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Up the River

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5.8/10 • 27

1930-10-101h 25m

ComedyCrime

You bet ~ IT'S FUNNY a movietone laugh riot.

Daily life at men and women's prison units where baseball and the marching band are serious business. Two prisoners escape in order to help paroled Steve from being blackmailed by his girlfriend's ex-partner-in-crime.

Directors
John Ford
Editors
Frank E. Hull

Top Billed Cast

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  1. Spencer Tracy

    Spencer Tracy

    Saint Louis

  2. Claire Luce

    Claire Luce

    Judy Fields

  3. Warren Hymer

    Warren Hymer

    Dannemora Dan

  4. Humphrey Bogart

    Humphrey Bogart

    Steve Jordan

  5. William Collier Sr.

    William Collier Sr.

    Pop

  6. Joan Marie Lawes

    Joan Marie Lawes

    Jean

  7. Marion Aye

    Marion Aye

    Actress (uncredited)

  8. Ward Bond

    Ward Bond

    Inmate Socked by Saint Louis (uncredited)

  9. Joe Brown

    Joe Brown

    Deputy Warden (uncredited)

Reviews1

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CinemaSerf Avatar

CinemaSerf

Jun 13, 2022

5/10

This is really only of interest as a cinema curio - an early talkie with Warren Hymer ("Dan") and a slightly irritating "Saint Louis" (Spencer Tracy) escaping from prison to help out their pal "Steve" (Humphrey Bogart) from a little domestic mischief whilst he tries to keep his gal "Judy" (Claire Luce) - all under the direction of John Ford. None had made their mark on Hollywood by this stage, and the film's production and storyline are all just a bit too basic and over-stretched to hold the interest for a whopping great 90 minutes. It has moments of humour, and there is a brief appearance from Ward Bond too, but the film is pretty static and stage bound with too many monologues delivered in quite a wooden fashion. It's fair to say that everyone was still learning their craft here, and knowing what we know now makes it worth a watch - but be prepared to be a bit bored, I was.

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  • Up the River poster
  • Up the River poster
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Status
Released
Original Language
English
Budget
--
Revenue
--
Keywords
prison escapepre-code