The Cabin in the Cotton (1932)A tenant farmer's son is caught in the middle of owner-tenant disputes when he falls for the plantation owner's seductive daughter. Director:Michael Curtiz |
|
| 0Share... |
The Cabin in the Cotton (1932)A tenant farmer's son is caught in the middle of owner-tenant disputes when he falls for the plantation owner's seductive daughter. Director:Michael Curtiz |
|
| 0Share... |
| Complete credited cast: | |||
| Richard Barthelmess | ... |
Marvin Blake
|
|
| Dorothy Jordan | ... |
Betty Wright
|
|
| Bette Davis | ... |
Madge
|
|
| Hardie Albright | ... |
Roland Neal
|
|
|
|
David Landau | ... |
Tom Blake
|
|
|
Berton Churchill | ... |
Norwood
|
|
|
Dorothy Peterson | ... |
Lilly Blake
|
|
|
Russell Simpson | ... |
Uncle Joe
|
|
|
Tully Marshall | ... |
Slick
|
|
|
Henry B. Walthall | ... |
Eph Clinton
|
|
|
Edmund Breese | ... |
Holmes Scott
|
|
|
John Marston | ... |
Russell Carter
|
|
|
Erville Alderson | ... |
Sock Fisher
|
|
|
William Le Maire | ... |
Jake Fisher
(as William LeMaire)
|
| Clarence Muse | ... |
A Blind Negro
|
|
Sharecropper's son Marvin tries to help his community overcome poverty and ignorance. While working in the general store he learns that the owner has been cheating his tenants. He is in love with owner's daughter, Madge, but sides with the tenants in his threat to expose the planters and their cheating. Written by Ed Stephan <stephan@cc.wwu.edu>
The Cabin in the Cotton (1932)
*** (out of 4)
Set in the South, this melodrama from Warner deals with the rich plant owners who continue to get everything they want while the poor "tenants" continue to grow poorer and not being able to feed their children. Marvin Blake (Richard Barthelmess) grew up as one of the poor kids but after getting an education thanks to land owner Norwood (Berton Churchill) he's put in the middle of the two sides. THE CABIN IN THE COTTON isn't a complete success but the cast is so good and the direction by Michael Curtiz is so on the mark that you can't help but be entertained. The biggest thing going for the film are the performances with Barthelmess leading the way in his part as the man caught in the middle. I thought the actor did a very good job at being torn by the two sides and you really believe everything that his character is going through. Dorothy Jordan is good as the poor girl who loves him and Bette Davis is grand as the Southern Belle who's also after him. Davis is incredibly beautiful here and she fits the role perfectly and especially the now famous line dealing with her refusing to kiss because she's just washed her hair. Churchill is also very effective in his role as is David Landau, Tully Marshall and Henry B. Walthall. The biggest problem with the film is that it's quite predictable from start to finish. Also, there's a prologue saying that the producers aren't taking sides in the matter and that they're presenting this film "as is" it is in life. Well, I think having all the poor people being whites was a bit unfair and I do think this takes away from the film. Still, fans of the stars will still want to check this out.