The Grapes of Wrath (1940)

User Rating:

8.2/10   

Director:

John Ford

Writers:

Nunnally Johnson (screenplay)
John Steinbeck (novel)

Release Date:

15 March 1940 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

The thousands who have read the book will know why WE WILL NOT SELL ANY CHILDREN TICKETS to see this picture!

Plot:

A poor Midwest family is forced off of their land. They travel to California, suffering the misfortunes of the homeless in the Great Depression.

Plot Keywords:

California | Farm | Jail | Oklahoma | Great Depression

Awards:

Won 2 Oscars. Another 5 wins & 5 nominations

Cast

Henry Fonda	...	Tom Joad
Jane Darwell	...	Ma Joad
John Carradine	...	Casy
Charley Grapewin	...	Grandpa
Dorris Bowdon	...	Rose of Sharon
Russell Simpson	...	Pa Joad
O.Z. Whitehead	...	Al
John Qualen	...	Muley
Eddie Quillan	...	Connie
Zeffie Tilbury	...	Grandma
Frank Sully	...	Noah
Frank Darien	...	Uncle John
Darryl Hickman	...	Winfield
Shirley Mills	...	Ruth Joad
Roger Imhof	...	Thomas
Grant Mitchell	...	Caretaker
Charles D. Brown	...	Wilkie
John Arledge	...	Davis
Ward Bond	...	Policeman
Harry Tyler	...	Bert
William Pawley	...	Bill
Charles Tannen	...	Joe
Selmer Jackson	...	Inspection Officer (as Selmar Jackson)
Charles Middleton	...	Leader
Eddy Waller	...	Proprietor (as Eddie Waller)
Paul Guilfoyle	...	Floyd
David Hughes	...	Frank
Cliff Clark	...	City Man
Joe Sawyer	...	Bookkeeper (as Joseph Sawyer)
Frank Faylen	...	Tim
Adrian Morris	...	Agent
Hollis Jewell	...	Muley's Son
Robert Homans	...	Spencer
Irving Bacon	...	Driver
Kitty McHugh	...	Mae
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Leon Brace	...	Migrant
Henry Brahe	...	Migrant
Scotty Brown	...	Migrant
Cal Cohen	...	Migrant
Cecil Cook	...	Migrant
Helen Dean	...	Migrant
Billy Elmer	...	Migrant
Sidney Hayes	...	Migrant
E.J. Kaspar	...	Migrant
L.F. O'Connor	...	Migrant
Walton Pindon	...	Migrant
Wally Albright	...	Boy who bragged of eating chicken (uncredited)
Erville Alderson	...	Arkansas storekeeper (uncredited)
Josephine Allen	...	Migrant (uncredited)
Frank Atkinson	...	Migrant (uncredited)
Arthur Aylesworth	...	Father (uncredited)
Trevor Bardette	...	Jule, bouncer at dance (uncredited)
John Binns	...	Migrant (uncredited)
Joe Bordeaux	...	Migrant (uncredited)
George P. Breakston	...	Boy (uncredited)
Buster Brodie	...	Migrant (uncredited)
Hal Budlong	...	Migrant (uncredited)
Nora Bush	...	Migrant (uncredited)
Russ Clark	...	Guard (uncredited)
Shirley Coates	...	Girl in migrant camp (uncredited)
Harry Cording	...	Deputy (uncredited)
Jim Corey	...	Buck Jackson, witness at dance (uncredited)
Gino Corrado	...	Chef (uncredited)
Delmar Costello	...	Migrant (uncredited)
Jane Crowley	...	Migrant (uncredited)
W.H. Davis	...	Migrant (uncredited)
John Dilson	...	Bookseller (uncredited)
Lillian Drew	...	Migrant (uncredited)
Ralph Dunn	...	Deputy (uncredited)
