The Grapes of Wrath

John Ford's maybe most famous film, is the classic adaptation of John Steinbeck's widely-read novel concerning the Great Depression. It is the story of the slow disintegration of the Joad family, one of thousands of Oklahoman families who have been evicted from their "Dust Bowl" farm land, and forced to search westward for jobs and survival with other migrant workers. Filmed in documentary-style black and white, the picture captures the realism of rural America in the 30s. Ford speaks about what drew him to Steinbeck's story:
I was only interested in the Joad family as characters. I was sympathetic to people like the Joads, and contributed a lot of money to them, but I was not interested in Grapes as a social study. I admire John Steinbeck and enjoyed working on it. I bucked to do that picture, and put everything I had into it. Before all else, it is the story of a family, the way it reacts, how it is shaken by a serious problem which overwhelms it. It is not a social film on this problem, it's a study on a family.

Directed by

John Ford

Cast (in credits order) verified as complete

Henry Fonda	....	Tom Joad
Jane Darwell	....	Ma Joad
John Carradine	....	Reverend Jim Casy
Charley Grapewin	....	Grandpa Joad
Dorris Bowdon	....	Rose of Sharon
Russell Simpson	....	Pa Joad
O.Z. Whitehead	....	Al
John Qualen	....	Muley
Eddie Quillan	....	Connie
Zeffie Tilbury	....	Gramma
Irving Bacon	....	Roy, conductor
Trevor Bardette	....	Jule
Ward Bond	....	Policeman
Charles D. Brown	....	Wilkie
Cliff Clarke	....	Townsman
Frank Darien	....	Uncle John

Written by

Nunnally Johnson
John Steinbeck			(novel)

Cinematography by

Gregg Toland

Music by

Alfred Newman

Production Design by

Richard Day
Mark-Lee Kirk

Costume Design by

Gwen Wakeling

Film Editing by

Robert E. Simpson

Produced by

Darryl F. Zanuck