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In Old Chicago

In Old Chicago

  • Status: Released
  • 15-04-1938
  • Runtime: 111 min
  • Score: 6.476
  • Vote count: 41

The O'Leary brothers -- honest Jack and roguish Dion -- become powerful figures, and eventually rivals, in Chicago on the eve of its Great Fire.

Tyrone Power

Dion O'Leary

Alice Faye

Belle Fawcett

Don Ameche

Jack O'Leary

Alice Brady

Molly O'Leary

Andy Devine

Pickle Bixby

Brian Donlevy

Gil Warren

Phyllis Brooks

Ann Colby

Tom Brown

Bob O'Leary

Sidney Blackmer

General Phil Sheridan

Berton Churchill

Senator Colby

June Storey

Gretchen

Paul Hurst

Mitch

Tyler Brooke

Specialty Singer

J. Anthony Hughes

Pat O'Leary

Gene Reynolds

Dion O'Leary (as a boy)

Bobs Watson

Bob O'Leary (as a boy)

Billy Watson

Jack O'Leary (as a boy)

Madame Sul-Te-Wan

Hattie

Spencer Charters

Commissioner W.J. Beavers

Rondo Hatton

Rondo - Body Guard

Thelma Manning

Carrie Donahue

Ruth Gillette

Miss Lou

Eddie Collins

Drunk

Scotty Mattraw

Beef King

Joe Twerp

Stuttering Clerk

Clarence Wilson

Lawyer

Frank Dae

Judge

Harry Stubbs

Fire Commissioner

Joe King

Ship's Captain

Francis Ford

Driver

Bob Murphy

Police Officer

Wade Boteler

Police Officer

Gustav von Seyffertitz

Dutch - Politician in Jack's Office

Russell Hicks

Politician in Jack's Office

Brooks Benedict

Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)

George Chandler

Onlooker (uncredited)

Bess Flowers

Woman with Colby (uncredited)

Vera Lewis

Wedding Witness (uncredited)

Bert Moorhouse

Opening Night Guest (uncredited)

William H. O'Brien

Senate Waiter (uncredited)

Martin Turner

Refugee

CinemaSerf

The two "O'Leary" brothers grow up without their father in an house where their widowed mother runs quite a successful laundry business. One son, "Jack" (Don Ameche), shows promise as a lawyer; the other "Dion" (Tyrone Power) is a more inventive sort of fella. After a few, quite entertaining wooing antics, the latter hooks up with visiting chanteuse "Belle" (Alice Faye) and together they start a business that rapidly expands so as to soon dominate the rather rundown "Patch" area of Chicago. The city government is riddled with corruption and so a group of civil libertarians nominate brother "Jack" to be mayor - a plan supported, for other reasons, by his now very wealthy sibling. It's only a matter of time before the two clash - but who will prevail? Power is charming and engaging here, he has a twinkle in his eye and there is certainly some chemistry between him and Faye. The ending, though impressive to watch with all the pyrotechnics of the Great Fire of 1871 that devoured thousands of the predominantly wooden structures of the area, is all a bit hurried and weak. The more interesting political and personal struggles between the two men, and agitator "Warren" (Brian Donlevy) should have featured more, with less emphasis on the initial character development and I could have done without the musical numbers that though ably enough performed by Faye, just sucked too much of the pace of this Cain and Abel style of story. Still, it's enjoyable to watch and gives us a hint at just how corruption and power-brokering functioned back then.