570:(GM) becoming ubituous. So streetcars on rails in the city streets quickly became termed passe and pressured by the automobile / bus, gasoline and rubber industries to phase-out and rip up the rails and overhead wires after the war, in the late 1940s 1950s and into the early 1960s at the same time that governments were building massive concrete expressways / freeways, Interstate highways and interchanges. . Within a few years, the sight of an electric streetcar on a city byway had stunningly almost completely disappeared in the United States except for two or three remaining neighborhood lines in
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then did not have yet). They also have the maroon and cream paint scheme used in
Toronto during the early 1970s (when the film was shot) while real-life New York City / Brooklyn's PCCs transit streetcars of the 1940s period were actually painted then in a predominantly tan. color scheme. So only a
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The subway scenes in 'Class of '44' were filmed on location in
Brooklyn, New York. A vintage 1920s BMT Triplex train was used and the interior of the 15th Avenue entrance to the New Utrecht Avenue station on the Sea Beach (today's N) line was restored to its 1940s era appearance. The train itself
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era in which the movie is set. However, the streetcars seen here in the movie are actually somewhat similar in general appearances but on close examination, can only be told apart by a streetcar / tram / electric urban railways rider buff or expert historian. These in the 'Class of :44' feature
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The film received moderate and poor reviews upon its release. Although several venues granted free, or discounted, admission for moviegoers who graduated from high school in 1944, the film did not fare very well at the box office, mostly attributed to the film's breaking the "arty" format of the
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train station when Julie arrives in her car. She tells him that Hermie's mother told her about his father's death, and that she's come to reconcile with him. Julie further tells Hermie that she's learned that he has passed his final exams for the semester and has successfully completed his first
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While Hermie is serious about his studies, Oscy primarily sees college as an opportunity to pick up women. On the campus newspaper staff, Hermie meets and falls in love with Julie, a well-to-do student. At Julie's suggestion, Hermie and Oscy join a
562:" period since being introduced in the 1930s after a joint transit car redesigning / modernizing program introducing smooth curving streamlining of exterior bodywork and newer up-to-date mechanical / electrical technology with the era's
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on the steep hills of San
Francisco (using a different powering system not electric) becoming a moving national historic landmarks. A few other cities had a couple cars sitting in a few transit streetcar / bus museums like in
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film are actually slightly varied post-war PCC models (characterized by the specific presence of standee type windows, which pre-war PCCs streetcars such as the ones that operated in New York's
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in his "Baltimore trilogy" of films in his hometown during the. 1980s & 1990s showed a good look at old streetcars running frequently and everywhere in the cities of
America.
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for bringing a prostitute into his room and Hermie is forced to deal with an inconsiderate roommate. Oscy, soon after leaving and seeing no alternative, decides to enlist in the
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reprise their roles as Oscar "Oscy" Seltzer and Benjy, the two other members of
Raucher's circle of friends, "The Terrible Trio," but Conant only briefly appears in the film.
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from his uncle that his father has died unexpectedly. Returning home for the funeral, he's reunited with Oscy, who has passed basic training and is now a
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in a very brief uncredited appearance at the beginning as a fellow high school graduate who interacts with main characters "Hermie" and "Oscy".
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Hermie and Julie have a falling out after Julie tells him she intends to go out on a non-romantic date with an old boyfriend coming into town on
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first film for a more standard approach, and the omission of any mention of the first film. The movie slipped into obscurity, and although
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style artistic influences, But by four decades later with newer style competing diesel / gasoline-powered engine buses from the
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few other motion pictures like this nostalgic 'Class of '44" from the early '70s, and later producer / director
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has been on DVD for several years, where it has been a relative commercial success, Warner
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year. Hermie and Julie reconcile and climb into the back seat of Julie's car as the film ends.
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operated on the West End (today's D) line and is seen pulling into the 62nd Street station.
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The film is also noted for being the feature film debut of future star film / TV comedian
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At their fathers' behest, Oscy and Hermie go to college. Much of the film consists of
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that ran in wartime
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which recounted the events in the earlier portion of
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The film is a slice-of-life style autobiography of sorts, depicting
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and manage to successfully pass through the mandatory
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Hermie returns to college and is about to call for a
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306:rituals. Shortly after moving into the
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447:Uncredited (in order of appearance)
271:. While Hermie and Oscy spend their
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956:The House Without a Christmas Tree
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876:Hal Holbrook: Mark Twain Tonight!
