Upbeat movies from ‘down on the farm’

Bill Knight column for Oct. 11, 12 or 13, 2018

The number of farms and the size of the U.S. population in rural areas is dropping, according to census data, so maybe Hollywood in a phase between relevant films about farming like 1937’s “The Good Earth” to nostalgia with characters such as Uncle Henry and Auntie Em in opening and closing scenes of “The Wizard of Oz” or farmer Arthur Hoggett in the bucolic “Babe.”

Rural settings, themes and characters were part of cinema since it started, drawing on vaudeville, theater and tent-show types such as the country bumpkin and “farmers' daughters,” heartless city slickers and bankers threatening foreclosure. Radio emerged and audiences heard “Lum and Abner,” Edgar Bergen's Mortimer Snerd and Red Skelton's Clem Kadiddlehopper; TV continued and viewers saw “The Real McCoys,” “The Andy Griffith Show,” and a host of derivative, so-called rube comedies like “The Beverly Hillbillies” and its spinoffs.

But Hollywood – whether comedies, musicals or social dramas – has made more timeless treasures about farms, farming and rural society than the rest of the media combined. Here are 10 fine needles from movies’ huge haystack, available online or video:

“Country” (1984). Jessica Lange and Sam Shephard star in this somber glimpse of an Iowa farm family facing foreclosure. Beside agriculture woes (bad weather, out-of-touch government programs) are personal consequences of stress: alcohol abuse and suicide. Wilford Brimley and Matt Clark co-star.

“The Egg and I” (1947). Claudette Colbert and Fred MacMurray star in this barnyard romp about newlyweds trying to make a go of a chicken ranch. MacMurray is a loveable hayseed; Colbert is a finishing-school society girl. Based on Betty MacDonald's book, it features Ma and Pa Kettle’s first appearance.

“The Farmer Takes A Wife” (1935). There are two versions of this romance about farmers in upstate New York in the 1800s. The older of the two has Henry Fonda's screen debut as Janet Gaynor's suitor. (In 1953, it was remade as a musical with Betty Grable, Dale Robertson, Eddie Foy Jr. and Thelma Ritter.)

“The Grapes of Wrath” (1940). Henry Fonda, Jane Darwell and John Carradine star in John Ford’s fine film version of John Steinbeck's novel about Oklahoma farmers forced off their land by the Great Depression and dust storms, facing a bleak future as wage slaves for California growers.

“Northern Lights” (1979). Joe Spano stars in a powerful story about farmers enduring a severe North Dakota winter in 1919. Bleak, beautiful landscapes and personal narratives make this thoughtful, moving and unpredictable.

“Oklahoma!” (1956). Shirley Jones stars in the adaptation of Rodgers and Hammerstein's Broadway musical about a country girl courted by two husky guys – Gordon McRae as a smiling cowboy and Rod Steiger as a surly farmhand. Eddie Albert and Gloria Grahame co-star, with songs such as “Oh, What A Beautiful Morning,” “Surrey with the Fringe on Top,” and the title song.

“Our Daily Bread” (1934). King Vidor directed this touching drama about an idealistic couple during the Great Depression, when they work with other jobless people in a cooperative farm. It won awards from the Venice Film Festival and the League of Nations.

“Places in The Heart” (1984). Sally Field, Ed Harris and Lindsay Crouse star in this tearjerker set in rural Texas, where a widow with two kids is pressured to sell her family's land. Danny Glover and John Malkovich co-star.

“The River” (1984). Mel Gibson and Sissy Spacek star in this uplifting story of a couple struggling with economic hardship, a power company seeking to flood their land for a hydroelectric project, and government bureaucracy. Nominated for four Oscars, it won one.

“State Fair” (1945). Of three versions of this lark, the 1933 release with Will Rogers isn't a musical, and the 1962 with Pat Boone is as saccharine as its star. The middle version stars Dana Andrews, Jeanne Crain, Dick Haymes and Frank McHugh in a musical romance set at the Iowa State Fair – complete with hog competition, mincemeat and a Rodgers and Hammerstein score that stresses wholesomeness: “It's A Grand Night For Singing,” the Oscar-winning “It Might As Well Be Spring,” “Our State Fair,” etc.