The Good Earth (1937)

Director:

Sidney Franklin

Writers:

Talbot Jennings (screenplay) and
Tess Slesinger (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

6 August 1937 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Tagline:

China . . . . Land of unrest . . . tomorrow they may Starve !

Plot:

The story of a farmer in China: a story of humility and bravery. His father gives Wang Lung a freed slave as wife...

Plot Keywords:

Famine | Farmer | City | Money | Slave

Awards:

Won 2 Oscars. Another 3 nominations

US TV Schedule:

Tue. Jan. 12

10:00 PM

TCM

Cast

Paul Muni	...	Wang Lung
Luise Rainer	...	O-Lan
Walter Connolly	...	Uncle
Tilly Losch	...	Lotus
Charley Grapewin	...	Old Father
Jessie Ralph	...	Cuckoo
Soo Yong	...	Aunt
Keye Luke	...	Elder Son
Roland Lui	...	Younger Son
Suzanna Kim	...	Little Fool
Ching Wah Lee	...	Ching
Harold Huber	...	Cousin
Olaf Hytten	...	Liu - Grain Merchant
William Law	...	Gateman
Mary Wong	...	Little Bride

Runtime:

138 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White (Sepiatone)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

USA:Passed (National Board of Review) | West Germany:12 | UK:A | South Korea:All | Sweden:15 (DVD rating) | Australia:G | Finland:K-16 | USA:Approved (PCA #2584)

Filming Locations:

Beijing, China

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

Victor Adams, who was Paul Muni's stand-in, also played Wang Lung (Muni's character) in long shots when Muni went AWOL from the set.

Goofs:

Continuity: Unexplained sequence of events or possible error in continuity. Toward the beginning of the film, Farmer Wang walks to the Great House to meet his bride, O-Lan. He is carrying a basket. It appears to be empty. As he enters a market, the farmer declines to buy peaches. We don't see him purchase goods or trade for anything. We don't see him filling the basket. However, the next scene shows him at the door of the house with a full basket. Later, he does buy peaches. At this point, however, we're still not made aware how he has money or silver.

Quotes:

O-Lan: When I go back in that house, it will be with my son in my arms. I'll have a red coat on him... and red flower trousers... and a hat with a gilded Buddha and tiger-faced shoes, and I'll go into the kitchen where I spent my days as a slave and into the great hall where the old mistress sits with her pipe, and I'll show myself and my son to all of them.
O-Lan: [Smiles, contented] Hmm.
Wang Lung: Well... Now, I... I haven't heard you speak so many words since you came to this house.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "My Three Sons: The Good Earth (#7.20)" (1967)

Wonderful movie, with stellar performances

Let's eliminate any discussion about the use of non-Asian actors playing Asian roles. The movie is 67 years old. In 1937 studio chiefs believed that any actor could/should be able to play any role. Actors were under contracts, and did not always have a choice about what role they played. End of story.

This is a truly great epic story of love, individual rights, class strata, and men/women issues. The centerpiece of the film is two brilliant performances by Luise Rainer and Paul Muni.

Muni plays Wang, a Chinese farmer, who is about to take a wife (Rainer). From the start, he treats her with respect, during a time when women were looked on as little more than hired help. Without giving too much of the movie away, they go through the highs and lows of all relationships, and even though the story may take place in late 19th/early 20th century,the story and much of their feelings, seems credible.

Other than the fact that the movie is about 5-10 minutes longer than it needs to be, and the performances of Charley Grapewin and Walter Connolly are typical 1930's cartoon characters, this is a really wonderful movie that, unfortunately, has become a victim of political correctness.

9 out of 10