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Up the River

Play trailer Poster for Up the River 1930 1h 30m Comedy Play Trailer Watchlist
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After breaking out of prison, St. Louis (Spencer Tracy) and Dannemora Dan (Warren Hymer) split up when Dan turns religious. Dan's conversion ends after he sees St. Louis with two women, and soon the men are imprisoned again. Meanwhile, another inmate, Steve (Humphrey Bogart), wins the affections of fellow inmate Judy (Claire Luce), but when Steve is paroled, Judy's boyfriend tries to blackmail him back into crime. So St. Louis and Dan decide to escape again to come to Steve's aid.
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Up the River

Critics Reviews

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Michael E. Grost Classic Film and Television Tongue-in-cheek comedy spoofing prison movies, with delightful performances and story telling. Jan 31, 2012 Full Review Dennis Schwartz Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews The film was popular with Depression era-audiences, though the critics creamed it. Rated: C Nov 21, 2010 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Steve D Goofy but fun because of the cast. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/27/24 Full Review Ed M I love John Ford but not this one. Slow and dated. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 05/21/21 Full Review Audience Member Tongue-in-cheek comedy spoofing prison movies, with delightful performances and story telling. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/21/23 Full Review Audience Member I didn't come in here because I wanted to see you. I came in to tell you what a dirty rat you are. When a parolee and former inmate hope to begin a life together everything is flipped upside down when a local crime syndicate tries to blackmail them. Two former gangsters that were in jail with the parolee pair with the couple to try and help them overcome the blackmail scam and return to a life of normalcy. "What's the best hotel in town?" "Well, there isn't any best. They're all terrible." John Ford, director of Cheyenne Autumn, The Last Hurrah, The Wings of Eagles, Rio Grande, Fort Apache, The Hurricane, and The Stagecoach, delivers Up the River. The storyline for this picture is fairly straightforward and fairly predictable. I did not find the plot particularly interesting but the acting was very good. The cast includes Humphrey Bogart, Spencer Tracy, Warren Hymer, and Claire Luce. "I never break my word." "Really?" "Never twice in succession." Up the River was a movie we DVR'd because it starred the legendary Humphrey Bogart in his second ever film and Spencer Tract in his first picture. I will say that this movie was fairly boring and seemed to plod along. This picture doesn't have much going for it outside of great acting and even the conclusion is fairly ho-hum. I recommend skipping this picture. "So long. I hope I never see you again." Grade: C Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 01/19/23 Full Review Audience Member Interesting early Ford talkie with a Spencer Tracy and Humphrey Bogart. It was pretty interesting and funny at times, but it dragged a bit in the second half. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 01/21/23 Full Review Audience Member Early talkie is a little creaky but enjoyable, with an amazing abundance of future film stars in early roles. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/27/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Up the River

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Movie Info

Synopsis After breaking out of prison, St. Louis (Spencer Tracy) and Dannemora Dan (Warren Hymer) split up when Dan turns religious. Dan's conversion ends after he sees St. Louis with two women, and soon the men are imprisoned again. Meanwhile, another inmate, Steve (Humphrey Bogart), wins the affections of fellow inmate Judy (Claire Luce), but when Steve is paroled, Judy's boyfriend tries to blackmail him back into crime. So St. Louis and Dan decide to escape again to come to Steve's aid.
Director
John Ford
Genre
Comedy
Original Language
English
Release Date (Streaming)
Jan 1, 2013
Runtime
1h 30m
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