Really wanted to like 'Tobacco Road' so much more. The novel was a sensation at the time as was the Broadway play adaptation. John Ford was a fine director with many very good and more films in a variety of genres, not just Westerns (of which he is still widely regarded as one of the finest directors that specialised in the genre). He was my main reason for seeing the film, despite it not being one of his best received films. The cast also promised a lot.

'Tobacco Road' was one of those films for me that promised more than it delivered. It is not one of Ford's finest hours and much of the cast have done better work in other films. Adapting from stage to film has a good deal of traps and 'Tobacco Road' sadly falls into most of them. Is it a terrible film? Absolutely not. Did it disappoint? Yes it did sadly. As it was directed by Ford and had Charley Grapewin, Dana Andrews, Gene Tierney and Elizabeth Patterson in it, 'Tobacco Road' should have been much better than it was.

It has good things. The best thing about it is Grapewin, who has experience in his role from playing him on stage and it proved to be a good move as he is terrific here and gives the film the flashes of nuance it doesn't have enough of elsewhere. Patterson has a lovely dignified presence and Andrews makes much of little.

Some of the black and white photography is striking and pleasing to look at. There are moments of poignancy and at times the comedy is amusing, Grapewin being the most successful of the cast by far to balance comedy and drama without any signs of over-compensating.

Unfortunately, Tierney is completely wasted and really struggles to do much with the very little she was given (which was hardly anything). Actually found her very out of place. William Tracy overacts badly and is very annoying as a result. Few of the characters come over as real people and more like fairly crude stereotypes that are difficult to get behind or like. Ford's direction is not incompetent but by Ford standards his work comes over as rather pedestrian and like he was not really that inspired by the material. While the photography is fine the settings look very phony and cheap.

Also felt that the script struggled with the balance of comedy and drama. The drama comes over a little better as there were poignant moments, as well as some sentimental ones. The drama however is over-shadowed in number and execution by the comedy and the odd amusing moment aside the humour is mostly not very funny and is pretty corny. The story lacks energy and the action is not opened up enough, giving it a stage bound feel.

Bottom line, not terrible but lacklustre. 4/10

"Tobacco Road" is an embarrassing and nasty old film. It's set in poor rural Georgia and practically everyone in the movie is a walking, talking 'white trash' stereotype...as if taken from a Li'l Abner comic strip. In other words, everyone is incredibly ignorant, lazy, and represent every negative stereotype of these people...such as marrying 13 year-olds and being a pack of thieves! It is an ugly stereotype and it made watching this Twentieth Century-Fox production a major chore. Broad acting (often practically screamed) was apparently Hollywood's idea of the Southern poor folk of the day.

Oddly, into this mix, two young and inexperienced actors were tossed...and Gene Tierney and Dana Andrews sure seemed out of place here. Neither had a lot to do or say....and Tierney played a half-woman half-animal sort of creature! Why they would pour dirt all over this beautiful woman and make her crawl about on the ground, I have no idea...and it was a huge waste. Andrews plays Captain Tim...the land owner who's fallen on hard times. He, at least, isn't a hillbilly stereotype....and I am sure Andrews was thrilled about this!

So is it any good? Good grief, no!!! It's a terrible and offensive film....and you wonder why John Ford, a top director, agreed to make this mess! Perhaps Daryl Zanuck, the studio head, was blackmailing Ford! All I know is that it is a huge step down from his usual quality production. An ill-advised and broad film...a painful one which most Tierney or Andrews fans would just as soon forget!

Tobacco Road as was written by Erskine Caldwell and dramatized on Broadway for 8 years was brought to the screen by 20th Century Fox in a considerably altered state. It was thought of probably by Darryl Zanuck as a great property for John Ford seeing what he did with The Grapes Of Wrath.

The Grapes Of Wrath by John Steinbeck is a great piece of social commentary, an immortal work whether in print or on the big or small screen. Ford kept the spirit of Steinbeck's work completely intact and got a well deserved Best Director Oscar. In this one because Caldwell's Jeeters are not quite as noble as the Joads of The Grapes Of Wrath, they're not prototype rural proletarians. The changes took a lot of the drama and commentary and left the film not too far above the Weaver Family films and Ma and Pa Kettle.

Charley Grapewin and Bessie Patterson are Mr.&Mrs. Jeeter Lester and Jeeter is a guy determined to get by doing as little as possible. The whole family has his spirit. He's married most of his children off. One of the daughters in serious trouble of being an old maid at 23 and that was Gene Tierney if you can believe that. Her character in the book and play has a cleft palate and you can understand why she's not married off. Here she's just gorgeous Gene Tierney and a crucial element is missing.

There's another daughter Pearl whom we never see, but who's married to the loutish Ward Bond. She keeps running off and Bond just doesn't get it. Here he's just rustic lout, I suspect that the 13 year old Pearl figures she can do a whole lot better. That one I'm sure the Code was breathing hot and heavy over 20th Century Fox.

There's another physically deformed character and that's Marjorie Rambeau who has in the book a nose like a pig's snout. Grapewin palms off his 16 year old son as a new husband for Rambeau to get his hands on the insurance money her old husband left her. William Tracy as the kid who's no prize figures she's experienced and eager even if she's a psalm singer which she is.

The rough house comedy that typifies many a Ford film is funny, but hardly in the spirit of what Caldwell was writing. In the end I have to say that the film is not good John Ford, though he's done worse.