Tortilla Flat

UPC: 883316336304

Studio: Warner Bros. Digital Distribution

MPAA Rating: NR   Contains:[Suitable for Children]

Summary: Like the John Steinbeck novel on which it is based, Tortilla Flat is not so much a movie as a series of warm-hearted anecdotes, all linked to a small California fishing village populated by poor but happy immigrants. The focus is upon Pilon (Spencer Tracy), a good-natured, charismatic freeloader, and Danny (John Garfield), a hot-headed fisherman who is dragged kicking and screaming into the world of personal responsibility when he inherits two small houses. As Pilon toys with the notion of stealing the nest egg saved up by an old man known as "the Pirate" (Frank Morgan), Danny tries to spark a romance with sexy cannery worker Dolores "Sweets" Ramirez (Hedy Lamarr). Abandoning the robbery plans when he learns that the Pirate intends to use his money to purchase a candlestick for St. Francis, Pilon turns his attentions to stealing Sweets away from Danny. But when Danny is injured in a drunken fight, the mercurial Pilon switches gears again, devoting his energies to bringing Danny and Sweets back together. Of the film's many highlights, standouts include the surprisingly effective "straight" performance by comic actor Frank Morgan (for which he received an Oscar nomination), and the seemingly improvised songfest between Spencer Tracy and John Garfield. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Category: Romance

Awards: Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Supporting Actor – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

Tortilla Flat

Format: DVD

Release Date: 07/29/2011

Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1 Pre-1954 Standard

Audio: DDM2.0 Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono

Runtime: 99 Minutes

Sides: 1

Number of Discs: 1

Language(s) English

Craig Butler

Tortilla Flat has dated quite a bit since its 1942 release, and many modern viewers will find its portrayal of its mixed-Ethnic characters to be condescending and a bit insulting. But if one can look past this flaw, one is likely to find Tortilla an amiable and very agreeable little film. True, it's far from perfect: like the novel on which it is based, Tortilla is really more about atmosphere and character than it is about plot, and so the cinematic version comes off as a bit episodic and occasionally disjointed, in spite of the best efforts of director Victor Fleming to smooth over the rough patches and distract viewers from noticing this. But Fleming and his cast are so good at creating the atmosphere and at breathing life into the characters and their relationships that most viewers won't care about the bumps in the story. The cast is uniformly good, even Hedy Lamarr, whose abilities as an actress were limited and required special handling. She shines here, and has a great chemistry with John Garfield -- who for his part is lovably raffish. Spencer Tracy is perhaps first among the cast, seeming to enjoy his earthy part and having the chance to "unbend" a little. And Frank Morgan, in a rare non-comic part, demonstrates that he had a gift for drama that was rarely utilized. ~ Craig Butler, Rovi

Cast and Crew: Walter Sande  Actor 
Roque Ybarra  Actor 
Yvette Dugay  Actor 
George Magrill  Actor 
Harry Strang  Actor 
Bob O'Connor  Actor 
Tim Ryan  Actor 
Willie Fung  Actor 
Louis Jean Heydt  Actor 
Emmett Vogan  Actor 
Jack Carr  Actor 
Charles Judels  Actor 
Tito Renaldo  Actor 
Victor Fleming  Director 
Benjamin Glazer  Screenwriter 
Frank Loesser  Composer (Music Score) 
John Lee Mahin  Screenwriter 
Franz Waxman  Composer (Music Score) 
Sam Zimbalist  Producer 
Spencer Tracy  Actor 
Hedy Lamarr  Actor 
John Garfield  Actor 
Frank Morgan  Actor 
Akim Tamiroff  Actor 
Donald Meek  Actor 
Sheldon Leonard  Actor 
John Qualen  Actor 
Connie Gilchrist  Actor 
Allen Jenkins  Actor 
Henry O'Neill  Actor 
Nina Campana  Actor 
Arthur Space  Actor 
Betty Wells  Actor 
Harry Burns  Actor 

Country: USA