Our Daily Bread (1934)

When times are tough, I turn to this movie. The tot and I watched it again this evening, and it still has a positive impact on me.

Perhaps the acting leaves a lot to be desired (aside from my favourite 1930s character actor John Qualen, who is always wonderful), and the print is pretty awful, but this film, once you get past all the corny (pun only half intended), can be deep-down inspirational.

After going bust in the city, "big ideas" man John Sims and his wife relocate to a dirt farm donated by a relative. Not knowing anything about farming, John happily accepts a hand from marooned Swedish farmer Larsen (Qualen) who went bankrupt in Minnesota and ran out of gas on their road.

When the Larsen family shares with John and the Mrs their rabbit stew, John gets an idea - a collective farming village, peopled with all manners of tradesmen and their families to share the work, the resources and the profits. At first only interested in the practical trades, such as carpentry and plumbing, John soon realizes their commune has a place for all manners of folks. There is a bit of dramatic de-railing with passion and pessimism come slinking in, but the social fabric retains its strength, and the community re-knits together even stronger than before.

The film takes us through several ups and downs of Depression-era life, including food shortages and droughts, but also gives us highs, such as the moment they first see the shoots of their new life spring through the ground, and the climatic final moments of humanity's triumph over adversity.

Corny, yes. But really a statement about the human spirit, and what can be achieved through hard work, unflagging optimism, self-control and common decency. It is a remarkable testimony to the strength and perseverance of the 1930s "back to the land" farmers, who refused to be licked by hard times, which is all the more touching for being produced as the suffering continued across North America and beyond. It's a type of Christian Socialism that was killed off by the Cold War, and one we likely won't ever see again. And it does us good to witness it.

In terms of its zeitgeist and sense of purpose, Our Daily Bread is one of the top 10 pictures of the 1930s, in my books, and is not to be missed. Enjoy!