Man's Castle (1933)

Spencer Tracy was just one of those men who could light up a screen with the simplicity of his glances, his manner of acting was always effective - and rarely more so than in this short drama. He is "Bill", an intelligent man who scrapes his living as he can during the American depression. He alights on the gorgeous "Trina" (Loretta Young) and despite his care-free nature the pair set up together in a ramshackle old cabin. Meantime, he develops a bit of a thing for dancing girl "Fay LaRue" (Glenda Farrell) before all of this comes to an head when "Trina" announces she is expecting, and he decides that he is better off elsewhere. Not before, that is, hooking up with the pretty odious "Bragg" (Arthur Hohl) to engage in a bit of larceny to fund his "escape" - but will he abandon her and the unborn baby? It's essentially an against-the-odds love story this - and Tracy and Young have a definite chemistry between them and they hold the story together well. Their character's aspiration for optimistim to triumph over experience in these desperate times for so many is engagingly presented by Frank Borzage in a gritty, authentic - yet still romantic fashion. Just because they don't have everything doesn't mean they don't have anything - and in the end "Bill" must make some choices...