641:magazine as "The Clods of '44."
425:Susan Marcus as Assistant Editor
413:Marion Waldman as Grade Advisor
294:as a constant recurring theme.
632:on made-to-order DVD in 2010.
419:Marcia Diamond as Mrs. Gilhuly
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1164:Films directed by Paul Bogart
457:Paulie, high school graduate
1224:1970s English-language films
868:The Final War of Olly Winter
706:AFI Catalog of Feature Films
657:"Big Rental Films of 1973",
1199:Films shot in New York City
1169:Films scored by David Shire
16:1973 US film by Paul Bogart
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1044:You Can't Take It with You
568:General Motors Corporation
428:Lamar Criss as 1st Proctor
416:Mary Long as Valedictorian
404:Joe Ponazecki as Professor
972:The Thanksgiving Treasure
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663:, January 9, 1974, pg 19.
35:Theatrical release poster
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1204:Films shot in New Jersey
1184:Films set in Connecticut
1028:The Owl and the Pussycat
746:The Motion Picture Guide
137:April 10, 1973
1234:1973 comedy-drama films
422:Jeffrey Cohen as Editor
391:as Fraternity President
996:Tell Me Where It Hurts
860:The Trap of Solid Gold
852:An Enemy of the People
440:Jan Campbell as Mother
437:Dan McDonald as Father
379:Oliver Conant as Benjy
1209:Films shot in Toronto
1179:Films set in Brooklyn
1154:American sequel films
1068:The Canterville Ghost
948:Cancel My Reservation
497:Ford Hotel bartender
1229:1970s American films
1116:The Heidi Chronicles
940:Look Homeward, Angel
924:In Search of America
601:Borough of Brooklyn
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310:, however, Oscy is
195:is a 1973 American
1219:Warner Bros. films
1084:Torch Song Trilogy
1060:Oh, God! You Devil
1020:The Easter Promise
812:Ten Little Indians
782:Films directed by
718:TCM Movie Database
592:trams / streetcars
487:Fraternity senior
477:Fraternity senior
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1174:Films set in 1944
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836:The Three Sisters
804:Hansel and Gretel
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335:Governor's Island
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410:as Principal
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181:$ 6,350,000
153:Running time
130:Release date
123:Warner Bros.
77:Jerry Houser
24:Class of '44
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828:Ages of Man
820:The Citadel
784:Paul Bogart
523:Ed McNamara
473:Jim Henshaw
395:Sam Bottoms
368:Gary Grimes
339:passing out
323:shore leave
225:Gary Grimes
208:Paul Bogart
113:David Shire
73:Gary Grimes
64:Paul Bogart
61:Produced by
45:Paul Bogart
41:Directed by
1139:1973 films
1133:Categories
645:References
613:John Candy
580:cable cars
542:Production
453:John Candy
333:typist on
327:phone call
308:frat house
300:fraternity
292:home front
178:Box office
157:95 minutes
141:1973-04-10
51:Written by
1004:Mr. Ricco
932:Skin Game
796:Pinocchio
619:Reception
585:Baltimore
503:Stan Kane
493:John Kerr
370:as Hermie
277:Boot Camp
183:(rentals)
99:Edited by
884:Carousel
741:TV Guide
729:AllMovie
564:Art Deco
467:Bernice
397:as Marty
385:as Julie
312:expelled
265:enlisted
170:Language
109:Music by
69:Starring
908:Marlowe
716:at the
703:at the
660:Variety
552:Toronto
376:as Oscy
348:at the
269:Marines
267:in the
173:English
162:Country
139: (
1119:(1995)
1111:(1994)
1103:(1992)
1095:(1992)
1087:(1988)
1079:(1987)
1071:(1986)
1063:(1984)
1055:(1980)
1047:(1979)
1039:(1976)
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999:(1974)
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799:(1957)
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304:hazing
590:The
576:SEPTA
331:clerk
683:IMDb
357:Cast
316:Army
257:nerd
253:jock
247:Plot
239:and
223:'s (
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692:at
681:at
638:Mad
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346:cab
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235:.
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