The Grapes of Wrath
Short description
The Grapes of Wrath follows Tom Joad, who returns to his family's Oklahoma farm after serving a prison sentence and finds that the land has been lost. With no prospects in the drought-stricken region, the Joads load up their belongings and set out for California, hoping to find work and a fresh start. The journey proves harsh, and the family's unity is tested as they confront poverty and exploitation along the way.
John Ford directed the film, the sixth of the thirty-one features he made in chronological order, arriving between Young Mr. Lincoln and How Green Was My Valley. Nunnally Johnson wrote the screenplay, and Darryl F. Zanuck produced it for 20th Century Fox. Henry Fonda leads the cast as Tom Joad, with Jane Darwell as Ma Joad, John Carradine as Casy, Charley Grapewin as Grandpa Joad, Dorris Bowdon as Rosasharn and Russell Simpson as Pa Joad. The production credits run to 133 cast members and 45 crew.
Released in March 1940, the drama runs 129 minutes. It earned about two million dollars worldwide, a modest figure for its era. On IMDb it holds 8.1 out of 10 from roughly 108,000 votes, while on TMDB it sits at 7.8 from around 1,150 votes. A critics' rating of 9.4 from 48 reviews places it well above the audience scores.
What's left behind the scenes
- Banks and large agricultural corporations, which controlled a significant portion of farms in California, were not enthusiastic about John Steinbeck's novel (1939). The book was even banned in some states and in some counties in California; at the library in the author’s hometown of Salinas, a copy of the book appeared only in the 1990s. They were even less pleased to learn that a film would be made based on the book. The California Farmers Association even called for a boycott of all films from Twentieth Century Fox, and the author himself received threatening letters.
- A film adaptation of the novel of the same name by John Steinbeck.
- Director John Ford (1894-1973) forbade the use of makeup and perfume on set, considering them inappropriate.
- Filming was shrouded in secrecy due to fears that the chambers of commerce of Texas and Oklahoma might prohibit location shooting on their territories. The working title of the project was "Route 66".
Auditions in India
Casting calls in USA
Castingi w Polsce
Кастинги в Україні
