles K. Feldman Group |
Distributed by | Universal Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 91 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Box office | $1.1 million (US rentals) [1] |
Pittsburgh is a 1942 American drama film directed by Lewis Seiler and starring Marlene Dietrich, Randolph Scott, and John Wayne. [2] Based on a story by George Owen and Tom Reed, the film is about an ambitious coal miner who values wealth and power in the Pittsburgh steel industry over his friends, lovers, and ideals, only to find himself deserted and alone at the top. When his fortune crumbles around him, he discovers that fate offers him an unexpected second chance. Filmed partially on location in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the film co-stars Shemp Howard of Three Stooges fame in a rare dramatic role. Dietrich, Scott, and Wayne also made The Spoilers together that same year. Scott received top billing over Wayne in both films despite the fact that Wayne's roles were larger and more important.
Pittsburgh Markham is a coal miner with ambitions. His self-confidence manifests itself in a lack of consideration for others. He's usually friendly but he makes use of people; to promote a loan, to con a new suit out of a tailor, to raise some money from a boxing match by pushing his best friend Cash Evans into the ring. When he meets Josie Winters, he starts calling her "Countess" because of the impression she makes on him, although she reveals that she comes from the same kind of humble coal-mining background as himself. Josie remains somewhat unimpressed by his big ideas, but when she dares him to quit his job in the mine, he does so—and tenders Cash's resignation as well.
He interests a steel mill owner in a supply of cut-price coke, and forges the steel mill owner's signature on a contract to persuade the mine owner to supply it. Flush with success, he starts talking of helping to improve the lot of the men he used to work with, but his first taste of big business goes to his head. He marries the steel mill owner's daughter, much to Josie's dismay, but soon feels out of his depth at the wedding reception and other formal gatherings.
As Pittsburgh follows his lonely path to further heights of financial wizardry and big business success, his old ideals fall by the wayside. He puts his father-in-law out of the business and he betrays the men that he had promised to help. He even puts a stop to research into a new medicine to be developed from coal tar to relieve world suffering because it doesn't show any profit. Cash draws the line and demands to be let out of his partnership with Pittsburgh. When the men stage a revolt against Pittsburgh in the mine, he goes down to tackle them singlehanded, as bold and confident as ever, and Cash follows to intercede before trouble can break out, putting the dispute on a personal level between him and Pittsburgh and turning it into a fistfight.
Pittsburgh's success goes sour, Cash abandons him, his wife walks out, and Josie is badly hurt in a mine accident. He is all alone. He tries to win friends by putting right his past mistakes. Cash and Josie marry and Pittsburgh's business folds up under him. Only now does he feel genuinely repentant, but it is too late. As World War II engages America, he goes to work for Cash's new company under an assumed name, starting at the bottom. Soon his ideas for improving output command Cash's attention and when the new employee comes to meet the boss only Josie prevents them from quarreling bitterly, giving the film a patriotic message that the important thing at this time of war is "devotion to our country." With the three united as friends again, it remains for Pittsburgh to make one small assertion of his old arrogance. Given the job of production manager by Cash, he upgrades himself to being his partner. [3]
Although successful at the box office, Pittsburgh did not receive positive reviews from critics. The film critic for The New York Times called the film "another lusty and totally synthetic film" and "routine entertainment at best". [5]
In his review on Eye for Film, Caro Ness wrote that the film was "like a Western taken out of context, replacing the cowboys and Indians with coal miners and steel impresarios." [6] Ness criticized the heavy-handed message, writing:
This is an unashamed propaganda film to inspire workers to work harder in order to help the War effort. The story is predictable and dated and it is hard to ignore the message that is driven home: that the greater good (i.e. the war effort) is more important than individual wealth and petty entanglements. [6]
George Randolph Scott was an American film actor, whose Hollywood career spanned from 1928 to 1962. As a leading man for all but the first three years of his cinematic career, Scott appeared in dramas, comedies, musicals, adventures, war, horror and fantasy films, and Westerns. Out of his more than 100 film appearances, more than 60 of them were Westerns.
Shemp Howard, was an American comedian and actor. He was called "Shemp" because "Sam" came out that way in his mother's thick Litvak accent.
Henry Hathaway was an American film director and producer. He is best known as a director of Westerns, especially starring Randolph Scott and John Wayne. He directed Gary Cooper in seven films.
