{"id":45048,"date":"2019-10-07T08:44:31","date_gmt":"2019-10-07T15:44:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=45048"},"modified":"2021-01-24T12:12:41","modified_gmt":"2021-01-24T19:12:41","slug":"cabin-in-the-cotton-the-1932","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=45048","title":{"rendered":"Cabin in the Cotton, The (1932)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>&#8220;You\u2019re sort of on the planters&#8217; side now, and we\u2019re the people who keep the country going.&#8221;<\/strong> <\/p>\n<table>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Cabin-in-the-Cotton-Poster.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Cabin-in-the-Cotton-Poster-216x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"216\" height=\"300\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-45050\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Cabin-in-the-Cotton-Poster-216x300.jpg 216w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Cabin-in-the-Cotton-Poster-92x128.jpg 92w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Cabin-in-the-Cotton-Poster.jpg 721w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 216px) 100vw, 216px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Synopsis:<\/strong><br \/>\nThe son (Richard Barthelmess) of a sharecropper is employed by a cotton plantation owner (Berton Churchill) whose daughter (Bette Davis) has eyes for him &#8212; but will Barthelmess join ranks with his new social class, or stay loyal to his hard-scrabble community?\n<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p>\n<strong>Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Bette Davis Films<\/li>\n<li>Class Relations<\/li>\n<li>Cross Class Romance<\/li>\n<li>Deep South<\/li>\n<li>Michael Curtiz Films<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Review: <\/strong><br \/>\nThis pre-Code film by director Michael Curtiz is most notable for featuring Bette Davis in her breakthrough role, being seductively suggestive and mouthing a notorious line: &#8220;I&#8217;d like to kiss you, but I just washed my hair.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Cabin-in-the-Cotton-Hair.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Cabin-in-the-Cotton-Hair-1024x767.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"479\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-65596\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Cabin-in-the-Cotton-Hair-1024x767.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Cabin-in-the-Cotton-Hair-300x225.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Cabin-in-the-Cotton-Hair-128x96.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Cabin-in-the-Cotton-Hair-768x575.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Cabin-in-the-Cotton-Hair-361x270.png 361w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Cabin-in-the-Cotton-Hair.png 1368w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>The storyline itself is an old but still-valid one of class conflict in a working town with &#8212; surprise, surprise &#8212; the owners of a cotton plantation taking systemic advantage of their employees to the point of generational destitution. <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Cabin-in-the-Cotton-Still.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Cabin-in-the-Cotton-Still-1024x763.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"477\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-65595\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Cabin-in-the-Cotton-Still-1024x763.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Cabin-in-the-Cotton-Still-300x224.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Cabin-in-the-Cotton-Still-128x95.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Cabin-in-the-Cotton-Still-768x572.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Cabin-in-the-Cotton-Still-362x270.png 362w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Cabin-in-the-Cotton-Still.png 1367w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Racial issues are notably muted; this is about whites versus whites, with Barthelmess literally a malleable pawn passed back and forth between two equally icky social groups. Of course, we&#8217;re meant to sympathize with the put-upon workers, who turn to theft and arson out of desperation &#8212; but it doesn&#8217;t help that they&#8217;re played (in several notable instances) as backwoods caricatures. Barthelmess&#8217;s performance is as wooden as they come, and we don&#8217;t learn enough about his hometown sweetheart (Dorothy Jordan) to root for their success as a couple. <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Cabin-the-Cotton-Romance.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Cabin-the-Cotton-Romance-1024x762.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"476\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-65589\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Cabin-the-Cotton-Romance-1024x762.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Cabin-the-Cotton-Romance-300x223.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Cabin-the-Cotton-Romance-128x95.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Cabin-the-Cotton-Romance-768x571.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Cabin-the-Cotton-Romance-363x270.png 363w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Cabin-the-Cotton-Romance.png 1381w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Davis really does stand out as the notable feature of this film; she would go on to be nominated for an Oscar two years and 12 films (!) later in <a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=32703\"><em>Of Human Bondage<\/em> (1934)<\/a>.    <\/p>\n<p><strong>Redeeming Qualities and Moments: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Notably racy pre-Code content (with Davis)<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Cabin-in-the-Cotton-Racy.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Cabin-in-the-Cotton-Racy-1024x762.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"476\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-65598\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Cabin-in-the-Cotton-Racy-1024x762.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Cabin-in-the-Cotton-Racy-300x223.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Cabin-in-the-Cotton-Racy-128x95.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Cabin-in-the-Cotton-Racy-768x572.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Cabin-in-the-Cotton-Racy-363x270.png 363w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Cabin-in-the-Cotton-Racy.png 1385w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Must See? <\/strong><br \/>\nNo, though it&#8217;s worth a look for its relevance as Davis&#8217;s breakthrough role. Listed as a film with Historical Importance in the back of Peary&#8217;s book. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Links: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0022735\/\">IMDb entry<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tcm.com\/tcmdb\/title\/70002\/cabin-in-the-cotton\/#articles-reviews?articleId=133168\">TCM Article<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/pre-code.com\/cabin-cotton-1932-review-richard-barthelmess-bette-davis\/\">Pre-Code Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/1932\/09\/30\/archives\/a-southern-dirge.html\">NY Times Original Review (spoilers alert)<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;You\u2019re sort of on the planters&#8217; side now, and we\u2019re the people who keep the country going.&#8221; Synopsis: The son (Richard Barthelmess) of a sharecropper is employed by a cotton plantation owner (Berton Churchill) whose daughter (Bette Davis) has eyes for him &#8212; but will Barthelmess join ranks with his new social class, or stay loyal to his hard-scrabble community? Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors: Bette Davis Films Class Relations Cross Class Romance Deep South Michael Curtiz Films Review: This&#8230;<\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more\"><a class=\"btn btn-default\" href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=45048\"> Read More<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">  Read More<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-45048","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-reviews"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45048","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=45048"}],"version-history":[{"count":12,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45048\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":65599,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45048\/revisions\/65599"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=45048"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=45048"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=45048"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}