Tree Grows in Brooklyn, A

Synopsis: Feature filmed based on Betty Smith’s novel of the same name. A young girl, Francie, tries to keep her idealism alive and surmount the hardships of her slum tenement life in the face of her family’s poverty in turn-of-the-century Brooklyn. She adores her father, who, though a charming and loving man, drinks to excess and is an irresponsible dreamer. Francie’s illiterate maternal grandmother instructs Katie (Francie’s mother) in what will make for success in America: the children must know how to read and write, and they must believe in heaven so they will have something to hope for; every day they must read one page of the Bible and Shakespeare. A section of the dialogue is as follows -

"...Shakespeare wrote the
best English of anybody.

All right, you tell me what it means,
you’re so smart.

l didn’t say l know what it means. l
said l liked it".
Language: English
Country: United States
Medium: Film
Technical information: Black-and-white / Sound
Year of release: 1945
Duration: 128 mins

Director

Elia Kazan

Producer

Louis D. Lighton

Cinematographer

Leon Shamroy

Writer

Frank Davis; Tess Slessinger

Music

Alfred Newman

Art Direction

Lyle R. Wheeler

Cast

General: A made-for-television version, directed by Joseph Hardy with Cliff Robertson as Johnny Nolan, was shown in the US 27 March 1974.
Awards: 1946 Academy Award for Best Actor in Supporting Role (James Dunn). Nominated for Best Writing, Screenplay.

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