The Green Pastures (1936)

Directors:

Marc Connelly
William Keighley

Writers:

Roark Bradford (novel) and
Marc Connelly (play)

Release Date:

27 January 1937 (Denmark)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

God, heaven, and several Old Testament stories, including the Creation and Noah's Ark, are described supposedly using the perspective of rural...

Plot Keywords:

God | African American | Color In Title | Religion | Pulitzer Prize Source

Cast

Rex Ingram	...	Adam / De Lawd / Hezdrel
Oscar Polk	...	Gabriel
Eddie 'Rochester' Anderson	...	Noah (as Eddie Anderson)
Frank H. Wilson	...	Moses / Sexton (as Frank Wilson)
George Reed	...	Mr. Deshee / Aaron
Abraham Gleaves	...	Archangel
Myrtle Anderson	...	Eve
Al Stokes	...	Cain
Edna Mae Harris	...	Zeba (as Harris, Edna M.)
James Fuller	...	Cain the Sixth
George Randol	...	High Priest
Ida Forsyne	...	Mrs. Noah
Ray Martin	...	Shem
Charles Andrews	...	Flatfoot / Gambler (as Chas. Andrews)
Dudley Dickerson	...	Ham

Runtime:

93 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono | Vitaphone

Certification:

Finland:(Banned) (1936) | Finland:K-16 (1945)

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Trivia:

The original Broadway stage production won the 1930 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. It opened on Feb. 26, 1930 at the Mansfield Theatre in New York and ran for 640 performances. Juanita Hall, who later played "Bloody Mary" in both the stage and film versions of Rodgers and Hammerstein's classic South Pacific (1958), appeared in the original 1930 stage production of "The Green Pastures".

Goofs:

Continuity: One of Noah's son's is shown riding a "zebra" in the scene showing the loading of the animals onto the ark. However, it obviously is a donkey or mule made to look like a zebra. Also, while he is riding the zebra, two other zebras are shown being loaded.

Quotes:

Gabriel: Gangway for the lord god, Jehovah!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Brazil (1985)

A Must-see Treat!

I realize that many modern audiences might be turned off by this film due to the politically correct times we live in--probably moreso for the religious references than for the racial stereotypes. Nonetheless, it's a genuine feel-good movie full of love, kindness, and yes, morality. I'd first read the play for a drama class many years ago, and I was absolutely stunned by it, although I figured that I'd never get to see a production of it. Imagine my delight finding it in the video store and actually taking all of it in. BTW--regarding the racial issues here: it continually amazes me how so many people in the African-American community would find this film and "Song of the South" offensive, yet these same people praise Nelly for "Pimpin'" and Ludicrous touting "Ho's in the bedroom." Maybe I'm missing something here, but I don't like itwhen whites tout ghetto stereotypes, and it's just as offensive to me when blacks do it. Yet, we MUST protect the children from "Green Pastures" and "Song of the South" because they perpetuate "racist stereotypes." Okay, I'm off my soap box--rent this film--it's a masterpiece.