The Green Pastures (1936)

Directors:

Marc Connelly
William Keighley

Writers:

Roark Bradford (novel) and
Marc Connelly (play)
(more)

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:

Color In Title | Pulitzer Prize Source | Based On The Bible | African American | Black Cast

Awards:

1 win

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
Jimmy Burress	...	Japheth
Billy Cumby	...	Abraham / King of Babylon / Head Magician (as William Cumby)
Ivory Williams	...	Jacob
David Bethea	...	Aaron
Ernest Whitman	...	Pharaoh
Reginald Fenderson	...	Joshua
Slim Thompson	...	Master of Ceremonies / Man on Ground
Clinton Rosemond	...	Prophet
Hall Johnson Choir	...	Vocal Ensemble
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
John Alexander	...	Dancer #1 (uncredited)
Freddie Archibald	...	Gambler (uncredited)
Willie Best	...	Henry, the Angel (uncredited)
Dorothy Bishop	...	Mrs. Japheth (uncredited)
William Broadus	...	Mr. Randall (uncredited)
Donald Brown	...	Sexton's Grandson (uncredited)
Ben Carter	...	Gambler (uncredited)
Lillian Davis	...	Viney Prohack (uncredited)
Amanda Drayton	...	Mrs. Randall (uncredited)
Florence Field	...	First Cleaner (uncredited)
Anna Mae Fritz	...	Stout Angel / Young Gambler / Second Cleaner (uncredited)
Jesse Graves	...	General (uncredited)
Minnie Gray	...	Mrs. Ham (uncredited)
Bessie Guy	...	Mrs. Shem (uncredited)
Jester Hairston	...	Member of Hall Johnson Choir (uncredited)
Philip Hurlic	...	Carlisle Randall (uncredited)
John Larkin	...	Sexton (uncredited)
Johnny Lee	...	Angel (uncredited)
Bessie Lyle	...	Mrs. Prohack (uncredited)
Etta McDaniel	...	Heckler at the Ark (uncredited)
Mantan Moreland	...	Angel Removing Hat (uncredited)
Louise Price	...	Viney Prohack (uncredited)
Leon Randall	...	W.W. Whitfield (uncredited)
Charlotte Sneed	...	Carlotta Prohack (uncredited)
Fred 'Snowflake' Toones	...	Zubo (uncredited)
Duke Upshaw	...	Abel / Dancer #2 (uncredited)
Benevenita Washington	...	Flashily Dressed Woman (uncredited)
Rosena Weston	...	Zipporah (uncredited)
Bertha Wright	...	Slender Angel (uncredited)

Directed by
Marc Connelly
William Keighley

Writing credits
Roark Bradford		(novel "Ol'Man Adam and His Chillun'")
Marc Connelly		play
Marc Connelly		screenplay
Sheridan Gibney		uncredited

Produced by
Henry Blanke	....	supervising producer
Hal B. Wallis	....	executive producer (uncredited)
Jack L. Warner	....	executive producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Erich Wolfgang Korngold		(uncredited)

Cinematography by
Hal Mohr

Film Editing by
George Amy

Art Direction by
Stanley Fleischer
Allen Saalburg

Costume Design by
Milo Anderson		(uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Sherry Shourds	....	assistant director

Art Department
Maurice Golden	....	props (uncredited)

Sound Department
Nathan Levinson	....	sound
Charles David Forrest	....	sound (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Fred Jackman	....	special photographic effects

Camera and Electrical Department
Lawrence Kennedy	....	head gaffer (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Eugene Joseff	....	costume jeweller (uncredited)

Music Department
Leo F. Forbstein	....	musical director
Hall Johnson	....	choral arranger
Hall Johnson	....	conductor: Hal Johnson choir
Hugo Friedhofer	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Other crew
S. Charles Einfeld	....	press agent (uncredited)
Frank Fox	....	script clerk (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Warner Bros

Distributors

• Warner Bros (1936) (USA) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. First National Films (1938) (Austria) (theatrical)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1993) (USA) (VHS)
• Key Video (1989) (USA) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2006) (USA) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Warner Bros  copyright holder (as The Vitaphone Corporation)
• Hall Johnson Choir  choral music performed by
• Turner Entertainment  VHS package design

Also Known As:

Runtime:

93 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

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

Filming Locations:

Warner Brothers Burbank Studios - 4000 Warner Boulevard, Burbank, California, USA

Company:

Warner Bros

Trivia:

Banned in many countries.

Goofs:

Continuity: One of Noah's son's rides a zebra that is clearly a donkey or mule made to look like a zebra. Two real zebras are loaded while he rides the fake.

Quotes:

Gabriel:Gangway for the lord god, Jehovah!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Brazil (1985)

One of a Kind

The Green Pastures enacts Old Testament Bible stories as seen through the eyes of rural black children. The movie begins in a ramshackle church, generations ago, presumably in the Deep South. As the Sunday School teacher relates the Bible stories we are transported to Heaven to witness the Creation, the Banishment from the Garden of Eden, the Flood, and the Exodus. An all-black cast, speaking in the rural idiom, and set in modern day (1930s) surroundings makes for one of the most unique movies you will ever see.

All the pieces fit together perfectly. It's a joy to watch, deeply spiritual, and the gospel choir accompaniment is an added treat. Grade A.