Noah Lindsey Beery was an American actor often specializing in warm, friendly character roles similar to many portrayed by his Oscar-winning uncle, Wallace Beery. Unlike his more famous uncle, however, Beery Jr. seldom broke away from playing supporting roles. Active as an actor in films or television for well over half a century, he was best known for playing James Garner's character's father, Joseph "Rocky" Rockford, in the NBC television series The Rockford Files (1974–1980). His father, Noah Nicholas Beery enjoyed a similarly lengthy film career as an extremely prominent supporting actor in major films, although the elder Beery was also frequently a leading man during the silent film era.
Soup to Nuts is a 1930 American pre-Code comedy film written by cartoonist, sculptor, author, and inventor Rube Goldberg and directed by Benjamin Stoloff. It was the film debut of the original four members who would later, minus Ted Healy, go on to become known as The Three Stooges comic trio. Goldberg made a cameo appearance in the film as himself, opening letters in a restaurant. Several other comedians are also featured.
Emil Sitka was an American actor who appeared in hundreds of movies, short films, and television shows, and who is best known for his numerous appearances with The Three Stooges. He was the unofficial "last Stooge", since he was tapped to be the new middle Stooge when Larry Fine suffered a stroke in 1970. He is one of only two actors to have worked with all six Stooges on film in the various incarnations of the group.
Christine Cecilia McIntyre was an American actress and singer who appeared in various films in the 1930s and 1940s. She is mainly remembered as the beautiful blonde actress who appeared in many of The Three Stooges shorts produced by Columbia Pictures.
The Spoilers is a 1923 American silent Western film directed by Lambert Hillyer. It is set in Nome, Alaska during the 1898 Gold Rush, with Milton Sills as Roy Glennister, Anna Q. Nilsson as Cherry Malotte, and Noah Beery Sr. as Alex McNamara. The film culminates in a saloon fistfight between Glennister and McNamara.
The Spoilers is a 1942 American Western film directed by Ray Enright and starring Marlene Dietrich, Randolph Scott and John Wayne.
The Spoilers is a 1955 American Western film directed by Jesse Hibbs and starring Anne Baxter, Jeff Chandler and Rory Calhoun. Set in Nome, Alaska during the 1898 Gold Rush, it culminates in a spectacular saloon fistfight between Glennister (Chandler) and McNamara (Calhoun).
That's My Boy is a 1932 American pre-Code drama film directed by Roy William Neill and starring Richard Cromwell and Dorothy Jordan. John Wayne had a very small uncredited role in the film.
Sagebrush Trail is a 1933 American Pre-Code Western film with locations filmed at Bronson Canyon starring John Wayne and featuring Lane Chandler and Yakima Canutt. It was the second Lone Star Productions film released by Monogram Pictures. It was shown as An Innocent Man in the UK, and this version was later released in a colorized version on home video.
Seven Sinners is a 1940 American drama romance film directed by Tay Garnett starring Marlene Dietrich and John Wayne in the first of three films they made together. The film was produced by Universal Pictures in black and white.
William Desmond was an American actor. He appeared in more than 200 films between 1915 and 1948. He was nicknamed "The King of the Silent Serials."
Sharp Shooters is a 1928 American silent comedy film directed by John G. Blystone and starring George O'Brien, Lois Moran, and Noah Young. A print survives in the UCLA Film and Television Archive. Sharp Shooters contains uncredited performances by Boris Karloff and Randolph Scott in his first film appearance.
The Tennessee Coal, Iron and Railroad Company (1852–1952), also known as TCI and the Tennessee Company, was a major American steel manufacturer with interests in coal and iron ore mining and railroad operations. Originally based entirely within Tennessee, it relocated most of its business to Alabama in the late nineteenth century, following protests over its use of free convict labor. With a sizable real estate portfolio, the company owned several Birmingham satellite towns, including Ensley, Fairfield, Docena, Edgewater and Bayview. It also established a coal mining camp it sold to U.S. Steel which developed it into the Westfield, Alabama planned community.
Robert Fellows or Robert M. Fellows was an American film producer who was once a production partner with John Wayne and later with Mickey Spillane.
Pittsburgh is the second largest city in Pennsylvania, U.S.
Harry Shannon was an American character actor. He often appeared in Western films.
William Harris Ruhl was an American character actor of the 1930s, 1940s, and early 1950s.