Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?

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Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?

PG

1975

1h 46m

Documentary

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2 Reviews

57%

Popcornmeter

250+ Ratings

The Great Depression, in both its bleak lows and its artistic highs, is presented in this documentary. Featuring the grim reality that many Americans faced during the era, largely in the form of newsreel clips, the film also depicts how Hollywood dealt with this period of widespread poverty and unemployment. Much of the movie footage showcases glamour and extravagance, providing lively moments of escapism that contrast starkly with day-to-day life during the 1930s.

Roger Ebert

Chicago Sun-Times

There are songs and production numbers from the great 1930s musicals and newsreel footage of the rioting strikers at Ford, and animated sequences, and Will Rogers kidding FDR and Rudy Vallee singing the title song. But to what purpose?

Rated: 2/4

Jul 10, 2018

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Jacoba Atlas

Los Angeles Free Press

Only succeeds in being a mishmash of muddled thinking and mediocre editing talents.

Nov 26, 2019

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Audience Member

A novel idea for a film using as it does Film,Newsreel and radio clips to chronicle the great depression which paralysed America during the late 20s and 30S. The film clips contrats Busby Berkelys high rolling music numbers with the dirt poor of Americas midwest and hows thousands were uprooted and forced to move when things became too tough. Many of the periods stars and other names appear from James Cagney to Humprey Bogart to Huey Long to the hero of the piece Franklin D Roosevelt who would lead America from slump to boom to Second World war. The film features the greta songs of the period such as Woody Guthries Vigilante man to that timeless classic Were in the Money. Sometimes the film does feel a bit dry but then thats to be expected when dealing with such a serious subject,but on the whole if you want a snapshot of a countyr during a vital period of time then this film does a hell of a lot.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/23/23

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Audience Member

combination of film and newsreel clips along with boxing match and rematch and other cultural musical performances truly illustrates the essense of the US in that most desperate of hard times

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/26/23

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Audience Member

Though I think this movie was a lofty experiment, I found it kind of boring.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/18/23

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Audience Member

this compilation of clips from movies and documentary footage from that time didn`t do much for me. in the end I found it tedious.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

01/16/23

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Audience Member

Well done documentary incorportaing actual movies and newsreels and all fits seamlessly

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

01/14/23

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Audience Member

great mix of newsreels and movies showing all from 1929's crash to Ike being sworn in

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

02/18/23

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Philippe Mora

Director

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Synopsis

The Great Depression, in both its bleak lows and its artistic highs, is presented in this documentary. Featuring the grim reality that many Americans faced during the era, largely in the form of newsreel clips, the film also depicts how Hollywood dealt with this period of widespread poverty and unemployment. Much of the movie footage showcases glamour and extravagance, providing lively moments of escapism that contrast starkly with day-to-day life during the 1930s.

Director: Philippe Mora
Rating: PG
Genre: Documentary
Original Language: English
Runtime: 1h 46m