Tortilla Flat

"Tortilla Flat" is a good movie. In some ways, it reminds me of "Juarez," another film in which John Garfield plays a Latino. The similarity is that both are good films that have contained within them really terrific scenes. I guess you could say that in these films, the parts are in some ways greater than the whole.

For me, the best scenes in "Tortilla Flat" revolve around Frank Morgan, who plays a sort of tramp (homeless man) who goes around with a bunch of dogs. Like Mr. Morgan, one of the dogs seems to have appeared in "The Wizard of Oz" -- yes, I think Toto is in "Tortilla Flat." Not surprising, since both films were directed by Victor Fleming.

But the most extraordinary scene is that in which Frank Morgan has gathered his five dogs, in the midst of the majestic Redwood Forest, and relates to the dogs the story of St. Francis. As he is telling the story, the dogs actually have a vision! As the vision hovers, and the dogs react, Morgan averts his eyes. When the vision passes, Morgan shouts to the dogs: "Did you see him? Did you see him? It was St. Francis! What good boys you must be to see St. Francis!"

I know of few other films that depict pure religious experience so effectively. It raises this good film onto another level.

Greatly enjoyed this story written by John Steinbeck and a great cast of veteran actors who all gave outstanding performances. Daniel Alvarez, (John Garfield) is a poor young man who pals around with a bunch of lazy men who never seem to work and love to eat and drink wine. Daniel inherits two homes that his grandfather left him and one of his friends, Pilon, (Spencer Tracy) decides to take advantage of him and brings in all his friends to live in one of the houses. There is a great deal of trying to steal chickens and also obtaining free wine from local female ladies. Daniel meets up with a very pretty woman named Dolores Ramirez, (Hedy Lamarr) and they both become very good friends and lovers. There is also a man named The Pirate, (Frank Morgan) who lives like a tramp, but has plenty of money hidden in the woods. The Pirate is trying to save money to buy a silver golden stick for the Statue of St. Franicis in the local Catholic Church. Pilon wants to steal this money from the Pirate and then he starts experiencing different changes in his personality which creates a great ending to this story. Enjoy.

If you like comedies the whole family can see and enjoy. This is a movie for you. But it is more than a good comedy of life an wonderful characters in a poor Mexican community in Monterry California. First is the most improbable casting that worked so well. I can picture Spencer Tracy cast as most any character except for a Mexican passion, wise in somethings and dumb -- plain foolish -- in others. He managed the role wonderfully. Hedy Lamar -- a peasant girl looking for a man with a job who could make her a work at home mom with many babies. She pulled it off with a sizzle. Most of all it was a very thought provoking movie. If followed the ideas of the famous book by John Stienbeck most accurately. Showing how we tend to get into ruts in life and using the wonderful Northern California landscape to show some overlooked opportunities to live well. If you want to really get into this movie read the book first.

I'm not sure of the appeal of this story either in the book or in the film. The group of paisanos that John Steinbeck created is as shiftless and lazy a group as you will find anywhere. Their leader Pilon played by Spencer Tracy works this whole bunch as ruthlessly as Abbott regularly did to Costello. And the Costello of this story is of all people John Garfield.

Garfield inherits a couple of houses courtesy of his late grandfather and Tracy and his friends move in to free load. Garfield also has his eye on Hedy Lamarr who works in a cannery and for a husband, much as she likes Garfield, doesn't want a shiftless loafer for a life partner. Garfield has to mend his ways before he's got any chance with her. Of course the prospect of kanoodling with Hedy Lamarr is enough to make any man straighten out, even get a haircut.

Tracy has no intention of changing his ways. He even tries to bilk simple hermit Frank Morgan out of his savings. Morgan, who's called the Pirate in this film, got an Oscar nomination for Supporting Actor and he's the best one in the film. Close to him is the always dependable Henry O'Neill as the local parish priest.

Tortilla Flat is about as opposite a story from The Grapes of Wrath that it's hard to believe they come from the same author, John Steinbeck. The Grapes of Wrath is about hard working Anglo farmers from Oklahoma who've lost everything and just want the chance to earn a living from the soil again. Tortilla Flat's paisanos have an attitude about work that is on the level of Maynard G. Krebs. They're a harbinger of hippies to come.

Tracy in his portrayal of Pilon dusts off some of the accent he used in Captains Courageous. But as good an actor as he is, he just can't make this viewer have any degree of empathy for his character. About as opposite as you can get from the simple hardworking Manuel Fidelio of Captains Courageous.

A lot of Latinos today find this film offensive and looking at it, I can't really blame them.

I grew up in Monterey and I vividly remember my father speaking of these characters when he was growing up. Steinbeck sought to place these men in a motif that was similar to that of the knights of the Round Table showing all their excesses, loves, and loyalty to each other. While the film shows 1940's insensitivities it also captures a great deal of Steinbeck's purposes. It might be helpful to remember that Steinbeck wasn't writing of chicano's or even Mexicans per se, but of the creollo or Californio, i.e. the Spanish and later Mexican vaquero who ruled and reigned in Californio long before the Mexican national arrived in California.