Home Town Story
| Home Town Story | |
|---|---|
Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Arthur Pierson |
| Written by | Arthur Pierson |
| Produced by | Arthur Pierson |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Lucien N. Andriot |
| Edited by | William F. Claxton |
| Music by | |
| Distributed by | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer |
Release date |
|
Running time | 61 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $334,000[1] |
Home Town Story is a 1951 American drama film written and directed by Arthur Pierson and starring Jeffrey Lynn, Donald Crisp, Marjorie Reynolds, Marilyn Monroe and Alan Hale Jr.
Plot
Defeated politician Blake Washburn becomes the editor of a small-town newspaper in an effort to promote his reelection. His campaign is intended as a continuing exposé of the evils of large industry, and his strategy is to publish daily screeds against enormous corporate profits that enrich shareholders.
On a school outing to an abandoned mine, Washburn's younger sister is trapped in the collapse of a mine tunnel caused by a disgruntled employee's negligence, and the town's businesses come to her rescue. The sister is rescued, prompting Washburn to experience a change of heart and recognize that large corporations are necessary because "it takes bigness to do big things".
Cast
- Jeffrey Lynn as Blake Washburn
- Donald Crisp as John MacFarland
- Marjorie Reynolds as Janice Hunt
- Alan Hale Jr. as Slim Haskins
- Marilyn Monroe as Iris Martin
- Barbara Brown as Mrs. Washburn
- Melinda Plowman as Katie Washburn
- Renny McEvoy as Leo, the taxi driver
- Glenn Tryon as Ken Kenlock
- Byron Foulger as Berny Miles
- Griff Barnett as Uncle Cliff Washburn
- Virginia Campbell as Phoebe Hartman
- Harry Harvey as Andy Butterworth
- Nelson Leigh as Dr. Johnson
- Speck Noblitt as motorcycle officer
Reception
Critic Mildred Martin of The Philadelphia Inquirer called Home Town Story "a pleasant if suspiciously starry-eyed film".[2]
According to MGM records, the film grossed $243,000 in the United States and Canada and $91,000 elsewhere, returning a profit of $195,000.[1]
References
- ^ a b The Eddie Mannix Ledger, Los Angeles: Margaret Herrick Library, Center for Motion Picture Study.
- ^ Martin, Mildred (1951-06-02). "Parisian Follies at Earle Features Girls and Music". The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. 8.
External links
- Home Town Story at IMDb
- Home Town Story is available for free viewing and download at the Internet Archive
- Home Town Story at Rotten Tomatoes
- Home Town Story at the AFI Catalog of Feature Films
- Home Town Story at the TCM Movie Database