This listing is for a vintage original 16mm movie titled 'A Tree Grows In Brooklyn'. It comes from a large collection of 16mm movies that we will be selling over the next few weeks. These were movies that were shipped by the US Army to military bases all over the world during WWII to show to the troops. They were then put in storage for the past 70 years, and have just been discovered. The outer case is stamped 'O.M.P.S. U.S. ARMY'. The shipping label is mostly torn off, but the return address reads 'Army Service Forces Signal Corps Photographic Center Distribution Division' with an address in New York City. There are four film reels inside the case. They look to be in good overall condition with just a very slight vinegar smell. The last few feet of each reel shows moderate to heavy wear with creases and tears. We do not have the equipment to view the film, so it is being sold as-is. Please see the photos below, and contact us with any questions before bidding. We have a low opening bid so don't miss your chance to win!
Released In Theaters: Feb 28, 1945
One-time movie song-and-dance man James Dunn won an Academy Award for his "comeback" performance in A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. Based on the best-selling novel by Betty Smith, the film relates the trials and tribulations of a turn-of-the-century Brooklyn tenement family. The father, Dunn, is a likable but irresponsible alcoholic whose dreams of improving his family's lot are invariably doomed to disappointment. The mother, Dorothy McGuire, is the true head of the household, steadfastly holding the family together no matter what crisis arises. The story is told from the point of view of daughter Peggy Ann Garner, a clear-eyed realist who nonetheless would like to believe in her pie-in-the-sky father, whom she dearly loves. Joan Blondell co-stars as the family's brash, freewheeling aunt, whose means of financial support is a never-ending source of neighborhood gossip. This first film directorial effort of Elia Kazan earned a special Oscar for "Most Promising Juvenile Performer" Peggy Ann Garner. A Tree Grows From Brooklyn was remade for TV in 1974, and also served as the basis of a Broadway musical.
Please see our other listings for more 16mm WWII era movies.