The Good Earth
“China… Land of unrest… Tomorrow they may starve!”
Synopsis
China, during the rule of the Qing Dynasty. The arranged marriage between Wang Lung, a humble farmer, and O-Lan, a domestic slave, will endure the many hardships of life over the years; but the temptations of a fragile prosperity will endanger their love and the survival of their entire family.
Trailers, Teasers & Extra Featurettes
Official promotional previews, behind-the-scenes footage, and exclusive clips.
Original Theatrical TrailerOfficial
Type: Trailer • Published 2016-08-01
Top Cast
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Paul Muni
Wang
Luise Rainer
O-Lan
Walter Connolly
Uncle
Tilly Losch
Lotus
Charley Grapewin
Old Father
Jessie Ralph
Cuckoo
Soo Yong
Aunt
Keye Luke
Elder Son
Roland Lui
Younger Son
Suzanna Kim
Little Fool
Ching Wah Lee
Ching
Harold Huber
Cousin
Olaf Hytten
Liu - Grain Merchant
William Law
Gateman
Mary Wong
Little Bride
Philip Ahn
Captain (uncredited)
Victor Sen Yung
Peasant (uncredited)
Richard Loo
Farmer (uncredited)
Release History & Theatrical Window
August 6, 1937
Wide Cinema Exhibition
Financials & Box Office Performance
Production Budget
$2.8M
Filming & production cost
Worldwide Gross
$3.6M
Total global ticket sales
Box Office Return
1.27x
+$757K net gain
Theatrical Status
Budget Return
Box office tier
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- Sidney Franklin
- Screenplay & Story
- Talbot Jennings, Tess Slesinger, Claudine West
- Original Score
- Herbert Stothart
- Original Title
- The Good Earth
- Country of Origin
- United States of America
- Spoken Languages
- English
- Runtime
- 2h 19m
- Production Budget
- $2.8M
- Worldwide Gross
- $3.6M
- Production Studios
- Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
Sidney Franklin
Talbot Jennings, Tess Slesinger, Claudine West, Pearl S. Buck, Donald Davis, Owen Davis
Herbert Stothart
Karl Freund
Slavko Vorkapich, Basil Wrangell
Irving Thalberg
Department Leadership Roster
Sidney Franklin
Director
Talbot Jennings
Screenplay
Tess Slesinger
Screenplay
Claudine West
Screenplay
Slavko Vorkapich
Editor
Herbert Stothart
Original Music Composer
Karl Freund
Director of Photography
Basil Wrangell
Editor
Irving Thalberg
Producer
Age Classification & Content Advisories
Official viewer rating standards and content warnings across international classification boards.
NR: Not Rated — Evaluated outside standard classification boards.
International Certification Matrix
Not Rated — Evaluated outside standard classification boards.
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for The Good Earth.
Featured In Curated Collections
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Frequently Asked Questions About The Good Earth
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is The Good Earth about?
China, during the rule of the Qing Dynasty. The arranged marriage between Wang Lung, a humble farmer, and O-Lan, a domestic slave, will endure the many hardships of life over the years; but the temptations of a fragile prosperity will endanger their love and the survival of their entire family.
Who directed The Good Earth?
The Good Earth was directed by Sidney Franklin.
Who stars in The Good Earth?
The principal cast of The Good Earth includes Paul Muni, Luise Rainer, Walter Connolly, Tilly Losch, Charley Grapewin.
When was The Good Earth released and how long is it?
The Good Earth was released in 1937 with a total runtime of 2h 19m.
What was the box office and production budget of The Good Earth?
The Good Earth had a reported production budget of $2.8M and grossed $3.6M at the worldwide box office (1.27 return on budget, classified as a budget recovered).
Who composed the musical score for The Good Earth?
The original motion picture soundtrack for The Good Earth was composed by Herbert Stothart.
Is The Good Earth based on a book or true story?
The Good Earth is adapted from the following source material: Novel: "Pearl S. Buck".
What is the age rating and content advisory for The Good Earth?
The Good Earth holds official age classifications: US: NR (Not Rated — Evaluated outside standard classification boards.).