Review of Tales of Manhattan (1942) by Allison W — 09 Sep 2010

I guess I'm on a classics kick this week. Tales from Manhattan is an odd little film made up a series of episodes and vignettes where a tailcoat changes the lives of a number of people. Fate can be capricious, though, and some do well and others poorly by owning the coat.

With an engaging mix of stories linked together, and a terrific cast of studio power names, Tales of Manhattan is still fun to watch. There's two versions: Either its theatrical release (five stories) or a 'restored' release with the sixth story as part of the disc set. The film isn't without its weaknesses, with a weaker story near the end about a poor black family finding the coat that used far too many stereotypes.

However, the love triangles are carried off well, and two of the stories are standouts: Charles Laughton as a struggling composer, and Edward G. Robinson as a man who has lost everything are, in my opinion two of the most heartfelt episodes.

Overall, a gem that many people have probably not seen.