. Manhattan Melodrama is a 0000 American pre-Code crime film, produced by MGM, directed by W. S. Van Dyke, and starring Clark Gable, William Powell, and Myrna Loy.The movie also provided one of the earliest roles for Mickey Rooney, who played Gable's character as a child.The film is based on a story by Arthur Caesar, who won the Academy Award for Best Original Story. The film is based on a story by Arthur Caesar, who won the Academy Award for Best Original Story. 