As the Earth Turns ** (1934, Jean Muir, Donald Woods, Russell Hardie) – Classic Movie Review 6809

Director Alfred E Green’s 1934 Warner Bros movie tells the stout-hearted tale of trials and tribulations of an immigrant family on a Maine farm, with nice but ambitious Polish immigrant Stan Janowski (Donald Woods) fighting against the odds with the help of his farmer’s daughter gal Jen Shaw (Jean Muir).

The Maine panorama is fleshed out with the stories of a couple of other farm families. Though the story is immensely good-hearted, there is very little that is surprising or outstanding in this conscientious but slowly turning movie that remains resolutely old-fashioned.

The movie is a mix of hasty and earnest. Ernest Pascal’s screenplay is based on Gladys Hasty Carroll’s novel, whose screen rights Warner Bros bought for $25,000 (that was a lot back then, maybe around $500,000). However, surely Hasty isn’t a good middle name for a writer, and perhaps Ernest isn’t a good first name for a writer either.

Also in the cast are Emily Lowry, William Janney, David Landau, Dorothy Peterson, Dorothy Appleby, Arthur Hohl, George [Georgie] Billings, Clara Blandick, Egon Brecher, Russell Hardie, Wally Albright, Cora Sue Collins, David Durand, John Elliott, Gloria Fisher, Jevere Gibbons, Dorothy Gray, Joyce Kay, Marilyn Knowlden, Lloyd Neal and Sarah Padden.

As the Earth Turns is directed by Alfred E Green, runs 73 minutes, is released by Warner Bros, is written by Ernest Pascal, shot in black and white by Byron Haskin, produced by Robert Lord, scored by Bernhard Kaun, M K Jerome and Heinz Roemheld, and designed by Robert M Haas.

The credits are presented in a leather book.

Warner Bros considered its reception at the box office to be disappointing. The credits are presented in a leather book with a man’s hand turning the pages.

Jean Muir’s film career lasted just 10 years – 1933 to 1943. Her last was The Constant Nymph (1943).

© Derek Winnert 2018 Classic Movie Review 6809

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