IMDb RATING
6.4/10
1.7K
YOUR RATING
A busboy in unrequited love with a nightclub performer grows closer to her after she is paralyzed in an attack by her gangster boyfriend.A busboy in unrequited love with a nightclub performer grows closer to her after she is paralyzed in an attack by her gangster boyfriend.A busboy in unrequited love with a nightclub performer grows closer to her after she is paralyzed in an attack by her gangster boyfriend.
William T. Orr
- Decatur Reed
- (as William Orr)
Don Barclay
- Eating Contest Emcee
- (uncredited)
Mary Bayless
- Nightclub Patron
- (uncredited)
Louise Beavers
- Ruby - Gloria's Maid
- (uncredited)
Anthony Blair
- O'Rourke
- (uncredited)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaLucille Ball's favorite of her films. She felt her performance was unjustly ignored by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS).
- GoofsA gathering to raise money to send Gloria Lyons to Florida doesn't raise enough, so a suggestion is made to put it on a horse. A face-on shot of Horsethief shows him sitting down and pulling a paper from his inside pocket. He stands up and unfolds the paper, but then a long shot shows him just starting to take the paper from his pocket.
- Quotes
Gloria Lyons: Love is something that gets you one room, two chins and 3 kids.
- Crazy creditsOpening credits: "Loser's Lane --- the sidewalk in front of Mindy's Restaurant on Broadway-- is not as high-toned a trading center as Wall Street, but the brokers are a lot more colorful. Generally they prefer to put their money on a prizefight or horserace, but when the action slows, anything can happen and it usually does. Tonight, for example, the citizens of the Lane are discussing the latest contest in their usual quiet way --"
- SoundtracksWho Knows?
(1942)
Lyrics by Mort Greene
Music by Harry Revel
Performed by Lucille Ball at the New York nightclub (uncredited)
Reprised by her with Ozzie Nelson and Orchestra at the Florida nightclub (Vocals for Miss Ball by Martha Mears) (uncredited)
Played often in the score
Featured review
Lucy makes a stunning bitch opposite Henry Fonda in the sentimental "Big Street"
"The Big Street" was not a major hit when first released but the critics at the time all noted Lucille Ball's superb star-making performance as one of the all-time nastiest women ever to reach the big screen. Lucy was already a minor star thanks to a string of popular B-grade comedies and dramas but this film cemented her stardom and brought her to MGM where she reached an early peak the next year. The film is sentimental and does have some plot points that have to be swallowed but Ball's great acting and chemistry with a splendid Fonda makes this tale of unrequited love work. Fonda plays a kind innocent busboy who falls madly in-love with a crippled chanteuse(Ball). The last scene on the dance floor is unforgettable. Why RKO did not get Lucy an Oscar nomination for this performance is a crime. All the critics at the time hailed her work in this but it just slipped under the rug when the film posted only small profits. This was the kind of role Bette Davis made her own but Ball does it without Davis' habit of falling into mannerisms. Agnes Moorehead is also excellent as Fonda's concerned friend. Beautiful cinematography makes Ball look incredible in her close-ups. Worth a look but overlook the occasional mawkish elements. Lucy makes it a must.
helpful•144
- Emaisie39
- Apr 28, 2007
- How long is The Big Street?Powered by Alexa
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Language
- Also known as
- Damon Runyon's The Big Street
- Filming locations
- Miami, Florida, USA(second unit - exteriors)
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
- Runtime1 hour 28 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.37 : 1
Contribute to this page
Suggest an edit or add missing content