Thornton Edwards	...	Motorcycle cop (uncredited)
Pat Flaherty	...	Deputy (uncredited)
James Flavin	...	Guard (uncredited)
Francis Ford	...	(unconfirmed) (uncredited)
Emily Gerdes	...	Migrant (uncredited)
Tyler Gibson	...	Migrant (uncredited)
Barney Gilmore	...	Migrant (uncredited)
William Haade	...	Deputy with shotgun (uncredited)
Ben Hall	...	Gas station attendant in Bakersfield (uncredited)
Dean Hall	...	Migrant (uncredited)
Edna Hall	...	Migrant (uncredited)
Cliff Herbert	...	Migrant (uncredited)
Charles Herzinger	...	Migrant (uncredited)
Herbert Heywood	...	Gas station attendant (uncredited)
Harry Holden	...	Migrant (uncredited)
David Kirkland	...	Migrant (uncredited)
Rex Lease	...	Cop (uncredited)
Hazel Lollier	...	Migrant (uncredited)
Mae Marsh	...	Muley's wife (uncredited)
Louis Mason	...	Man in camp (uncredited)
Harry Matthews	...	Migrant (uncredited)
Scotty Mattraw	...	Migrant (uncredited)
Walter McGrail	...	Gang leader (uncredited)
Jules Michelson	...	Migrant (uncredited)
Walter Miller	...	New Mexico border guard (uncredited)
Philip Morris	...	Guard (uncredited)
Frank Newburg	...	Migrant (uncredited)
Frank O'Connor	...	Deputy #1 (uncredited)
George O'Hara	...	Clerk (uncredited)
Ted Oliver	...	State policeman (uncredited)
Inez Palange	...	Woman in camp (uncredited)
Steve Pendleton	...	Gas station attendant #2 in Needles (uncredited)
Jack Pennick	...	Camp helper (uncredited)
Walter Perry	...	Migrant (uncredited)
Rose Plumer	...	Migrant (uncredited)
Chauncey Pyle	...	Migrant (uncredited)
Bob Reeves	...	Deputy (uncredited)
Gladys Rehfeld	...	Migrant (uncredited)
Waclaw Rekwart	...	Migrant (uncredited)
Dick Rich	...	Keene Ranch guard (uncredited)
Gloria Roy	...	Waitress (uncredited)
Peggy Ryan	...	Hungry girl (uncredited)
Robert Shaw	...	Gas station attendant #1 in Needles (uncredited)
Lee Shumway	...	Deputy (uncredited)
Georgia Simmons	...	Woman (uncredited)
C.B. Steele	...	Migrant (uncredited)
Al Stewart	...	Migrant (uncredited)
Harry Strang	...	Fred, trucker #2 at diner (uncredited)
Paul Sutton	...	Deputy (uncredited)
Harry Tenbrook	...	Deputy / Troublemaker (uncredited)
Charles Thurston	...	Migrant (uncredited)
D.H. Turner	...	Migrant (uncredited)
Tom Tyler	...	Deputy handcuffing Casy (uncredited)
Pearl Varvalle	...	Migrant (uncredited)
Eleanore Vogel	...	Migrant (uncredited)
Max Wagner	...	Guard (uncredited)
Harry Wallace	...	Migrant (uncredited)
John Wallace	...	Migrant (uncredited)
Glen Walters	...	Woman who gets shot (uncredited)
Jack Walters	...	Migrant (uncredited)
Frank Watson	...	Migrant (uncredited)
Jim Welch	...	Migrant (uncredited)
Charles West	...	Migrant (uncredited)
Dan White	...	Poor man walking with woman in transient camp (uncredited)
Norman Willis	...	Joe, shot at Floyd (uncredited)
Bill Wolfe	...	Square-dance caller (uncredited)
Bill Worth	...	Migrant (uncredited)
Darryl F. Zanuck	...	Himself (archive footage) (uncredited)

