Kings Row is a 1942 American psychological romantic period drama film starring Ann Sheridan, Robert Cummings, Ronald Reagan and Betty Field that tells a story of young people growing up in a small American town at the turn of the twentieth century. It was directed by Sam Wood and was adapted by Casey Robinson from a best-selling 1940 novel of the same name by Henry Bellamann. The musical score was composed by Erich Wolfgang Korngold, and the cinematographer was James Wong Howe. The supporting cast features Charles Coburn, Claude Rains, Judith Anderson and Maria Ouspenskaya.
Plot In the small midwestern town of Kings Row, five children grow up together in the 1890s: Parris Mitchell, a polite, clever little boy who lives with his grandmother; pretty blonde Cassandra Tower, daughter of the secretive Dr. Alexander Tower and a mother that is seen only through the upstairs window; the orphaned but wealthy and fun-loving Drake McHugh who is best friends with Parris; Louise Gordon, daughter of the town physician Dr. Henry Gordon; and the tomboy Randy Monaghan, from the wrong side of the tracks, whose father, Tom, is a railroad worker.
Parris is both friends with and is drawn to Cassandra whom the other children avoid because her family is "strange". They play together regularly. The boys are best friends and Randy plays with them sometimes. When Dr. Tower takes Cassie out of school and she is confined at home, Parris does not see her for many years. He finally meets her again when she opens the door for him to begin his medical studies under Dr. Tower's tutelage. However, she is very hesitant and says almost nothing. The next morning, Parris' best friend, Drake, says that he intends to marry Louise who is in love with him as well despite the disapproval of her father, Dr. Gordon. Louise, however, refuses to defy her parents and will not marry him. As Parris continues his studies with Dr. Tower, he and Cassie begin a secret romance, seeing each other at Drake's house. But he and Dr. Tower have a good relationship as well. Dr. Tower has interested Parris in psychiatry which he intends to study in Vienna. Parris' grandmother becomes ill from cancer and dies as he is about to go overseas for medical school. Parris wants to marry Cassie after he returns from his training. One night Cassie comes desperately to him, begging him to take her with him. When Parris hesitates, she runs back home. The next morning, Drake learns that Dr. Tower has poisoned Cassie and shot himself and has left his entire estate to Parris. Parris finds Dr. Tower's notebook which showed that he killed Cassie because he believed he saw early signs that she might go insane like her mother and he wanted to prevent Parris from ruining his life by marrying her, just as Tower's life had been ruined by marrying Cassie's mother. While Parris is in Vienna, Drake begins to court Randy. Drake's trust fund is stolen by a dishonest bank president and he is forced into a menial position with the railroad. His legs are injured in an accident and amputated by Dr. Gordon. Drake and Randy marry but he is embittered by the loss of his legs and refuses to leave his bed. Parris exchanges letters with Randy and tells her how she might best support Drake emotionally. Parris allows them to move into the Towers' estate. They decide to borrow money and start a business building houses for working families. Parris returns from Vienna to Kings Row to see Drake. But when Parris suggests they build a home in their own development away from the railroad tracks and the sounds of the trains that plague Drake, Drake becomes hysterical and makes Randy swear to never make him leave the room. When Parris learns that Dr. Gordon has died, leaving the town with no doctor, he decides to stay in Kings Row. Louise reveals that her father amputated Drake's legs because he hated Drake and thought it was his duty to "punish wickedness" which would prevent him from ever marrying his daughter. Parris at first wishes to withhold the truth from Drake, fearing it will destroy his fragile recovery. He considers confining Louise to a mental institution (even though she's not insane) to prevent her and the community learning the truth. When out walking, he sees what appears to be an apparition of Cassie by the pond the two of them used to go to. It is Elise who has moved into his childhood home with her father. Parris grows close to them both and discusses the problem regarding Louise with Elise. She persuades him to treat Drake like any other patient rather than his best friend. Parris frees Louise to reveal all she knows and tells Drake what happened and why. Drake reacts with laughter and defiance, summoning a renewed will to live. Clear of conscience and reinvigorated as a fledgling psychiatrist, Parris rushes to his former home and into Elise's arms.
Cast Ann Sheridan as Randy Monaghan Robert Cummings as Parris Mitchell Ronald Reagan as Drake McHugh Betty Field as Cassandra Tower Charles Coburn as Dr. Henry Gordon Claude Rains as Dr. Alexander Tower Judith Anderson as Mrs. Harriet Gordon Ann Todd as Randy Monaghan as a girl Scotty Beckett as Parris Mitchell as a boy Douglas Croft as Drake McHugh as a boy Mary Thomas as Cassandra Tower as a girl Nancy Coleman as Louise Gordon Kaaren Verne as Elise Sandor Maria Ouspenskaya as Madame von Eln Harry Davenport as Colonel Skeffington Ernest Cossart as Pa Monaghan Ilka Grüning as Anna Minor Watson as Sam Winters Emory Parnell as Harley Davis Henry Blair as Willie MacIntosh Julie Warren as Poppy Ross Mary Scott as Jinny Ross Pat Moriarity as Tod Monaghan
Production Wolfgang Reinhardt refused an assignment to produce the film, saying, "As far as plot is concerned, the material in Kings Row is for the most part either censurable or too gruesome and depressing to be used. The hero finding out that his girl has been carrying on incestuous relations with her father... a host of moronic or otherwise mentally diseased characters... people dying from cancer, suicides–these are the principal elements of the story."
The Hays Code
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