VividSimon Simply Perfect

Moustroll Good movie but grossly overrated

Limerculer A waste of 90 minutes of my life

Voxitype Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.

TheLittleSongbird Being a fan of classic film and being an admirer of Clark Gable and Spencer Tracy, also having heard near-unanimous positively for it and liking Jeanette MacDonald in general than most people, interest was high for seeing 'San Francisco'.Seeing it, maybe it is not quite as good as touted and not quite the masterpiece personally was expecting. However, 'San Francisco' is still a very good and truly impressive film, it must have been back then and still holds up well from personal opinion (though not everybody is going to agree). Some things work better than others, with a few things that could have come off much better, but the good things, which are numerous and big in size, far outweigh the bad things.Can definitely understand the mixed opinions on Jeanette MacDonald. Being a lifelong fan of classical music, opera and operetta, and actually liking her voice, to me the music was wonderful (particularly the title song, which MacDonald sings the heck out of, the rousing and moving Battle anthem, the 'Faust' sections and 'La Traviata's' "Sempre Libera") and she sang the music very well with a silvery purity and limpid beauty.With that being said, MacDonald (who usually is a good actress, in her outings with Nelson Eddy, she was the superior actor of the two) disappoints dramatically and it is down to that the role is not right for her, she is over the top and she is too lightweight for the role for somebody who is better known for operetta and her films with Eddy. As good as the music is, there could have been a little less of it because it does tend to slow the film down and spoil the flow of the story.The film is also a little too heavy on the religious elements, which were in serious need of a toning down. The love triangle does have a lot of heart, but is rather predictable and corny while the chemistry between Gable and MacDonald could have been stronger.However, there are so many good things about 'San Francisco'. It is a great-looking film, beautifully filmed and the production design and costumes are similarly gorgeous. The adroit direction helps things too. As said the music is wonderful, and much better performed than people give credit for.'San Francisco's' script is intelligent, rousing and heartfelt, with only the religious elements in need of a toning down. The story is compelling, lifts the spirits, wrenches the gut and brings tears to the eye. The ending is melodramatic in a way but is also poignant, full of inspiration and spirit-rousing.As people have said, the highlight is the earthquake sequence, a thrilling and gut-wrenching sequence with astounding special effects that were revolutionary in their day.Gable gives one of his best performances as a quite complex character that he brings many nuances to it in a way a number of people would not. Tracy is restrained but also commanding and both men work wonders together. The supporting cast are all solid.Overall, very often and often truly impressive if not quite a masterpiece. 8/10 Bethany Cox

pjferraresi Set in 1906, just days before the great San Francisco earthquake, Metro-Goldwyn Mayer's (MGM) 1936 movie spectacle, "San Francisco," offers up a unique retelling of the Barbary Coast's famous disaster. This classic drama-disaster film, directed by W.S. Van Dyke, stars Clark Gable, Jeanette MacDonald, and Spencer Tracy. "San Francisco," tells the story of Blackie Norton (Gable), a handsome, hard-nosed saloon keeper who has his sights set on Mary Blake (MacDonald). Suddenly, things turn shaky. "San Francisco" is structured on the classic Hollywood formula; boy meets girl, boy loses girl, and boy wins girl back – with an earthquake as a memorable twist.Gable and MacDonald give convincing performances, as the movies signature star-crossed lovers. Even though, "San Francisco" is not a musical, Jeanette MacDonald lends the movie her operatic voice and is allowed to demonstrate it repeatedly. Not only does MacDonald sing the movie's signature theme song, "San Francisco – Open Your Golden Gate", she also entertains viewers with several other musical numbers. Some, however, might find that MacDonald's numerous musical numbers cause San Francisco to grind to a halt.While the special effects in "San Francisco" may appear to be lackluster, compared to those that destroyed Los Angeles in "Earthquake" (1974), by Universal Studios, they are still as impressive and captivating today as they were in 1936. Dramatic scenes, such as the one which shows citizens running helplessly as the dome of San Francisco city hall crumbles behind them, or the panoramic shot from atop Nob Hill showing the great city in a blaze of fire, are replicated convincingly."San Francisco" allows an audience to accompany Blackie and Mary on a romantic ride through love, song, and despair. The most significant factor in "San Francisco" is the movies ability to transport viewers to a different time and place, in order to experience a historical event that both shaped and built the great city of San Francisco, and to witness a bygone era of Hollywood film making.

Eesto1 I have never placed a review prior to this one, but i feel compelled to do so. This movie had such promised and I was looking forward to watching this movies based on the reviews I read, but I was disappointed. I do think that Clark Gable and Spencer Tracy were very good. On the other hand Jeannette MacDonald was painful...I mean really that singing...it just goes right through you. I simply could not stand her screeching (that is what it sounded like to me). I feel like I am being overly generous by giving this a 4...it is only due to Gable and Tracy. So if you do not like opera you might want to stay away...I wish I had.

scw1217 I watched this film to see the depiction of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, sans computer effects. I agreed with the review I had read, that it was really well done. Certainly, the depiction of the devastation, all the people wandering about, was effective.The story line was easy enough to follow. I was cheering for Clark Gable's character throughout. Not sure how great I thought his acting was, compared to other films from that era, but he was dashing enough. My biggest complaint was the singing of Jeanette MacDonald's character. Not my taste at all and rather on the hard-to-hear side towards the end.I could see it coming that he'd turn to God at the end, after all his denials. But I liked that part just the same.This film is well worth watching, especially for the effects!