The Southerner

I streamed the Southerner over the last weekend on Netflix.  I had never heard of this movie before.  The Southerner was directed by Jean Renoir.  It stars Zachary Scott as Sam Tucker, Betty Field as Nona Tucker, Beulah Bondi as Granny Tucker and Charles Kemper as Tim.  The Southerner was released on April 30, 1945. 

The Southerner is based on a book titled Hold Autumn in Your Hands by George Sessions Perry.  The movie received Academy Award nominations fro Best Director, Best Music Score and Sound.

 Sam and Nona Tucker

The Tucker family are Texans who have been working as cotton pickers for a very long time.  I get the impressions that they are generations of cotton pickers.  When the films starts the scene is a cotton plantation and the workers are picking cotton out in the field.  This may seem naive to some people, but I expected to see all black people in that scene picking cotton.  In fact, there was not one single person of African descent in that scene.  When I think of cotton picking right away I get an image in my head of black people picking cotton in the South during slavery.  

Back during the mid 1990's I used to listen to a morning radio show during my commute to work.  One of the hosts was the late Issac Hayes.  One morning Mr. Hayes was talking about when he was a little boy he had to go out in the field to pick cotton.  I thought myself.... what???  Isaac Hayes was born in 1942.  You mean to tell me that people were still out there in the middle of the 20th century picking cotton out in the hot sun for low wages?  I know this sounds ignorant coming from a woman of African descent, but I was not born in this country.  I was born in Panama in Central America.  My parents were both born and raised in Panama.  My maternal grandparents were from Jamaica and then moved to Panama.  Before that the maternal side of my family came from Africa.  On my paternal side of the family it is pretty much the same story.  From Africa they were brought to the West Indies and then somehow found their way to Panama.  As far as I know I do not have any roots in America that go back to the slavery system here.   I do know that some people on my father's side of the family came to America some time in the 1920's but it was just for a visit.  When my father arrived in America and then sent for me, my brother Ricardo and my mother,  we were the very first people in my family on both sides to make America our home and with us is were our roots in America begins.  So, I had no idea that people were still picking cotton in the middle of the 20th century until I heard Isaac Hayes say so that morning on talk radio.

Now here I am watching this movie The Southerner, I am learning that white people also worked out in the field in the 20th century picking cotton in order to support their families.   Will my naivete ever cease?  I wonder if I can find family stories about this online? 

Yes, I know that I am supposed to be doing a movie review.  We now return to our regularly scheduled programming.  

Getting back to the Tuckers, a male family member becomes ill while they are all out in the field picking cotton.  Sam Tucker and other workers makes him as comfortable as possible on the ground and Sam takes over picking cotton for him.  If I am not mistaken each worker has a quota of cotton that has to be picked each day.  The sick man laying on the ground tells Sam to go out and start his own farm and work for himself.  The man passes away and after the family lays him rest Sam decides to start his own farm.  Sam strikes a deal to lease a farm and off he goes with his wife Nona, their two children and Granny Tucker.

The land that Sam leased is good earth for growing things, but Sam forgot to think about the living space.  When Sam drives up to the house with his family it is a bvery old house that has been abandoned for years.  It is not really livable and Sam is almost sorry for bringing his family out there.  Nona is a very supportive wife though.  She is determined that Sam will not be discouraged and the family all go inside the wreck of a house to start cleaning it up.  Nona manages to get the old cook stove working.  
 

Granny Tucker is not so cooperative.  When she sees the house she climbs back up on seat on the back of the truck and refuses to live there.  
 

A rain storm begins and Granny Tucker is forced to go inside and join them for their meal.
 

The leased farm has no well, so the Tuckers have no water.  Sam asks his neighbor, Devers, if they can share tgeir well water.  Devers is not really very friendly but agrees to share the well until Sam can build his own.  Sam promises to help in keeping the well filled.  

          

With two mules and some seeds Sam starts his farm with the help of his wife Nona.

  

San goes into town where he meets up with his good friend Tim.  Tim works at the nearby factory making good money.  Tim suggests to Sam that he go to work in the factory.  Tim is in good with the person who does the hiring and can get Sam in for sure.  Sam admits the money sounds good, but turns down the offer because inhis heart he is a farmer.  

Sam comes home with a possum for dinner.

