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Norma Shearer, Leslie Howard, Lionel Barrymore, Clark Gable, James Gleason ... see more see more... , Lucy Beaumont , Roscoe Ates , Edward S. Brophy , Jimmy Conlin , Bess Flowers , George Irving , Sam McDaniel , Lee Phelps , Frank Sheridan , William Stacy , Larry Steers , E. Alyn Warren , Claire Whitney , Francis Ford , Henry Hall

In this Academy Award-winning film, Stephen Ashe (Lionel Barrymore) is a hotshot Californian lawyer from a well-to-do family, whose main failing is his indulgence in alcohol. After winning a case for ... read more read more...mobster Ace Wilfong (Clark Gable), Stephen brings his client along to a party at his parents' house for a little celebrating. However, when they arrive at their destination, Ace manages to steal the heart of Stephen's wild daughter, Jan (Norma Shearer), and the two run off together, much to the family's dismay. Stephen struggles to win his foolhardy daughter back from the clutches of her lowlife boyfriend, as she defies her father at every turn. ~ Iotis Erlewine, Rovi

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53% liked it

473 ratings

Unrated, 1 hr. 34 min.

Directed by: Clarence Brown

Release Date: June 20, 1931

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DVD Release Date: February 20, 1991

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Stats: 52 reviews

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Lionel Barrymore in A Free Soul Lionel Barrymore with Oscar for A Free Soul Lionel Barrymore & Norma Shearer in A Free Soul Clark Gable & Norma Shearer in A Free Soul Clark Gable & Norma Shearer in A Free Soul Lionel Barrymore with Oscar Norma Shearer in A Free Soul A Free Soul A Free Soul Lionel Barrymore Clark Gable & Norma Shearer in A Free Soul Norma Shearer in A Free Soul
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Flixster Reviews (52)

  • ajv2688
    November 16, 2010
    ajv2688
    A father and daughter movie where each has a vice that the other is trying to rid the other of. It's a very interesting story, and you can learn a lot from it. I really liked Shearer and Gable in this movie, they give very good performances.
  • jjnxn
    November 2, 2008
    jjnxn
    Gable's charisma is in full evidence here, even as a villian and Norma looks great but the film is hampered by staginess and some very mannered acting.
  • groaningbitch
    May 12, 2008
    groaningbitch
    "a free soul" is the very flick which gets clark gable some female attention with the notorious scene of him pushing norma shearer roughly to the couch for three times! blatant violence on woman, but endearing gable is always excusable since he's doing it for the sake of love.
    ... read more
    norma shearer plays a spoilt rich gal jan ashe who defies her family by dating mobster ace wilfong(gable), emancipated by her alcoholic father(lionel barrymore) who encourages her to be free. so she sneaks to the mobster's residence shamelessly as if she's his mistress for months. infatuated by jan's tumultuous lovemaking, wilfong falls head over heels in love with jan, then he consults her father's approval for the marriage proposal...due to the gap of social status, the father finally sombers up and condemns jan for hanging around with wilfong. so jan makes a bargain with dad that if he quits booze, she would quits gable. then the father and daughter disappear for three months in wilderness for eradication of liquor which fails eventually. and norma shearer returns to the dangerously charismatic clark gable while he's infuriated by her abscence, then he threatens her to marry him or he would announce their affair to ruin her social reputation. in the end, shearer's another love interest leslie howard comes to the scene to shoot gable to death, gallantly rescuing her from gable's villainy.

    clark gable is still in his mustacheless period and credited as the third in the cast, but his overwhelming caveman-alike machismo thrills millions of women then while he growls "you're mine and you belong to me! don't you ever run away!!!" and his disdemeanors to push norma shear in fur is highly appreciated by the audience in depression period due to the animosity to idle rich, and gable's contempt to norma's social superiority was approved by proles who disdain the condescending loftiness of upper class. besides, gable's character has been devoted to shearer who is just ficklely having a good time slumming, and she's contrary to whoever posts disapproving opinions on her. when her family refuses to accept gable, she throws herself to him, as gable declares his determination to marry her, she ducks away. and he's traumatized by her frivolosity but too proud to admit it. so his rage is perfectly justified, and he wants her so he's gonna rob her away to be his! this tough kind of savage manhood is considered utterly sexy by women then.
  • codyfranklin2
    March 1, 2011
    codyfranklin2
    Interesting subject matter and good acting, but not very enjoyable overall. It's about a Father and Daughter(Barrymore and Shearer) as free souls who never worry about the consequences of their actions. It's pretty racy at times, especially for a MGM film, he's a drunk and she's ... read morepromiscuous. The film runs a little long and it seems like it works better in play form. Good cast and Gable shines in every scene as a bad guy(rare), but also too melodramatic and by the end I really didn't care what happened to any of the characters.
  • rickrudge
    July 20, 2010
    rickrudge
    A Free Soul (1931)

    This is the movie that made a minor character actor into a romantic superstar. Famous defense attorney (and alcoholic), Stephen Ashe (Lionel Barrymore) is defending a murder suspect and gangster, Ace Wilfong (Clark Gable). An interesting "If the hat doesn't ... read morefit, you must acquit" causes Ace to get released. Here is where Ace meets Stephen's free-spirited daughter, Jan (Norma Shearer).

    Flighty Jan is bored with her nice-guy boyfriend, Dwight Wintrhop (Leslie Howard) and goes for the bad boy, Ace in a big way. The only problem is that Ace has fallen for Jan and when she wants to get out of the fling, Ace objects in a big way. To top that off, her dad, Stephen is hitting bottom with his drinking problem.

    Although, this isn't a great movie for Gable, his man-handling of Norma Shearer touched a nerve with females audiences that caused MGM to try to duplicate Gable's persona throughout the rest of his career.
  • jam233
    December 4, 2009
    jam233
    Extremely good early classic. Lionel Barrymore is terrific in an Oscar winning performance, Norma Shearer, as always is a delight. Fine writing, the expected fine MGM production values. Poor Leslie Howard, always seeming to get dumped for Clark Gable!

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Critic Reviews

Emanuel Levy
November 26, 2008
Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com

Designed as star vehicle for Norma Shearer, this sensationalistic melodrama about a brutal gangster (the young Clark Gable) and boozy lawyer could not have been made after 1934, when the rigid Product... Full Review

Dennis Schwartz
March 6, 2008
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews

Despite the talented cast, this one ends up looking preposterous. Full Review

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