for not making good on their pledges to certainĬharitable groups unless Garfield was allowed to make the film.Tortilla Flat, based on John Steinbeck’s salty 1935 novel, was vividly brought to the screen by director Victor Fleming in 1942 featuring an outstanding cast headed by Spencer Tracy, John Garfield, Hedy Lamarr and Frank Morgan. Mayer is said to have threatened to expose Warner Bros. Mayer, MGM's head, also liked the idea of Garfield in the role, and, reportedly, the powerful mogul was not above some unorthodox pressuring to get his man. MGM built an entire village over three acres of land for the film that Garfield dearly wanted to do, though he had to wait some time before Warner Bros.Īgreed to loan him to MGM. Indeed, Morgan received a well-deserved Oscar nomination as Best Supporting Actor, though he lost that year to Van Heflin in JOHNNY EAGER.įleming captures the nuances and ambience of life in this small town, a sincere effort that guides the performers with care through the material.

Tracy's lovable rogue and Morgan's holy roller add to the film's cast of colorful characters. Garfield puts his heart into his portrayal of the earnest Danny, contributing a memorableĬharacterization that complements Lamarr's wonderful work. Her relationship with Garfield, a mixture of attraction and suspicion, is realistic and honest, a rarity for a screen romance. Level-headed, spunky woman who refuses to settle for anything she doesn't want. Lamarr is excellent (she considered this the best of all her roles) as the

Steinbeck's engaging characters are well treated by the talents of this ensemble and by Fleming's caring direction. TORTILLA FLAT is an affectionate tale, told with sensitivity and a wonderfully offbeat sense of humor. But Garfield's newfound wealth-not to mention his attraction to local cannery worker Lamarr-soon threatens come between the pals. Proud of his new status, Garfield allows Tracy and his friends to move into one of the homes, keeping the other for himself. Garfield is an eager young man who considers himself to be wealthy after inheriting two houses located on Tortillaįlat. This excellent adaptation of Steinbeck's novel features Tracy and Tamiroff as two ne'er-do-wells constantly in search of a free meal in their home of Monterey, California.

Tortilla flat (film)