The Good Earth

"China… Land of unrest… Tomorrow they may starve!"

1937 2h 19m EN

😐

6.3

MID

★6.3TMDB · 81

DramaHistoryRomance

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

China, during the rule of the Qing Dynasty. The arranged marriage between Wang Lung, a humble farmer, and O-Lan, a domestic slave, will endure the many hardships of life over the years; but the temptations of a fragile prosperity will endanger their love and the survival of their entire family.

“China… Land of unrest… Tomorrow they may starve!”

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Cast

Paul Muni
Wang
Luise Rainer
O-Lan
Walter Connolly
Uncle
Tilly Losch
Lotus
Charley Grapewin
Old Father
Jessie Ralph
Cuckoo
Soo Yong
Aunt
Keye Luke
Elder Son

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Sidney Franklin
Writers: Talbot Jennings, Claudine West, Tess Slesinger
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Shot for just $2.8M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

89 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Sidney Franklin, shot by Karl Freund. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Herbert Stothart. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Slavko Vorkapich shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Paul Muni and Luise Rainer and Walter Connolly carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "China… Land of unrest… Tomorrow they may starve!".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0028944 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Sidney Franklin directs. Karl Freund behind the camera. Herbert Stothart scores. Slavko Vorkapich cuts. Profitable at the box office. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Shot for just $2.8M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.
289 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
3Directed by Sidney Franklin, shot by Karl Freund. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Herbert Stothart. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Slavko Vorkapich shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Paul Muni and Luise Rainer and Walter Connolly carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "China… Land of unrest… Tomorrow they may starve!".
8IMDB entry: tt0028944 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Only 81 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.
10Classified under 9 themes, including "husband wife relationship", "china", "based on novel or book", "based on play or musical".
11Released under 11 different titles around the world.