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The Grapes of Wrath

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The Grapes of Wrath

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Summary

John Ford's Oscar-winning adaptation of John Steinbeck's novel, starring Henry Fonda and Jane Darwell. During the Depression, the Joads, an Oklahoma farming family, are forced off their land. They set off for California, the promised land, only to find more exploitation and injustice.

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Review

A star rating of 5 out of 5.

Adrian Turner

In this magnificent adaptation of John Steinbeck's Depression-era novel, Henry Fonda plays the farmer who leads his family from the dust bowl of Oklahoma to the promised land of California. The scene in which their home is bulldozed is heart-rending and their fate as migrant workers has lasting power. But the film also has some weaknesses, notably a corny religious symbolism in place of Steinbeck's raw politics. When studio boss Darryl F Zanuck was persuading Steinbeck to endorse a happy ending, Zanuck was called away to deal with an even more urgent matter. "The Grapes of Wrath," said Steinbeck, "is unimportant compared to Shirley Temple's tooth." It's beautifully photographed by Gregg Toland, but the Oscars went to director John Ford and Jane Darwell, who's unforgettable as Ma Joad.

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8.1/10

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Credits

Cast

rolenameTom JoadHenry FondaMa JoadJane DarwellCaseyJohn CarradineGrandpa JoadCharley GrapewinRosaharnDorris BowdonPa JoadRussell SimpsonAlO Z WhiteheadMuleyJohn QualenConnieEddie QuillanGrandma JoadZeffie TilburyNoahFrank SullyUncle JohnFrank DarienWinfieldDarryl HickmanRuth JoadShirley MillsGuardianGrant MitchellPoliceman Ward Bond

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Crew

rolenameDirectorJohn Ford

Details

Theatrical distributor

20th Century Fox Film Co. Ltd

Languages

English

Available on

video, DVD and Blu-ray

Formats

Black and white

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