The Southerner 1945

   This film is based on the novel, Hold Autumn in Your Hand by George Sessions Perry and published in 1941.  Sam Tucker has been working as a migrant picker on a cotton field in Texas in the early 1940’s.  His uncle Pete passes away in the field.  He’s just worn out.  Pete tells Sam to plant a field for himself and work for himself.  There is a nearby field that has not grown cotton in several years.  Sam arranges to rent the land and he moves his family to the house on the property.  Sam’s family is Nona his wife, Granny, daughter Daisy and son Jot.  They all wonder about the dry well and the decaying shack.  Sam visits Henry Devers the nearest neighbor and learns Henry is probably the worst neighbor in the world!!  The family lives on game that Sam is able shoot.  Jot becomes sick with Spring Sickness and the doctor says he needs vegetables, fruit and milk to survive.  Sam doesn't know how he's going to afford any of this food?

     Sam and Nona are working as hard as they can but they have limited resources.  Neighbor Devers is worse than having no neighbor.  The only luck the family seems to have is bad luck!!  There aren’t any luxuries here and just barely the necessities.  At least they are a happy family, not sour and mean like Devers.  3 1/2* (I liked this movie)

93 min, Drama directed by Jean Renoir with Zachary Scott, Betty Field, J. Carrol Naish, Beulah Bondi, Percy Kilbride, Charles Kemper, Blance Yurka, Norman Lloyd, Estelle Taylor, Paul Harvey, Noreen Nash, Jack Norworth, Nestor Paiva, Jay Gilpin.

Note:  Imdb 7.3 out of 10, 91% critic 78% audience on Rotten Tomatoes, Amazon 4.3* out of 5* with 45 reviews, TCM Leonard Maltin 4* out of 4* 3.5 average user review.

Special Note:  Oscars were won for Best Director, Original Music Score and Best Sound Mixing.  The National Board of Review named Jean Renoir Best Director.  The film was the third best film of 1945.  Jot has Spring Sickness and it’s really Pellagra caused by lack of vitamin B3, niacin and the amino acid tryptophan.  He has inflamed skin, dementia and sores in his mouth.  Areas of skin exposed to the sun or rubbed by cloth are affected.