Directed by
John Ford

Writing credits
Nunnally Johnson		(screenplay)
John Steinbeck		(novel "The Grapes of Wrath")

Produced by
Nunnally Johnson	....	associate producer
Darryl F. Zanuck	....	producer

Cinematography by
Gregg Toland

Film Editing by
Robert L. Simpson		(as Robert Simpson)

Art Direction by
Richard Day
Mark-Lee Kirk

Set Decoration by
Thomas Little

Costume Design by
Gwen Wakeling

Makeup Department
Myrtle Ford	....	hair stylist (uncredited)
Gustaf Norin	....	makeup artist (uncredited)

Production Management
Ralph Dietrich	....	production manager (uncredited)
Bernard McEveety	....	unit manager (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Otto Brower	....	second unit director (uncredited)
Edward O'Fearna	....	assistant director (uncredited)
Wingate Smith	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Eddie Jones	....	props (uncredited)
Andy Kisch	....	assistant property master (uncredited)
William Sittel	....	assistant property master (uncredited)

Sound Department
Roger Heman Sr.	....	sound (as Roger Heman)
George Leverett	....	sound
W.P. Mathewson	....	assistant boom operator
Edmund H. Hansen	....	sound (uncredited)
Harry Kornfield	....	assistant sound (uncredited)
Jack Miller	....	cableman (uncredited)
Robert Parrish	....	sound effects editor (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Arthur Dorien	....	best boy
Charles G. Clarke	....	director of photography: second unit (uncredited)
Paul Garnett	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
Eddie Garvin	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
Ralph Hoge	....	grip (uncredited)
Lou Kunkel	....	camera operator (uncredited)
Bill McLellan	....	gaffer (uncredited)
Emmett Schoenbaum	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Bert Shipman	....	camera operator (uncredited)
Cliff Shirpser	....	assistant camera (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Sam Benson	....	wardrobe supervisor (uncredited)
Harry Kernell	....	wardrobe (uncredited)
Josephine Perrin	....	wardrobe (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Mary Crumley	....	assistant editor (uncredited)
Robert Parrish	....	negative cutter (uncredited)
Jack Wells	....	assistant editor (uncredited)

Music Department
Alfred Newman	....	musical director
Danny Borzage	....	musician: accordion (uncredited)

Other crew
Tom Collins	....	technical director
Meta Stern	....	script supervisor (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Distributors

• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation (1940) (USA) (theatrical)
• Fox Films (1941) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation (1947) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Centfox (1953) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation (1956) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (2006) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• FS Film Oy (2005) (Finland) (DVD)
• Fox Video (????) (USA) (VHS)
• Key Video (????) (USA) (VHS)
• Mainostelevisio (MTV3) (1968) (1979) (Finland) (TV) (MTV1)
• TV3 (1990) (Finland) (TV)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Yleisradio (YLE) (1985) (Finland) (TV)

Also Known As:

Highway 66 (USA) (fake working title)

Runtime:

128 min | West Germany:108 min (cut version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)

Certification:

UK:A (original rating) | Canada:G (Nova Scotia/Quebec) | UK:PG (video rating) | Canada:PG (Manitoba) | West Germany:12 (f) | South Korea:12 | Soviet Union:(Banned) | Argentina:13 | USA:Approved (certificate #5789) | Canada:PG (video rating) | Brazil:12 | Australia:G (original rating) | Australia:PG (DVD rating) | Finland:K-16 | Portugal:M/12 (re-release) | Sweden:15

Filming Locations:

20th Century Fox Studios - 10201 Pico Blvd., Century City, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

The Broadway production based on the book/movie "The Grapes of Wrath" by Frank Galati (novel by John Steinbeck) opened at the Cort Theater in New York on May 22, 1990, ran for 188 performances and won the 1990 Tony Award for the Best Play.

Goofs:

Continuity: When the Goads pull over to fix a flat on their truck they stop in a small depression that leans the truck to the left. In the very next shot the truck is in a different spot and leaning to the right.

Quotes:

Ma Joad: Well, Pa, a woman can change better'n a man. A man lives sorta - well, in jerks. Baby's born or somebody dies, and that's a jerk. He gets a farm or loses it, and that's a jerk. With a woman, it's all in one flow, like a stream - little eddies and waterfalls - but the river, it goes right on. Woman looks at it thata way.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in 5th World (2005)

Soundtrack:

A Tisket, A Tasket

A compelling story of a family trying to survive the hardship of great depression era.

One of the best movies Hollywood ever produced and yes it's true that "The Grapes of Wrath" is one of those movies which don't loose their lust in many years. Released in 1940 and till now this movie is as fresh as it can be. John Ford directorial version of John Steinbeck's finest work really worth a watch.As from the release of the book "Grapes of Wrath" has been seiged with controversies as the book was banned in many states but the book is great proponent of hardship. This movie mesmerizes you from the start as the characters are indulged with true humanitarian instincts, you won't feel any thing irrelevant.Henry Fonda is very much compelling in the role of young Todd and Jane Darwell won best supporting actress in magnificent portrayal of Mama Todd. All the other cast was fine and convincing in their roles .John Ford won another best director award from this and its no doubt the best deserving from his other achievements .In the end it's a treat and you wont be able to forget its impact for a long time.