 

Life is hard on the farm.  Devers tries to sabotage the Tucker's farm by allowing his farm animals to go over to the Tucker farm and eat their crop.  The Tucker farm is also victim to the weather patterns.  Come winter and the Tuckers nearly starve to death.  They can't farm in the winter so their food has to be caught.  Most of the time Sam comes home empty handed, but one day he manages to catch a possum.  That night the family sits down to a hot possum stew dinner.  
  

 

After saying grace the Tuckers devour the hot possum stew.  

As the srping season starts Sam's son Jot becomes ill.  Jot desperately needs milk and vegetables in his system.  It takes time to grow vegetables and Sam does not own a cow.  Sam goes to his neighbor Devers to ask for milk for his son, but Devers refuses to help Sam.  

 

Nona finally breaks down.  Her son is not getting better and she cannot stand to hear him cry anymore.  In desperation Sam goes back to his friend Tim to get in him for a job at the factory.  Tim knows that Sam really does not want to do that.  A family friend gifts the Tuckers with a cow so now Jot can get milk and the nutrition he needs.  

Sam's new crop is doing nicely until a fierce storm comes and not only destroys all of Sam's crop but the house as well.  The Tuckers have to start all over again.  After they look over all the damage Nona and the children encourage Sam to keep moving forward.  Just like in the beginning Nona goes to get the cook stove firing up once again.

This is actually a very heart warming American story.  It is so nice to see characters like Sam and Nona Tucker working together as a team.  Neither tears the other down.  When times get though the wife and children can still see the bright side of things and will not allow the husband and father to give up.  It is also nice to see real family love.  The Tuckers truly care about one another and are decent people.  The close knit supportive family is my favorite aspect of this movie.  No matter what as long as you have a loving and supportive family you are already much enriched.  

Penny Serenade

 

Even though Penny Serenade has its sad moments, it is one of my absolute favorite classic movies of all time.  No matter how many times I watch it, it always moves me to tears.  In the beginning of Carey Grants movie career he starred in a lot of screwball comedies.  As times began to change  by the depression and World War Two, the type of movies that Carey Grant made started to change.

Penny Serenade was directed by George Stevens.  The movie starred Carey Grant as Roger Adams, Irene Dunne as Julie Gardiner Adams, Beulah Bondi as Miss Oliver and Edgar Buchanan as Apple Jack carney.  Penny Serenade was released on  April 24, 1941.

 Carey Grant and Irene Dunne

The storyline of Penny Serenade begins at the end and told throughout the film in flashbacks as Julie Adams reminisces about her life after she met her husband.  Julie is about to move out of the apartment that she shared for so many years with Roger.  Julie plays records as she goes down memory lane.  Each record represents a period of her life.  

Journalist Roger Adams meets Julie Gardiner in the record store where she works.  Roger is immediately smitten and from that point on spends every free moment with Julie.  A common trait that all  of Carey Grant's character have is that they are relentless when they are attracted to a specific woman.  

Roger spends the rest of the day in the record store and purchases 27 records even though he does not own a record player as Julie finds out when he walks her home.  
 

After dating for some time, Roger is chosen to replace and American Journalist in Japan.  It is a great opportunity for Roger, but he does not want to go without Julie so he proposes.  Julie has been in love with Roger for while and happily accepts his proposal.  It is New Years Eve and Roger has to leave shortly to catch a train to San Francisco where he will then continue on to Hong Kong.  Roger doesn't want to leave without first marrying Julie.  He is afraid that some other guy could come along and steal her heart, so Roger and Julie get married that nightjust before he has to catch the train to San Francisco.

Julie accompanies her new husband to the train station.  The train starts to move before she gets off but Julie and Roger are too engrossed with one another and Julie stays on the train long enough to consummate their marriage.  Julie finally gets off the train at a stop that is 115 miles from New York.  

    

Rogers sends for Julie and she finally arrives in Hong Kong with the news that she is expecting their baby.  Things are little tense though because Roger does not spend money wisely.  He has been taking advances on his salary and then he quits his job after getting a small inheritance that really is not very much.  Julie wants him to be more responsible; especially with a baby on the way.  It is their first disagreement.

An earthquake in Hong Kong destroys their house and causes Julie to have a miscarriage.  Julie is left unable to have anymore babies and is devastated.

 

The doctor would not allow Roger to see his wife for several days until she has recovered enough and that makes Roger crazy with worry and missing his wife.  When Roger is finally allowed to see Julie both of them are overcome with emotion and love for one another.

Roger and Julie settle into a nice apartment in Brooklyn, New York.  On the first floor is a newspaper business that Roger bought out from its previous owner and tries to make a go of it.   A dear friend of the family Apply Jack Carney comes to help Roger run the newspaper.

