The Good Earth

Director: Sidney Franklin, Victor Fleming Sidney Franklin

Overview

The Good Earth, based on Pearl Buck's sprawling novel, is the story of a Chinese farming couple whose lives are torn apart by poverty, greed and nature. For her portrayal of the wife O-Lan, Luise Rainer won the second of her back-to-back Best Actress Academy Awards, while cinematographer Karl Freund also took home an Oscar for his exquisite photography. The Good Earth is Irving Thalberg's final film production. Sadly, he died before it was completed.

Product Details

Release Date:	01/31/2006
UPC:	0012569692626
Original Release:	1937
Rating:	NR
Source:	Warner Home Video
Region Code:	1
Presentation:	[B&W]
Sound:	[Dolby Digital Mono]
Language:	English
Time:	2:18:00
Sales rank:	27,620

Special Features

Closed Caption;Vintage musical short Hollywood party; Supreme Court of films picks the Champions Newsreel; Theatrical trailer; Languages: English & Français; Subtitles: English, Français & Español (Feature film only)

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Paul Muni	Wang Lung
Luise Rainer	O-Lan
Walter Connolly	Uncle
Tilly Losch	Lotus
Charley Grapewin	Old Father,Old Father
Jessie Ralph	Cuckoo
Soo Yong	Aunt
Keye Luke	Elder Son
Roland Got	Younger Son
Ching Wah Lee	Ching
Harold Huber	Cousin
Olaf Hytten	Grain Merchant
William Law	Gateman
Mary Wong	Little Bride
Charles Middleton	Banker,Banker
Suzanna Kim	Little Fool
Caroline Chew	Dancer
Chester Gan	Singer in Teahouse
Miki Morita	House Guest of Wang
Philip Ahn	Captain
Sammee Tong	Chinaman
Richard Loo	Farmer/Rabble Rouser/Peach Seller
Maly Wong	Little Bridee
Lotus Liu	Lotus
Peach Seller	Actor
Herbert Stothart	Composer

Technical Credits

Claudine West

Talbot Jennings

Tess Slesinger

Donald Davis

Sidney Franklin	Director
Claudine West	Screenwriter
Talbot Jennings	Screenwriter
Tess Slesinger	Screenwriter
Irving Thalberg	Producer
Albert Lewin	Producer
Donald Davis	Screenwriter
Jewell Jordan Mason	Stunts
Victor Fleming	Director
Douglas Shearer	Sound/Sound Designer

Editorial Reviews

An epic tale of love, duty, greed, and revolution, MGM's The Good Earth was an artistic and commercial success. It was the last film of legendary producer Irving Thalberg, and the only one to carry his name. The story's scope, following the fall and rise of a peasant family in pre-revolutionary China, was matched by a large scale production (costing an at-the-time astounding 3 million dollars) that included (literally) a cast of thousands, a 500-acre set, thousands of pieces of costume, equipment, and tools, and even buildings imported from China. The massive production, directed first by Victor Fleming, then by Sidney Franklin, includes a couple of classic scenes of epic grandeur: the mob rebellion scene in which the Imperial Palace is sacked, and the locust scene, a marvelous technical achievement in its own right. Despite the grand scale, the human drama is never dwarfed. Stars Paul Muni and Luise Rainer, as the hardworking farmer and his long-suffering wife, offer sincere performances. Although neither was of Chinese descent, both found the right notes for these parts. Rainer won her second consecutive Academy Award, and soon thereafter dropped from sight in a prolonged feud with Hollywood executives. Cinematographer Karl Freund, famous for his work in German Expressionist films of the 1920s, took home an Oscar as well, and the film was also nominated for Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Editing.