The Green Pastures

The Green Pastures

 Cast: Rex Ingram
Rex Ingram
, Oscar Polk
Oscar Polk
, Eddie Anderson
Eddie Anderson
, Frank C. Wilson
Frank C. Wilson
, George Reed
George Reed
The Green Pastures

The Green Pastures

 Cast: Rex Ingram
Rex Ingram
, Oscar Polk
Oscar Polk
, Eddie Anderson
Eddie Anderson
, Frank C. Wilson
Frank C. Wilson
, George Reed
George Reed

DVD (Full Frame)

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Overview

The Green Pastures began life as a group of "revisionist" Biblical stories titled Ol' Man Adam and His Chillun, written in exaggerated Negro dialect by white humorist Roark Bradford. These Old Testament stories were purportedly told from the point of view of an elderly black Sunday School teacher, who translated the Biblical prose into words that his congregation ("untutored black Christians" was Bradford's description) could readily understand. Thus, "De Lawd" behaves very much like a Southern black Baptist preacher; Heaven is a wondrous bayou-like land of big cigars and eternal fish fries; "Cap'n" Noah is a languid ferryboat skipper who argues with De Lawd over the advisability of bringing along a couple of kegs of liquor on the Ark; and the court of the Pharoah is redefined as a "Mystic Knights of the Sea" type lodge hall, with Moses introduced as a "conjure man." It is, of course, a white man's perspective on black life, but both the original "Ol' Man Adam," and the subsequent Pulitzer Prize-winning stage version written by Marc Connelly and retitled Green Pastures, have a lot more clarity, profundity and spiritual reverence than most "serious" Biblical adaptations. In this 1936 film version of the Connelly play, Rex Ingram is nothing less than brilliant as De Lawd, speaking the most ludicrous of lines with dignity and quiet authority. Others in the all-black cast include Eddie "Rochester" Anderson as Noah, Frank Wilson as Moses, George Reed as Rev. Deshee, and Oscar Polk as Gabriel, who has the film's single most stirring line: "Gangway! Gangway for de Lawd God Jehovah!" Unlike many other so-called racist films of decades past, The Green Pastures nearly always charms and captivates its modern-day audiences; even the most adamant of "P.C" advocates will probably thoroughly enjoy the experience. Playwright Marc Connelly is credited as director of Green Pastures, as he was for the original stage version, but co-director William Keighley and director of photography Hal Mohr deserve most of the credit for the film's strong cinematic sense.

Product Details

Release Date: 01/22/2013
UPC: 0883316690819
Original Release: 1936
Source: Warner Archives
Region Code: A
Presentation: [Full Frame]
Sound: [monaural]
Language: English
Time: 1:33:00
Sales rank: 29,231

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits
Rex Ingram De Lawd
Oscar Polk Gabriel
Eddie Anderson Noah,Eve,Noah
Frank C. Wilson Moses,Moses
George Reed Mr. Deshee,Mr. Deshee
Abraham Gleaves Archangel
Al Stokes Cain
Edna Mae Harris Zeba
James Fuller Cain the Sixth
George Randol High Priest
Ida Forsythe Noah's Wife
Ray Martin Shem
Charles Andrews Flatfoot
Dudley Dickerson Ham
Jimmy Burress Jopeth
William Cumby Abraham/Head Magician/King of Babylon
Ivory Williams Jacob
David Bethea Aaron
Ernest Whitman Pharaoh
Reginald Fenderson Joshua
Slim Thompson M.C.
Clinton Rosemond Prophet
Ida Forsyne Mrs. Noah
Billy Cumby King of Babylon
Erich Korngold Composer
Hall Johnson Composer

Technical Credits
William Keighley Director
Marc Connelly Director
Henry Blanke Producer
Sheridan Gibney Screenwriter
Marc Connolly Screenwriter
Jack Warner Producer
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