The Green Pastures (Movie w Spirituals)

Subject: The Green Pastures (Movie w Spirituals)
From: wysiwyg
Date: 12 Feb 01 - 06:29 PM

THE GREEN PASTURES

Has anyone else seen this wonderful movie, which was on Turner Classic Movies (cable) last night? Or the play on which it is based? (Have a copy of the play???)

Here's the blurb from TCM: (http://www.turnerclassicmovies.com)
2/11/01 8:00 PM - The Green Pastures (1936)
God tests the human race in this re-enactment of Bible stories set in the world of black American folklore. Rex Ingram, Oscar Polk, Eddie Anderson. D: William Keighley. BW 93m.

And here's a bit more from:
http://www.reel.com/movie.asp?MID=4457
(Where it is available for purchase at only $15 and change!)
Green Pastures (1936)
Starring: Rex Ingram, Oscar Polk
Directors: William Keighley, Marc Connelly
Synopsis: In this film based on the 1930 Pulitzer Prize-winning play, life in heaven and stories from the Bible are brought to life using an all-Black cast and the Black English Vernacular of the 30s. Runtime: 93 minutes; MPAA Rating: NR; Genre: Drama.

It's wonderful! It looks to be black folk BY black folk, as opposed to black folk according to white folk. The cinematography is gorgeous. There is a huge angelic choir doing the spirituals that form the soundtrack-- lots I've never seen or heard. I'm ordering the movie to transcribe the lyrics. Anyone know anything about it?

And hey, Dave Oesterreich-- is your Green Pastures named for this? (See threads via search [GREEN PASTURES])

Talk to me!

~Susan

Subject: RE: The Green Pastures (Movie w Spirituals)
From: Art Thieme
Date: 12 Feb 01 - 10:30 PM

Green Pastures By Mark Connelly was taken from the book Old Man Adam And His Children by Roark Bradford. (That's how I remember it. It has been a long time.)

Roark Bradford wrote for the New Orleans Times Picayune in the early days of the 20th century. His topics were rally TALL TALES that he added to or built from scratch on occasion.

By far my favorite creation of Roark Bradford's (in cahoots with Lyle Saxon) was the story of ANNIE CHRISTMAS. I told my variation of it on the Mississippi River gigs I did all through the 1990s. Jacquie Torrence told it around in her own way too. The CBS Radio Theater did a great adaptation of the tale with William Conrad as the narrator of their beautifully graphic radio play. (Those old radio dramas were often more vivid than a 3 star movie to my mind.)

Some day when I can dredge it up I'll try to post it. But it was fairly long and I've not done it in a bunch o' years now...

Now I'm wondering if I posted it here in the forum somewhere already ? When your memory goes, forget it !!!!!!!!!

Art Thieme

Subject: RE: The Green Pastures (Movie w Spirituals)
From: GUEST,Fred
Date: 12 Feb 01 - 11:03 PM

Saw it many years ago, and it's a classic, however it got made. It's certainly one I hope Turner never colorizes.

Art, of all the things I've lost, I miss my mind the most.

Subject: RE: The Green Pastures (Movie w Spirituals)
From: wysiwyg
Date: 13 Feb 01 - 12:01 AM

I'm buying it. Come on over, bring popcorn!

~S~

Subject: RE: The Green Pastures (Movie w Spirituals)
From: MAG (inactive)
Date: 13 Feb 01 - 12:44 AM

art, you mean the Story of Annie christmas has no basis in fact?? I am CRUSHED.

You may know Jackie T. has been in very poor health for a coupla years now. She's the best.

Subject: RE: The Green Pastures (Movie w Spirituals)
From: wysiwyg
Date: 24 Aug 01 - 06:01 PM

Subject: RE: The Green Pastures (Movie w Spirituals)
From: WYSIWYG
Date: 13-Feb-01 - 12:01 AM

I'm buying it. Come on over, bring popcorn!

It has taken all this time, since our fire, to finally get this movie. I had not realized, although I "saw" it twice on the TCM cable movie channel, I had missed the first half both times! Wow!

This is really a fabulous movie. I am struck, as I go through the book of spirituals the movie inspired me to buy, how many of the old spirituals our blues masters knew, how just a passing reference to a line from one of those would evoke such a rich heritage of memory and experience for the listeners whose music it was. White folks like me-- well, we can only bump into the treasure from time to time as we blunder around in the folk process.

Most of the music in the movie is in the two books I now have. I'll post what I can reconstruct, here, of the ones featured, and maybe some of you will know more than I about the sources back of the ones I'm using.

But any time you are passing near our neighborhood-- give me a shout, bring the popcorn, and come with me to a time and place like no other.

~Susan

Subject: RE: The Green Pastures (Movie w Spirituals)
From: iamjohnne
Date: 25 Aug 01 - 12:15 AM

Green Pastures has one of my favorite movie lines in it . When God and Noah are talking about the Ark and who and what Noah shall take. Noah looks at God and says " I isnt much Lawd, but I'm all Ize gots"

Sometimes I have to remember that myself. I maynot be much but I am all I got.

Johnne "goin where the weather suits my clothes"

Subject: RE: The Green Pastures (Movie w Spirituals)
From: wysiwyg
Date: 25 Aug 01 - 02:56 AM

That was lovely, that whole scene, so lighted as to sparkle. I loved that line too. He has just realized he has been talking to De Lawd and instinctively he says he is for serving De Lawd. And then he bows his head and says that line. So sweet.

~Susan

Subject: RE: The Green Pastures (Movie w Spirituals)
From: iamjohnne
Date: 25 Aug 01 - 08:13 AM