The Big Street

Released Aug 13, 1942

1h 28m

Comedy

Drama

List

Reviews

57%

100+ Ratings

Audience Score

Runyonesque busboy Little Pinks (Henry Fonda) hitchhikes to Florida with a gangster's (Barton MacLane) ex-moll (Lucille Ball) in a wheelchair.

Read More

Read Less

Watch on Fandango at Home

Premiered Aug 11

Buy Now

Fandango at Home

Prime Video

Rent The Big Street on Fandango at Home, Prime Video, or buy it on Fandango at Home, Prime Video.

Audience Member

Decided to watch as one of Lucille Ball's critical successes. It didn't age well, and she was a very dislikable character. it was nostalgic, to see an old movie, if however implausible some of the plot points were. One has to recall people used to go to the movies *every* week...

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

01/28/23

Full Review

Audience Member

The best romance movie ever made!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/26/23

Full Review

kevin w

This Damon Runyon tale affords Henry Fonda and Lucille Ball roles very different than their usual forte: she's a bit of a anxious shrew, and he's a bit of a limp milksop. The rest of the cast adopts the lower Broadway pastiche Runyon so loved, that of warm-hearted hustlers out to con the world if necessary, but always for a good cause. Runyon himself produced this effort that could use some of the sparkle that Guys & Dolls has got in spades. Lucy gives her best performance, making this film the best example of what might've been had the ol' comedienne played it straight for the rest of her career instead of going television.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Sensational movie, I'm a HUGE Lucy fan and this is some of her best work its a shame that they took out a major dancing scene from the movie and the fact I cant find the song she sings in it either. But still one of my favorites.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/08/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Henry Fonda gets the top billing, but it is Lucille Ball's performance that elevates the film above its ordinary romantic storyline.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/06/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Some good dramatic performances, but the whole tale is thoroughly cynical and dispiriting.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/22/23

Full Review

Read all reviews

Post a rating

Irving Reis

Director

Henry Fonda

Agustus "Little Pinks" Pinkerton, II

Lucille Ball

Gloria Lyons

Barton MacLane

Case Ables

Eugene Pallette

Nicely Nicely Johnson

Agnes Moorehead

Violette Shumberg

Show Less Cast & Crew

Show More Cast & Crew

View more photos

James Agee

TIME Magazine

Ball, who was born for the parts Ginger Rogers sweats over, tackles her "emotional" role as if it were sirloin and she didn't care who was looking.

Feb 22, 2018

Full Review

Dennis Schwartz

Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews

A dispiriting tale.

Rated: C+

May 18, 2011

Full Review

Read all reviews

Synopsis

Runyonesque busboy Little Pinks (Henry Fonda) hitchhikes to Florida with a gangster's (Barton MacLane) ex-moll (Lucille Ball) in a wheelchair.

Director: Irving Reis
Screenwriter: Leonard Spigelgass
Distributor: RKO Radio Pictures
Production Co: RKO Radio Pictures Inc.
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Aug 13, 1942, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 11, 2008
Runtime: 1h 28m

Most Popular at Home Now