Nob Hill (1945)

Sadly Over-hyped

Memorable, crazy movie

Great example of an old-fashioned, pure-at-heart escapist event movie that doesn't pretend to be anything that it's not and has boat loads of fun being its own ludicrous self.

The movie's not perfect, but it sticks the landing of its message. It was engaging - thrilling at times - and I personally thought it was a great time.

Joan Bennett was certainly correct when she said that the studio promoted Peggy Ann Garner and Vivian Blaine at the expense of George Raft and herself in this film. Peggy Ann should have been there just to introduce the Raft character of Tony Angel and show that he was a nice guy. Instead, the first fifteen minutes of the film and the last fifteen minutes are devoted to Peggy Ann adopting her new American family. It was a wise decision. She's terrific. In the main story, Wealthy Joan Bennett battles showgirl Vivian Blaine for the love of enterprising and well liked saloon owner George Raft. Blaine gets to sing and dance in four numbers. She does well, but it is a little unfair to Bennett, who only has her acting to rely on. Fortunately, she's a great actress, so she makes a good rival for Blaine. Raft apparently walked off the set at some point, because he didn't like his role. It is easy to see why. He plays it a little too dramatic for this light comedy and he takes himself too seriously. In the beginning, he beats up a cheating employee, but he does it in an unnecessarily brutal manner. It shows him to be a tough guy, but it is a little disturbing to the tone of the film. Certainly, someone with a softer comical touch like Jimmy Stewart, Joel McCrea or Cary Grant would have been a much better choice for the part. The Technicolor is beautiful and so are the sets and costumes. Director Henry Hathaway moves the camera and cuts the film in a smooth and seamless style. It is pretty much a pleasure to watch all the way through. See it for Peggy Ann Garner's wonderful performance, some good singing and dancing by Vivian Blaine and nice acting by Joan Bennett.

My angel Peggy Ann Garner was, is and always will be the greatest actress who ever lived. Her immortal performance in A Tree Grows in Brooklyn will live forever, but her performance in Nob Hill ranks right along side Tree. Peggy Ann's cute little Irish accent will never be forgotten. Even George Raft knew how great Peggy Ann was when he co-starred with her in Nob Hill. This movie is very hard to find today- It is never shown on television but it can be found on Ebay if you are lucky. I love Peggy Ann Garner and she will always be my little angel! Peggy Ann is not with us anymore having died on Tuesday, October 16,1984 but she will always live in my heart through her great performances.GOD BLESS YOU,SWEETHEART!

This Technicolor semi-musical seems an odd assignment for Henry Hathaway, but perhaps it's his direction that keeps the tough side of San Francisco tough even with showgirls, rich dames and little girls traipsing around. Hathaway was one of the few directors who understood - from experience on earlier great films with him - how effective a broken George Raft could be, and when that moment comes in this film it is quietly Raft's best scene. Raft plays Tony Angelo, owner of a popular saloon in turn-of-the-century San Francisco, a saloon that is more of a three-ring circus with shows, boxing matches and drinking going on simultaneously. He's got an undefined romance with his star showgirl Sally Templeton (young Vivian Blaine) and his political opinions carry a lot of weight in that rough part of town. In walks little Irish girl Katie (Peggy Ann Garner) expecting to meet her uncle, only to find he has died. Tony, who was his boss, agrees to take her in for a couple of months until the next boat leaves for Ireland. She introduces him to Miss Carruthers (Joan Bennett), who lives on Nob Hill. Her brother Lash Carruthers is running for office, and brother and sister both realize working up a relationship with Tony could bring in much-needed votes from the lower part of town. Though knowing full well that those down below don't mix with those on the hill, Tony is drawn into the propaganda of her sweet talk. In this sense, he is as naive as Katie as to their true intentions, and he alienates his fellow bar owners with his new political stand. Only after the election does he get a reality check. Strange to say, but parallels can be drawn between Tony and Shakespeare's Proteus in "The Two Gentlemen of Verona." One look at a beautiful new girl and he seems to completely forget about his true love down the hill. And when he is ultimately rejected he becomes disturbingly aggressive. Blaine, who has all the musical numbers, is a lovely entertainer but one would not guess from this role what marvelous comic chops she had. That would really come to the fore years later in "Guys and Dolls," which also featured B.S. Pulley, who plays a barman in "Nob Hill." (Another link to that film is the fact that the production design was fashioned after the Raft trademark gangster style, coin-flipping and all -- too bad he wasn't in it.) Garner was one of the true great child actors, always earnest and natural even when putting on an Irish accent. She's the heart of the story, always thinking the best of the grownups around her. Bennett (who starred with Raft 10 years earlier in the screwball comedy "She Couldn't Take It") has a rather thankless part, an admittedly split personality who does not seem to know what she really wants. There is nothing particularly special about this film. But to see this particular mix of actors has historical interest, and it would be nice to see it available on DVD.

Nob Hill (1945) was one of three films released in 1945 that featured Peggy Ann Garner, one of the best - if not the best - child actors ever to grace the screen.George Raft shares the spotlight with Garner but deservedly gets top billing. He was a big name at the time and the story centers around his character a bit more than Garner's. Also featured are two very pretty women: Vivian Blaine and Joan Bennett. Too bad Blaine didn't appear in many films. She would have been well-known.The biggest "too bad," however, is that this movie has never been available on VHS or DVD. It should get the DVD treatment if for no other reason that the gorgeous Technicolor. This is one of the prettiest classic films ever, believe me!If you enjoyed Miss Garner in her famous role as "Francie" in "A Tree Grows In Brooklyn," you'll like her here, too. She's even more likable and sweeter in this film, start-to-finish, and does a pretty fair job with an Irish accent.Actually, everybody in this sugary-sweet film is likable, even tough--guy Raft. Blaine supplies the song-and-dance routines and handles them well. There are almost a handful of them so some consider this a musical. I thought it was more of a drama. The story has a good mix of drama, romance, music and comedy. Since it's a Raft film, there are even a few punches thrown.The color and the nice feel-good people and storyline are what make this film worth watching......and owning, if someone would please put this on DVD!