The Grapes of Wrath (1940)

My Review

The Great Depression Era has been vividly depicted in the drama film “The Grapes of Wrath.” The plot follows the trials and tribulations of the Joad family from the eviction from their Oklahoma farm to “the land of milk and honey” in California. Director John Ford (“Stagecoach” 1939) and screenwriter Nunnally Johnson adapted this excellent film from the 1939 novel of the same name by John Steinbeck.

The cast includes Henry Fonda as Tom Joad, Jane Darwell as Ma Joad, John Carradine, O. Z. Whitehead, Darryl Hickman, Ward Bond, and Grant Mitchell. The film won two Oscars – Best Supporting Actress (Darwell) and Best Director (Ford). “The Grapes of Wrath” was popular at the box office for producer Darryl F. Zanuck and 20th Century Fox. It was filmed entirely on the 20th Century Studios backlot in Los Angeles.