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

Writers:

Paul Green (screenplay), Harry Harrison Kroll (based on the novel by)

Stars:

Richard Barthelmess, Dorothy Jordan, Bette Davis

Cast

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

Storyline

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.

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Plot Keywords:

daughter | son | education | cotton | poverty | 

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Taglines:

EVERY 2 YEARS BARTHELMESS MAKES HISTORY! 1920--"BROKEN BLOSSOMS" 1922--"TOL'ABLE DAVID" 1924--"BRIGHT SHAWL" 1926--"PATENT LEATHER KID" 1928--"WEARY RIVER" 1930--"DAWN PATROL" 1932--"CABIN IN THE COTTON" (original print ad - all caps)

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

TV-G

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

15 October 1932 (USA)

Also Known As:

Die Hütte im Baumwollfeld

Company Credits

Production Co:

First National Pictures, Warner Bros

Technical Specs

Runtime:

78 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Bette Davis said in an interview with Barbara Walters that "I'd like to kiss you but I just washed my hair" was her all-time favorite movie line.

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Quotes

Madge: Your head is full o' plans, isn't it, darlin', full o' plans.

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Crazy Credits

Foreword In many parts of the South today, there exists an endless dispute between the rich land-owners, known as planters and the poor cotton pickers, known as tenants or 'peckerwoods'. The planters supply the tennants with the simple requirements of every day life and in return the tennants work the land year in and year out. A hundred volumes could be written on the rights and wrongs of both parties, but it is not the object of the producers of 'The Cabin in the Cotton' to take sides. We are only concerned with an effort to picturize these conditions.

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Connections

Referenced in Caroline in the City: Caroline and the Cold Sesame Noodles (1997)

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Soundtracks

"Old Folks at Home (Swanee River)"
(1851) (uncredited)
Written by Stephen Foster
Played during the opening credits
Reprised on guitar as background music

User Reviews

Good Despite a Few Issues

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.