Texas cotton-picker Zachary Scott (as Sam Tucker) watches his uncle die in the fields and decides to take the old man's advice, "Grow your own crop." Fully aware of the challenge ahead, Mr. Scott takes his family to live as sharecroppers on a farm he hopes will become profitable. Scott, attractive wife Betty Field (as Nona), their two pre-teen children and cranky old Beulah Bondi (as "Granny") move into a dilapidated shack on the property. We never know what is holding the rickety structure up; built to fall, the leaning shack looks like it wouldn't stand up during a light breeze. The family's struggle becomes even more difficult than Scott imagined. Most notably, his son becomes deathly ill due to lack of milk and vegetables. There is no help from nasty J. Carrol Naish (as Devers), who lives next door. Far from neighborly, Mr. Naish won't even give a cup of milk to save the boy's life...
This may be masterpiece-maker (see 1937's "La Grande Illusion") Jean Renoir's most admired "Hollywood" effort, if not his greatest produced in the US. One of the year's most acclaimed films, "The Southerner" won awards from the highly-regarded "National Board of Review" (Best Director) and Venice Festival (Best Film). While less frequently noted, Zachary Scott finished at #8 in the "New York Film Critics" poll as the year's Best Actor. The star also supported Joan Crawford in "Mildred Pierce" (later in 1945). Scott was at a career peak and his failure to receive an "Academy Award" nomination is somewhat surprising. Scott's performance for Mr. Renoir is excellent; it even helps to balance some of the film's more off-putting, cartoonish qualities. Veteran cinematographer Lucien Andriot contributes to the poetic bleakness, and Renoir's production designer Eugene Lourie shows his usual skills.
******* The Southerner (4/30/45) Jean Renoir ~ Zachary Scott, Betty Field, Beulah Bondi, J. Carrol Naish
This may be masterpiece-maker (see 1937's "La Grande Illusion") Jean Renoir's most admired "Hollywood" effort, if not his greatest produced in the US. One of the year's most acclaimed films, "The Southerner" won awards from the highly-regarded "National Board of Review" (Best Director) and Venice Festival (Best Film). While less frequently noted, Zachary Scott finished at #8 in the "New York Film Critics" poll as the year's Best Actor. The star also supported Joan Crawford in "Mildred Pierce" (later in 1945). Scott was at a career peak and his failure to receive an "Academy Award" nomination is somewhat surprising. Scott's performance for Mr. Renoir is excellent; it even helps to balance some of the film's more off-putting, cartoonish qualities. Veteran cinematographer Lucien Andriot contributes to the poetic bleakness, and Renoir's production designer Eugene Lourie shows his usual skills.
******* The Southerner (4/30/45) Jean Renoir ~ Zachary Scott, Betty Field, Beulah Bondi, J. Carrol Naish