He had lived for two months in Alabama with sharecroppers in the summer of 1936 and had recorded in great detail their families' troubled histories and meager existence at the time. Etienne Alexis, a candidate for president of the new Europe, is a scientist promoting artificial insemination for social betterment and therapy to eliminate passion. Assisted and accompanied by characters as diverse as a morose dairy farmer, a waiter, a myopic... See full summary ». In the first year, the Tuckers battle disease, a flood, and a jealous neighbor. "Indies' $70,000,000 Pix Output: Record Negative Coin Investment". Robert Aldrich, at age 26, was the assistant director on The Southerner, which was filmed at various locations in California, including the Arthur Ranch in the San Fernando Valley, Hotchkiss Ranch in Firebaugh, California, at RKO Pictures' movie ranch near Encino, in Malibu, at sites along the banks of the San Joaquin River, and in cotton fields near the town of Madera, about 240 miles northwest of Hollywood. As a couple, she and Scott are very effective. Attempting to find his lost dog in a vast Georgia swamp, Ben Ragan stumbles upon wanted murderer Tom Keefer who convinces Ben he was framed for the murder by the real killer. The devotion she has to Sam and he to her is very touching. The Tuckers immediately plant a garden, but its produce will take time to mature. [8] Renoir's other "American" films are Swamp Water (1941), This Land Is Mine (1943), The Amazing Mrs. Holliday (1943), The Diary of a Chambermaid (1946), and The Woman on the Beach (1947). A hapless bellboy in a St. Louis hotel near the end of the Civil War is recruited by the Union secret service to impersonate a notorious Confederate spy. RSS Feed. Each film is available for thirty days. The case shocks the community and exposes his children to the harsh realities of the South in the 1930s. YouTube. You not only see, but feel the struggles of the family and how hard they work no matter the odds, with strength and determination.Betty Field was a good choice as Nona - she's plain and tired-looking, with a bright smile. Pair this narrative with the literal gothic design of Savannah itself, Southern hospitality, and a healthy dose of Voodoo mysticism, and it's a recipe for a gripping tale. Approved | 1h 32min | Drama | 22 December 1945 (Mexico) The life of the poor Tucker family, that worked as cotton pluggers and decided to get their own ground, but nature is against them. [19] For Agee, however, that sense of reality ended with the dialogue and attempted southern accents used in much of the film, which he deemed wholly unrealistic, as were in his view the actors' mannerisms and overall behavior on screen. Southern belles can relate to the spoiled and always-put-together heroine Scarlett O’Hara (Vivien Leigh). Meanwhile, the embittered Devers and his strange nephew Finley plot to ruin the Tuckers so Devers can buy the tenant farm for a cheaper price from its owner. This chronicle of the life of a poor farming family is sincere and very moving, and Zachary Scott and Betty Field lead a cast that strives for authenticity. [26][27] If the film had been released under that personalized, more geographically specific title, any objections to it in the South would have likely been far less intense. Was this review helpful to you? Window hookups with farm supply stores and feed shops—with live exhibits if possible, such as baby chicks, suckling pigs, etc.—should prove advantageous. It's known for its hospitality and comfort food, as well as movies like The Secret Life of Bees, Rambling Rose, and Crazy Heart. There are some stunning cinematic moments as well. Meanwhile the thief seeks the love of a young woman, who is held emotionally captive by her slumlord family. In the 1940s the film industry's weekly trade magazine Boxoffice provided news and advertisements of special interest to theater owners. On paper and in advertising, the film looks so righteous and nutritious and honorable, it could make you nauseous, but Renoir pulls it off. A mild-mannered school teacher in a Nazi-occupied town during WWII finds himself torn between collaboration and resistance. It's known for its hospitality and comfort food, as well as movies like The Secret Life of Bees, Rambling Rose, and Crazy Heart . Instagram. [25] The film-industry trade magazine Boxoffice, in its issue of May 5, 1945, cautioned theater owners that although The Southerner was an "outstanding picture", it was hampered by "an inept title" and by "a cast of questionable drawing power. "How Hollywood Dealt with Great Depression". [17], Bosley Crowther, the film critic for The New York Times, liked the film and in 1945 wrote, "The Southerner may not be an 'entertainment' in the rigid Hollywood sense and it may have some flaws, but it is, nevertheless, a rich, unusual and sensitive delineation of a segment of the American scene well worth filming and seeing. The Southerner was the fourth of six films that Jean Renoir directed while living in the United States during the 1940s. The film is just one of many movies kicking off following months of lockdowns in response to COVID-19 that not only shut down movie theaters nationwide but shut down the film industry as well. Title: [20], The release of The Southerner in 1945 provoked intense negative reactions in various locations throughout the southern United States. The plot of The Southerner is wholesome, ultra-sincere slice-of-Americana material that celebrates the strong back of the lower class worker, who earns what he toils for and is satisfied. The Southerner Synopsis: Sam Tucker, a cotton picker, in search of a better future for his family, decides to grow his own cotton crop. The Southerner was Jean Renoir's favorite of his American films. Unfortunately, a violent rainstorm rolls in as the party is ending. Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? “The Southerner.” Sentimental almost to the point of condescension, it is an affectionate ode to American resilience and an innate working class decency that stood in stark contrast to the cynicism and factionalism of Europe. The southern part of the United States is home to some of the most important historical events in the nation. [8] A native of Tennessee, Agee was very knowledgeable about the South and in particular about tenant farmers and "croppers". The southern part of the United States is home to some of the most important historical events in the nation. Although Scott did not possess McCrea's "star power" as a leading man and had relatively little experience in feature films, he did have one distinct advantage in preparing to portray Sam Tucker; he was a native of Texas, the setting for The Southerner.[13][14]. The percentage of Approved Tomatometer Critics who have given this movie a positive review About Audience Score The percentage of users who rated this 3.5 stars or higher. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_films_set_in_the_Southern_United_States [29], The recommended "angle" offered by Boxoffice to attract even fishing enthusiasts to The Southerner relates to scenes in the film involving a catfish so large that it has "chin whiskers like lead pencils". However, upon returning to the battered farm, he reconsiders his decision after he sees the resilience of his wife and grandmother, who are busy cleaning up what remains of the house and professing their resolve to start over again. Can they make it as farmers? The stereotypes. [21] Disgusted by The Southerner, he condemned the film as a "slur against Southern farmers" and for its characters being portrayed as nothing more than "'common, lowdown, ignorant white trash'". It also provided film reviews, reports about the public's response to new releases, and a "Showmandizer Section". Released in 1945 it was nominated for three Academy Awards; best director, music and sound. The life of the poor Tucker family, that worked as cotton pluggers and decided to get their own ground, but nature is against them. In the first year, the Tuckers battle disease, a flood, and a jealous neighbor.