The Young Philadelphians ( The Philadelphian (The City Jungle) )

The Young Philadelphians (DVD) (*)

~~$20.99~~ $17.98

Alternate Title: The Philadelphian (The City Jungle)
Screened, competed or awarded at:
Golden Globes
Oscar Academy Awards
Other Film Festival Awards

Language Selections:
English ( Dolby Digital 2.0 )
Spanish ( Dolby Digital 2.0 )
Spanish ( Subtitles )

Product Origin/Format:
Spain ( PAL/Region 2 )

Running Time:
135 min

Aspect Ratio:
Fullscreen

Special Features:
Interactive Menu
Scene Access
Black & White

Movie filmed in 1959 and produced in:
United States ( USA, Canada )

Directed By:
Vincent Sherman

Written By:
James Gunn
Richard Powell

Actors:
Paul Newman ..... Anthony Judson Lawrence / Narrator
Barbara Rush ..... Joan Dickinson
Alexis Smith ..... Carol Wharton
Brian Keith ..... Mike Flanagan
Diane Brewster ..... Kate Judson Lawrence
Billie Burke ..... Mrs. J. Arthur Allen, Owner Allen Oil Co.
John Williams ..... Gilbert Dickinson
Robert Vaughn ..... Chester A. 'Chet' Gwynn
Otto Kruger ..... John Marshall Wharton, Partner in Wharton / Biddle / Clayton Law Firm
Paul Picerni ..... Louis Donetti
Robert Douglas ..... Uncle Morton Stearnes
Frank Conroy ..... Doctor Shippen Stearnes
Adam West ..... William Lawrence III
Anthony Eisley ..... Carter Henry
Richard Deacon ..... George Archibald

Synopsis:

Socialite Kate Lawrence (D. Brewster) jilts impoverished lover Mike Flannagan (B. Keith) in favor of wealthy William Lawrence (A. West). On their wedding night, William drunkenly announces that he's impotent and commits suicide (this scene should fascinate Batman fans). Returning to Mike, Kate has a child by him, Tony. The boy grows up amid an atmosphere of dire poverty, which imparts him with a relentless drive for success. Flash forward to 1952: the out-of-wedlock kid, Tony, has grown up (now played by P. Newman) and still doesn't know that he was an illegitimate child. Tony attends Princeton Law School, and falls in love with rich girl Joan Dickinson (B. Rush). Via the doings of Joan's father, wealthy Gilbert Dickinson (J. Williams), Tony ends up taking a cushy job in a law office, at the expense of the relationship. The heartbroken Joan marries Carter Henley (F. Eisley) on the rebound, who is conveniently killed in Korea. Tony then begins spending a prodigious amount of time with Carol Wharton (A. Smith), wife of attorney John Wharton (O. Kruger), so that she will persuade John to find Tony a better job. Soon it's Tony's turn to fight in Korea; when he returns, the opportunity arises for Tony to redeem himself for his past misdeeds.

Anthony Judson Lawrence of the Philadelphia Lawrence's is an ambitious and bright law student. Despite the prestige of his last name within the Philadelphia social scene, Tony has to work hard and use whatever connections he has through his family name to get ahead in life. He even ends up doing physical labor work at the construction company of his mother's friend, Mike Flanagan, to help pay for his schooling. Tony's father, William Lawrence III, died in a car accident on the night of his marriage to Tony's mother, Kate Judson Lawrence. What Tony does not know is that his parent's marriage was one of convenience, which neither truly realized until the wedding night. William, a closeted homosexual, was pressured by his mother to get married to produce an heir, while working class Kate's family wanted the prestige of the Lawrence name. What Tony also does not know is that Mike is his biological father. At the time, Mike and Kate loved each other, but Mike's Irish working class background did not meet with the wants of Kate's family. In the intervening years, Kate has not lived off the Lawrence fortune as William's mother knew the truth of Tony's parentage, but has lived off what the Lawrence name could provide for her and Tony. As Tony makes his way through life, he has to make some pretty tough decisions often conflicting between his professional aspirations and his personal happiness, especially as it relates to two women with whom he has had romantic feelings, Joan Dickinson and Carol Wharton. But what Tony has been able to build may come crashing down around him when he helps his old roommate, Chet Gwynn, through a personal crisis. In helping Chet, the Philadelphia way of life itself is put on trial.

Up and coming, young lawyer Anthony Lawrence faces several ethical and emotional dilemmas as he climbs the Philadelphia social ladder. His personal and professional skills are tested as he tries to balance the needs of his fiance Joan, the expectations of his colleagues and his own obligation to defend his friend Chester on a murder count.

This product was added to our catalog on Wednesday 20 July, 2011.

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