Le Petit Arpent du Bon Dieu

God's Little Acre - 1958 Anthony Mann flick about a group of hillbillies in Georgia.Robert Ryan is the aw-shucks gold digging patriarch of this mess of a family.This southern melodrama has kidnapping,adultery,albino(played by Michael Landon) and Tina Louise's cleavage.Picture a mix of Gomer Pyle,Dukes of Hazard & I don't know um grits- then you have this odd duck of a movie.Jack Lord,Buddy Hackett,Aldo Ray & Vic Morrow tear up the scenery in this share-cropper soap opera.This movie feels like an overgrown black and white cartoon portrayal of the south.I got this on the cheap- C- The DVD is a good transfer-- but has no extras not even a trailer

Ty Ty Walden, a widower lives in the backwoods of Georgia with his daughters.For the last 15 years he has been searching for gold from his land.This man doesn't know the words give up.God's Little Acre (1958) is a movie based on the novel by Erskine Caldwell.It's directed by Anthony Mann.The title song heard in the beginning is awfully cheerful.The movie shows us some fantastic characters played by great actors.Robert Ryan plays the part of Ty Ty.Aldo Ray plays Bill Thompson.Jack Lord is Buck Walden.Vic Morrow plays Shaw Walden.Helen Westcott is Rosamund.Tina Louise plays Griselda.Michael Landon plays the part of Dave Dawson, the albino.It's hard to recognize him as the same guy of Little House on the Prairie.Fay Spain is Darlin' Jill.The funny guy Buddy Hackett is Pluto Swint, Sheriff Candidate.The scenes between Pluto and Darlin' Jill are often hilarious.There's that certain erotic atmosphere there in many scenes.That combined with serious drama and funniness you have a good movie.

Funny, sad, rambling story of a family whose fate is tied up with the patriarch, Ryan, who's convinced his grandfather's gold is hidden somewhere on the farm he willed him. To find the gold, he digs holes all over the land and eventually kidnaps an albino (Landon) who he has been convinced by his neighbor, the sheriff-to-be (Hackett, in good form), will find the gold for him through magic. He doesn't but he has Ryan digging right under his house while he messes around with his blonde daughter. One of the only hillbilly style comedies I've seen to handle the South more or less fairly. Memorable character performances make the film a joy to watch; Morrow's bit as an out of work factory man is a bit overwrought and too sincere, but that's not his fault (I don't think).

An all star cast delivers a potent drama based on a book, but with the definite look of a stage drama, about a poor Southern family. The main focus of the father, Robert Ryan (who excelled at roles as diverse as John the Baptist, World War Two Generals, and Western outlaws mostly) is to find a treasure he knows is buried on his property. But despite his obsession, he never loses sight of the important things in life, and he is quite aware of the subplots and the turmoil going on with a love triangle involving his oldest son. Ryan gives an outstanding performance. Of course he is helped along with excellent writing, so you have the best of both worlds. The rest of the cast is also splendid. Too many big names to mention here, but you'll be amazed at the star power. Lots of raw emotion stifle any prejudice you might have about Southerners or the treatment of Southerners. This is not an action movie. It is a thinking piece. And it is heartfelt drama.

The Caldwell bestseller about a dysfunctional Southern family becomes an entertaining potboiler. The familiar cast features at least three actors who would go on to star in popular TV series (Louise, Lord, and Landon, the last playing an albino!). Ryan has a field day as the patriarch of the family, obsessed with finding gold on his land. Louise makes a lusty film debut as Lord's unfaithful wife. Her ample bosom gets so much screen time that it should have received no lower than third billing. Using gritty black and white, widescreen cinematography, Mann does an effective job of conveying the passion and the greed of these low-life characters.