Two boyhood friends end up being on opposite sides of the law as adults. At least the film can't be accused of false advertising. This is definitely melodrama, which can be fun if done right; here, however, it starts off as merely uninteresting and ends up as being rather corny. Unfortunately, the star power of Gable, Powell, and Loy can't overcome the lackluster script. The film is mainly of interest for historical reasons. It was the first teaming of Powell and Loy, made just before "The Thin Man," also directed by Van Dyke. More notoriously, this was the film Dillinger went to see at the Biograph Theater in Chicago and was killed by the FBI upon emerging from the theater.
Review of Manhattan Melodrama
