Street Scene (film)

Street Scene
movie poster
Directed byKing Vidor
Written byElmer Rice (play and screenplay)
Based onStreet Scene
(1929 play)
by Elmer Rice
Produced bySamuel Goldwyn
StarringSylvia Sidney
William Collier Jr.
Estelle Taylor
CinematographyGeorge Barnes
Gregg Toland
Edited byHugh Bennett
Music byAlfred Newman
Production
company
Distributed byUnited Artists
Release dates
  • August 26, 1931 (1931-08-26) (New York City)
  • September 5, 1931 (1931-09-05) (U.S. wide)
Running time
80 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$584,000 (estimate)

Street Scene is a 1931 American pre-Code drama film produced by Samuel Goldwyn and directed by King Vidor. With a screenplay by Elmer Rice adapted from his Pulitzer Prize-winning play of the same name, Street Scene takes place on a New York City street from one evening until the following afternoon. Except for one scene which takes place inside a taxi, Vidor shot the entire film on a single set depicting half a city block of house fronts.

The film stars Estelle Taylor, David Landau, Sylvia Sidney, William Collier Jr., and Beulah Bondi (her screen debut). The music score is by Alfred Newman, his first complete film score. Newman composed the eponymous title theme, in the style of George Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue. The theme has been used in other movies, including Cry of the City, Kiss of Death, I Wake Up Screaming, Where the Sidewalk Ends, The Dark Corner, Gentleman's Agreement and as the overture to How to Marry a Millionaire.

In February 2020, the film was shown at the 70th Berlin International Film Festival, as part of a retrospective dedicated to King Vidor's career.[1]

  1. ^ "Berlinale 2020: Retrospective "King Vidor"". Berlinale. Archived from the original on February 28, 2020. Retrieved February 28, 2020.