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Heroes for Sale

1933 · 72 min

A grim, fast-moving Depression-era tragedy that piles misfortune on a decent man, leaving a lingering ache of injustice and quiet endurance.

Directed by
William A. Wellman
Genres
Drama
Starring
Richard Barthelmess, Aline MacMahon, Loretta Young
Tagline
What good are medals on tortured breasts?
Overview
World War I veteran Tom Holmes is marked by the unbearable suffering caused by his battle wounds. Over the years, he comes to experience both the pain of misfortune and a love for other human beings.

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In the UKNo streaming, rental or purchase options known.
Directed by
William A. Wellman
Genres
Drama
Starring
Richard Barthelmess, Aline MacMahon, Loretta Young
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How it feels

Written by AI. It can be wrong.

Tone
  • bleakstrength 3 of 3
  • melancholicstrength 3 of 3
  • earneststrength 2 of 3
  • cynicalstrength 2 of 3
Pacing
measured, 2 of 4, from slow-burn to relentless
Attention
engaged, 3 of 4, from background-friendly to demanding
Themes
  • survival
  • class
  • betrayal
  • addiction
  • justice
Places
  • big city
  • small town
Era
period
Audience
adult
Form
  • true story
Content intensity
  • Gore none
  • Language mild
  • Violence mild
  • Sex mild
All scales, 0 to 10
Scales, 0 to 10
ScaleValue0 to 10
Action3
Horror1
Humour2
Realism8
Romance4
Tension5
Darkness8
Complexity5
Emotional weight8

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Where to watch in the UK

No UK streaming, rental or purchase options are known.

Streaming data from JustWatch.TMDB

Details

Genres
drama
Directed by
William A. Wellman
Written by
Wilson Mizner, Robert Lord
Starring
Richard Barthelmess, Aline MacMahon, Loretta Young, Gordon Westcott, Robert Barrat, Berton Churchill, Grant Mitchell, Charley Grapewin
Music
Bernhard Kaun
Cinematography
James Van Trees
Runtime
72 min
Country
United States of America
Languages
German, Italian, English

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