THE GOOD EARTH (FILM)

'''The Good Earth''' (1937) is a movie based on the 1931 book of the same name by Nobel Prize-winning author Pearl S. Buck about Chinese farmers who struggle through their lives.
Many of the characters were played by Western actors who were made to look Asian with aid of many new make-up techniques that were first used on this movie. The film starred Paul Muni as Wang Lung. For her role as his wife O-Lan, Luise Rainer won an Academy Award for Best Actress.
The film was adapted by Felix E. Feist (uncredited), Talbot Jennings, Tess Slesinger and Claudine West from the play by Donald Davis and Owen Davis, which was in itself adapted from the novel. The film was directed by Sidney Franklin, Victor Fleming (uncredited) and Gustav Machaty (uncredited).
Besides Rainer's Oscar, the film also won the Academy Award for Best Cinematography for Karl Freund. It was nominated for Best Director, Best Film Editing and Best Picture.

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Cast

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Cast

'	Paul Muni as Wang Lung, a farmer	' '	Tilly Losch as Lotus
' '	Luise Rainer as O-Lan, Wang Lung's wife	' '	Charley Grapewin as Old Father
' '	Walter Connolly as Wang Lung's uncle	' '	Jessie Ralph as Cuckoo

Soon Yoo	as Aunt
Keye Luke	as Elder Son
Roland Lui	as Younger Son
Suzanna Kim	as Little Fool
Ching Wa Lee	as Ching
Harold Huber	as Cousin
Olaf Hytten	as Liu, the grain merchant
William Law	as the gateman
Mary Wong	as Little Bride

Irving Thalberg envisioned casting only Chinese actors for the movie, but gave up the idea because there were not enough available. When Irving Thalberg died before the movie was completed, it stated in the credits that this was his "last great achievement".
Because the Second Sino-Japanese War was in progress, the Chinese government threatened not to approve the movie if any Japanese actors were cast in any role.

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