After two years of marriage Roger and Julie apply to adopt a child and meet Miss Oliver at the agency.  Roger and Julie are both very excited about it but nervous at the same time.  The process of adoption is not what they expected and they are told that there is a long waiting list for type of child Roger and Julie desire to have.  They want a boy that is two years old and has curly hair and blue eyes.  This part turns me off a little because it is so superficial.  Roger and Julie also did not realize that they would be investigated first.  The agency is not going to just hand them over a baby just because they want one.  Miss Oliver is very firm but she has a heart and recognizes that Roger and Julie would make loving and caring parents.

 Beulah Bondi plays Miss Oliver.

Miss Oliver makes the required surprise visit to see how Roger and Julie really live.  The house is a mess because Julie is busy giving it a thorough cleaning.  Julie is uncomfortable over the fact that Miss Oliver caught her and their apartment is disarray.  The only room that is perfect at the moment is the child's room and Miss Oliver is very impressed.

Miss Oliver is partial to Julie and Roger and gives them a call when a 5 week old baby girl named Trina becomes available for adoption.  At first Roger is not keen on it because he wants a boy, but once he sees the little girl his heart opens up.  
  

Julie doesn't want to part with the baby girl and the couple takes Trina home for a one year period.  If everything goes well they will go before the court for final adoption.
 

It is funny and endearing watching Julie and Roger's first few days with baby Trina.  

Father daughter bonding is taking place.  Roger is really loving having Trina with them. 

    
Julie is afraid to give Trina a bath fearing that she will drown her.  Apple Jack shows Julie how to do it and it is one of the most touching scenes in the movie.  

A year has passed and it is time for Julie and Roger to go before the court for final adoption of Trina.  They love Trina and enjoy being her parents.  Unfortunately, the newspaper had to shut down and their is currently no income coming in.  Roger and Julioe must prove they have sufficient income or else Trina will be taken from them.
  

The court date arrives and Roger still has no income.  He has not been able to revive the newspaper and has not been able to find work elsewhere.  Knowing they will have to return Trina, Julie cannot bring herself to accompany Roger to the court proceeding.  As Roger leaves with Trina, Julie tearfully watches from the window.  
 

 

Roger arrives at the courthouse with Trina and faces the judge.  Miss Oliver is there.  Since Roger has no income the judge rules that he cannot allow him to adopt Trina and says that the little girl must go into an orphanage.  Carey Grant then delivers one of his finest performances when he pours his heart and soul out to the judge.  I cried.  It is a very powerful scene.  

 

Roger is gone for hours as Julie waits for him to return home without Trina.  Roger finally arrives back home with their little girl officially adopted.  YAY!

Several years have goneby and Roger and Trina enjoy being parents to Trina.  Trina is also going to bein the school Christmas pageant playing the part of a cloud and echo.  Trina is not goingf to be seen because she will be behind a huge cut out of clouds.  It is such a touching scene that brought out more tears from me.  Carey Grant and Irene Dunne plays the part of proud  and loving parents to Trina so well.  

Tragedy strikes the Adam's household without warning and Trina becomes ill suddenly and passes away.  Roger deals with his pain alone and refuses to turn to his wife so that they can deal with it together.  The stress of it all rips them apart.  Julie writes a letter to Miss Oliver telling her of their misfortune with Trina now troubled marriage.  

Roger tells Julie that is he not going back home with her and never wants to see or hear anything that reminds him of Trina.  Julie gives up on her marriage and decides to go away for good.  This brings us back to the present where Julie as been reminiscing over the years. 

Julie is finishing up packing and awaiting Apple Jack's return with her train tickets that will take her away.  Apple Jack knows that Julie and Roger still over each other and wishes he could do something to help them.

Roger does return to the apartment before Julie leaves and they have a few words with each other.  Roger is disappointed in himself for not being able to do for Julie everything that he said he would do for her when they were first married.  Trina's passing brings out all of these feelings within him.  He feels like a failure.  Julie makes the remark to him that when they truly needed one another instead they were ripped apart.  Julie needed Roger so much emotionally after Trina passed away but he shut her out and she was all alone to deal with the tragedy.  

Just before Julie heads out she receives a phone call from Miss Oliver.  A two year old little boy with curly hair and blue eyes has just become available for adoption.  Here is where I start crying all  over again until the end of the movie.

Outstanding movie!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!