East of the River (1940): Cast & Plot
East of the River is a 1940 crime drama directed by Alfred E. Green, starring Marjorie Rambeau as Mama Teresa Lorenzo, John Garfield and William Lundigan. It runs 1 hour 14 minutes.
- Released
- Runtime
- 1h 14m (74 min)
- Director
- Alfred E. Green
- Original language
-
English - Studio
- Warner Bros. Pictures
- After the credits
- No No extra scene
What Is East of the River About?
The premise of East of the River without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.
Joey and Laurie begin as innocent sweethearts, but their lives diverge as two reckless friends grow into starkly different men—one turns to crime and a life on the streets, while the other pursues a college education. Despite their opposite paths, both remain hopelessly in love with Laurie, setting the stage for rivalry and heartache.
East of the River Themes & Keywords
· 50 tags- barker
- year 1937
- new york city tour
- archive footage
- spaghetti
- breadstick
- railyard
- hiding in a freight car
- orphan
- chopping an onion
- straight a's
- college graduate
+38 more Show fewer
- juvenile delinquent
- passionate kiss
- kissing in public
- graduation ceremony
- summa cum laude
- police officer killed
- roller skating
- ice cream cone
- slapped in the face
- assaulting a police officer
- ex convict
- forgery
- pizza
- new york city
- man wears a tuxedo
- police
- police officer
- worrying
- fiance fiancee relationship
- cardinal direction in title
- four word title
- college
- garlic
- wine
- raviola
- slaps son
- bridesmaid
- engagement party
- henchman
- mexico
- headwaiter
- graduation
- engineer
- shooting dice
- crap game
- italian restaurant
- restauranteur
- slang
East of the River Cast & Characters
Marjorie Rambeau leads the cast as Mama Teresa Lorenzo, with John Garfield as Joseph Enrico 'Joe' Lorenzo and William Lundigan as Nicholas Antonio 'Nick' Lorenzo. Directed by Alfred E. Green; 45 actors are credited in all.
- Director Alfred E. Green
- Marjorie Rambeau as Mama Teresa Lorenzo
-
John Garfield as Joseph Enrico 'Joe' Lorenzo - William Lundigan as Nicholas Antonio 'Nick' Lorenzo
- Joe Conti as Joe
Also Starring in East of the River
· 41 more- O'Neill Nolan Nick
- Brenda Marshall Laurie Romayne
- Jack La Rue Frank 'Frisco' Scarfi
- Douglas Fowley Cy Turner
- Paul Guilfoyle Balmy
- Moroni Olsen Judge R.D. Davis
- Jack Mower Prison Guard (uncredited)
- Eddy Chandler Railroad Detective (uncredited)
- Robert Homans Patrolman Shanahan
- Russell Hicks Warden
- Frank Mayo Prison Guard (uncredited)
- Frank Faylen Tour Guide (uncredited)
- Creighton Hale Casino Floor Man (uncredited)
- Sol Gorss Prisoner (uncredited)
- Jack Carr 'No Neck' Griswold
- Pat O’Malley Policeman (uncredited)
Show all 45 cast members Show fewer cast members
- Murray Alper Dink Rogers, Blackjack Player (uncredited)
- Cliff Saum Prison Guard (uncredited)
- George Lloyd Charlie, Man with Letter (uncredited)
- Roy Barcroft Policeman (uncredited)
- Edwin Stanley Commencement Speaker (uncredited)
- Howard M. Mitchell Detective (uncredited)
- Fred Graham Slugged Policeman (uncredited)
- Ralph Sanford Policeman (uncredited)
- George Humbert Ice Cream Vendor (uncredited)
- George Tobias Tony Scaduto
- William Marshall Commencement Usher (uncredited)
- Edward Fielding University President (uncredited)
- Hector V. Sarno Pop Fiachhetti (uncredited)
- William Pawley Dave Carter (uncredited)
- Al Herman Hotdog Vendor (uncredited)
- Jerry Mandy Mr. Lombardo, a Diner (uncredited)
- David Bruce Student (uncredited)
- Ralph Volkie Smith, Turner's Henchman
- Jimmy O'Gatty Turner's Henchman
- Charley Foy Customer
- Richard Clayton Flower Delivery Boy (uncredited)
- Ann Edmonds Marie Carmine (uncredited)
- Armand 'Curly' Wright Bruno (uncredited)
- Al Rhein Blackjack Dealer (uncredited)
- Arch Hendricks Sergeant McNamara (uncredited)
More from Alfred E. Green
More films directed by Alfred E. Green: Top Banana, The Eddie Cantor Story, Paris Model and Invasion, U.S.A..
East of the River Plot Summary
What happens in East of the River from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 15 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 2-minute read.
Spoilers ahead
Mama Teresa runs a small New York cafe, a quiet refuge amid the city’s bustle. She keeps her son Joe Lorenzo John Garfield out of reform school and adopts his hopeless, homeless pal Nick William Lundigan, hoping they’ll stay out of trouble.
Joe’s life of crime funds Nick’s education, and he pretends to be out west running a ranch, but in truth he has just completed a sentence in San Quentin. After his release, he returns to New York with his girlfriend Laurie Romayne Brenda Marshall, a convicted forger, to witness Nick graduate from college.
Full summary
The whole story of East of the River, scene by scene
East of the River Videos
The clip of East of the River.
How Well Do You Know East of the River?
10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.
Question 1 of 10
- Question 1: not answered
- Question 2: not answered
- Question 3: not answered
- Question 4: not answered
- Question 5: not answered
- Question 6: not answered
- Question 7: not answered
- Question 8: not answered
- Question 9: not answered
- Question 10: not answered
Who plays the lead role of Joe Lorenzo?
Cars in East of the River
3 cars on screen, including the 1940 Buick Limited and the 1939 Buick Special.
-
1940 Buick Limited Minor role -
1939 Buick Special Minor role -
Fageol Safety Coach Minor role
Seen East of the River?
Movies Like East of the River
Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including East Side Kids, East Side, West Side and ’Neath Brooklyn Bridge.
East of the River FAQ: Cast, Runtime & Release Date
Runtime, release date, director, cast and post-credit scenes of East of the River, each answered in a sentence.
How long is East of the River?
East of the River runs 1 hour 14 minutes (74 minutes).
When was East of the River released?
East of the River was released on October 28, 1940.
Who directed East of the River?
East of the River was directed by Alfred E. Green.
More films by Alfred E. Green Who is in the cast of East of the River?
East of the River stars Marjorie Rambeau as Mama Teresa Lorenzo, John Garfield as Joseph Enrico 'Joe' Lorenzo and William Lundigan as Nicholas Antonio 'Nick' Lorenzo, among 45 credited actors.
Does East of the River have a post-credit scene?
No. East of the River has no extra scene during or after the credits.
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