An American Tragedy is a 1931 Pre-Code drama film, produced and distributed by Paramount Pictures and directed by Josef von Sternberg. The film is based on Theodore Dreiser's 1925 novel An American Tragedy which itself alludes to the real life 1906 murder of Grace Brown allegedly by Chester Gillette. Before this film was made, a play version debuted on Broadway in 1926. In the cast was a then-unknown actress named Miriam Hopkins.