The Southerner

US (1945): Drama/Family

Famed French director Jean Renoir fled Europe and arrived in Hollywood in early 1941, where he made 5 films. He described this as his "least unsatisfactory," and as a film in which every character is a hero in their struggle to build a life on the land. The near-documentary story follows a family of sharecroppers led by Zachary Scott as they carve out their own farm from an unpromising piece of land. In the course of one year, they establish their crops, deal with illness and despair, and battle nature, eventually securing their tenuous foothold in the earth. Supporting cast includes Betty Field, J. Carrol Naish, Beulah Bondi, Percy Kilbride, Charles Kemper and Blanche Yurka.

Renoir wrote the script in English, with some assistance with dialect from Nunnally Johnson and uncredited story help from William Faulkner. Set designer Eugene Lourie worked on Renoir's greatest films, Grand Illusion (1937) and The Rules of the Game (1939). When released the film was a financial failure and was viewed by many southerners as an insulting portrayal of their region; boycotts and pickets followed its exhibition. It was, however, a critical success and won the International Award at the Venice Film Festival. Based on a story by George Sessions Perry, "Hold Autumn in Your Hand." (U/A) (amctv.com)

· Directing 1945: Jean Renoir
· Music Scoring Awards (Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture) 1945: Werner Janssen
· Sound Recording 1945: Jack Whitney - General Service

3 nominations