This Earth Is Mine (1959)

In 1931, Elizabeth Rambeau comes from England to live in California with her aunt and uncle of a winemaking dynasty, who are still wealthy despite 12 years of Prohibition. Object: marriage ... See full summary »

Director:

Henry King

Writers:

Alice Tisdale Hobart (novel), Casey Robinson

Stars:

Rock Hudson, Jean Simmons, Claude Rains

Nominated for 1 Golden Globe. Another 1 win.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Rock Hudson	...	John Rambeau
Jean Simmons	...	Elizabeth Rambeau
Dorothy McGuire	...	Martha Fairon
Claude Rains	...	Philippe Rambeau
Kent Smith	...	Francis Fairon
Anna Lee	...	Charlotte Rambeau
Ken Scott	...	Luigi Griffanti
Augusta Merighi	...	Mrs. Griffanti
Francis Bethencourt	...	Andre Swann
Stacy Graham	...	Monica
Peter Chong	...	Chu
Geraldine Wall	...	Maria
Alberto Morin	...	Petucci
Penny Santon	...	Mrs. Petucci
Jack Mather	...	Dietrich

Storyline

In 1931, Elizabeth Rambeau comes from England to live in California with her aunt and uncle of a winemaking dynasty, who are still wealthy despite 12 years of Prohibition. Object: marriage to the heir of another vineyard, to further consolidate holdings in the Valley. But John Rambeau, Elizabeth's illegitimate cousin, has other ideas about who she should marry, and sharply opposes patriarch Philippe's refusal to sell wine grapes to bootleggers. John's activities bring violence to the valley, and soap opera to the Rambeau family...

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Plot Keywords:

vineyard | based on novel | wine | soap | 

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Taglines:

The Cry that Rocked THE VALLEY OF THE SUN!

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

Approved

Did You Know?

Trivia

The film takes place from 1931 to 1932.

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Connections

Referenced in Rock Hudson: Dark and Handsome Stranger (2010)

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Soundtracks

Take Back Your Gold
(uncredited)
Written by Louis W. Pritzkow and Monroe Rosenfeld

User Reviews

"Grapes must be tutored to become good wines...and to know how to educate them is the art of a good winemaker."

The patriarch of a winemaking dynasty in 1931 Napa Valley welcomes his pretty young granddaughter from England--she thinks she's there for a visit, but her grandfather is plotting to marry her off to a cousin in order to absorb vineyard holdings and keep the winery in the family for future generations. Meanwhile, another cousin has an eye for the girl, though he's in the middle of a devil's bargain between Chicago gangsters and bootleggers ("modern dealings") due to the current Prohibition, all behind the old man's back. Wooden adaptation of Alice Tisdale Hobart's novel "The Cup and the Sword" is an exposition-heavy soaper full of hotheads spouting off, and Rock Hudson explaining everything to Jean Simmons (and to the audience) to keep her up to speed on the cast of characters, their functions and relationships to each other. If this story were to work at all, Hobart's book should have been thrown out or rethought altogether. There are too many people here with different agendas, too much conniving and manipulation, and melodrama as thick as a wine vat full of rotting grapes. Casey Robinson is responsible for the pedantic screenplay, which isn't much better than director Henry King's execrable staging (check out that welcoming dinner for Simmons, with everyone at one long table facing a swimming pool). The film, which gets off to a poor start with an awful theme song composed by Jimmy Van Heusen and Sammy Cahn, has been produced with considerable polish, and it certainly benefits from Claude Rains' performance as grandfather Phillipe. Otherwise, overwrought and occasionally laughable. *1/2 from ****

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

17 July 1959 (Denmark)

Also Known As:

Bu toprak benimdir

Filming Locations:

Universal Studios - 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal International Pictures (UI), Vintage Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

124 min 95 min (cut)

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1