''The House on 56th Street'' is a 1933 American

pre-Code Pre-Code Hollywood was the brief era in the American film industry between the widespread adoption of sound in film in 1929LaSalle (2002), p. 1. and the enforcement of the Motion Picture Production Code censorship guidelines, popularly known ...

drama film. The film's plot involves a

miscarriage of justice A miscarriage of justice occurs when a grossly unfair outcome occurs in a criminal or civil proceeding, such as the conviction and punishment of a person for a crime they did not commit. Miscarriages are also known as wrongful convictions. Inno ...

, wrongful conviction and imprisonment, and alienation of a prisoner from her only living relative.

Plot summary

Kay Francis Kay Francis (born Katharine Edwina Gibbs; January 13, 1905 – August 26, 1968) was an American stage and film actress. After a brief period on Broadway in the late 1920s, she moved to film and achieved her greatest success between 1930 an ...

stars as a woman sent to prison for twenty years for a murder she did not commit. When she is released, her husband is dead, and her daughter (played by

Margaret Lindsay Margaret Lindsay (born Margaret Kies; September 19, 1910 – May 9, 1981) was an American film actress. Her time as a Warner Bros. contract player during the 1930s was particularly productive. She was noted for her supporting work in successf ...

) has been told Peggy is also dead.

Cast

as Peggy Martin Van Tyle aka Peggy Stone * Ricardo Cortez as Bill Blaine *

Gene Raymond Gene Raymond (born Raymond Guion; August 13, 1908 – May 3, 1998) was an American film, television, and stage actor of the 1930s and 1940s. In addition to acting, Raymond was also a singer, composer, screenwriter, director, producer, and decorat ...

as Monte Van Tyle (Monty Van Tyle in the opening credits) * John Halliday as Lyndon Fiske *

as Eleanor Van Tyle Burgess *

Frank McHugh Francis Curry McHugh (May 23, 1898 – September 11, 1981) was an American stage, radio, film and television actor. Early years Born in Homestead, Pennsylvania, of Irish descent, McHugh came from a theatrical family. His parents, Edward A ...

as Chester Hunt * William "Stage" Boyd as Mr. Bonelli (as William Boyd) *

Hardie Albright Hardie Hunter Albright (born Hardie Hunter Albrecht; December 16, 1903 – December 7, 1975) was an American actor. Early years Albright was born on December 16, 1903, in Charleroi, Pennsylvania, to traveling vaudeville performers. He made his ...

as Henry Burgess * Sheila Terry as Dolly *

Phillip Reed Phillip Reed (born Milton LeRoy; March 25, 1908 – December 7, 1996) was an American actor. He played Steve Wilson in a series of four films (1947–1948) based on the '' Big Town'' radio series. Early years Reed was a star athlete at Er ...

as Freddy * Walter Walker as Dr. Wyman *

Nella Walker Nella Walker (March 6, 1886 – March 22, 1971) was an American actress and vaudeville performer of the 1920s through the 1950s. Biography The daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Walker, she was born and raised in Chicago. In 1910, she marrie ...

as Eleanor Van Tyle

Reception

According to Warner Bros records, the film earned $410,000 in the U.S. and Canada and $284,000 elsewhere.

References

External links

* * * * 1933 films American black-and-white films Films directed by Robert Florey Films set in New York City 1933 romantic drama films Warner Bros. films American romantic drama films 1930s American films Films scored by Bernhard Kaun Films about miscarriage of justice {{1930s-romantic-drama-film-stub