God's Little Acre
God's Little Acre | |
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File:Gla1958.jpg | |
Directed by | Anthony Mann |
Written by | Erskine Caldwell (novel) Ben Maddow (uncredited) Philip Yordan (screenplay) |
Produced by | Sidney Harmon |
Starring | Robert Ryan Aldo Ray Tina Louise Buddy Hackett |
Cinematography | Ernest Haller |
Edited by | Richard Meyer |
Music by | Elmer Bernstein |
Distributed by | United Artists |
Release dates | August 13, 1958 |
Running time | 110 min. |
Language | English |
God's Little Acre is a 1933 novel by Erskine Caldwell, which was filmed in 1958 by director Anthony Mann. The novel and film were controversial in their day due to their sexual content and portrayal of poor whites in the southern United States. Philip Yordan took credit for the screenplay, though it was actually written by Ben Maddow. Since Maddow was blacklisted for suspected Communist activities during the 1950s Red Scare, working without credit was the only way he could successfully submit screenplays.
When first released, audiences under eighteen years of age were prohibited from viewing it, though in recent decades the film's scandalous reputation has diminished. Though ultimately a box office failure upon first release, the film has frequently been aired on television. Due to a lapse in copyright after the bankruptcy of United Artists in the mid-1980s, the film is now in the public domain.
Plot
The film follows Ty Ty Walden (Robert Ryan) and his family, living in the backwoods of Georgia during the Great Depression. While Ty Ty searches for gold on his farm, his son Will (Aldo Ray) commits adultery on his wife (Helen Westcott) with Griselda (Tina Louise).
Cast
Actor | Role |
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Robert Ryan | Ty Ty Walden |
Aldo Ray | Will Thompson |
Tina Louise | Griselda |
Buddy Hackett | Pluto Swint |
Jack Lord | Buck Walden |
Fay Spain | Darlin' Jill |
Vic Morrow | Shaw Walden |
Helen Westcott | Rosamund |
Lance Fuller | Jim Leslie |
Rex Ingram | Uncle Felix |
Michael Landon | Dave Lawson |