Word Count: 1770
King Vidor’s 1934 film Our Daily Bread is aptly named, for the film is of a
prayer than an actual solution to the Great Depression. Like other Socio-political films of
the era, it tries to offer a solution to the problems faced by so many Americans. However,
Vidor’s message gets lost somewhere between the poor production, the bad acting, and
the inconsistent ideology of the film. For those reasons what comes out at the end is an
almost silly climax with little realism that offers the same amount of help that an escapist
vehicle of the same period would offer.
Vidor’s vision first began with his 1928 classic film of a couple being subjugated
by the big city, The Crowd, which is the first part of a series of films Vidor wanted to do
that depicted the lives of average American men and women (Vidor 221). The film
follows the protagonist, John, as he slaves away in his office doing paperwork like so
many other insignificant men. When John leaves work he is still just going through the
motions, for his courtship and marriage to the heroine of the film, Mary, seems like a part
of the city routine. Their marriage is enclosed by the city that their marriage suffers until
Mary becomes pregnant. Here Vidor makes his point with his images of births in quantity
(Bergman 76).
John’s downfall in the film begins with the death of his child. Hit in the street by
a truck, the child lies dying as John tries seems to fight the sights and sounds of the city
that killed his daughter. Her death continues to haunt John as he relives the scene over
and over at work. Eventually he loses his job and his wife, and he wanders around with
nothing to live for. He reunites with Mary in the end and they attend a show, where on
the program is an advertising slogan that he is responsible for. He rejoices in this
achievement, and is then able to laugh at the show, joining the rest of the people in the
crowd. It is a touching and realistic ending that Vidor called “A perfectly natural finish
for the story of Mr. Anyman” (Bergman 76).
In the early 1930s Vidor wanted to take the trials and unrest of the common man
and put it into a film, so he read as many articles as he could on the subject (Vidor 220).
He came across an article by a college professor in Reader’s Digest that proposed the
implementation of agricultural co-operatives as a solution to unemployment. Vidor used
this concept to formulate his story with his wife, and the two of them began work on the
script. They finished the story in four months, which they titled Our Daily Bread. It
followed a trend of other “back to the earth” films that came out in 1933, such as King
Kong, State Fair, The Life of Jimmy Dolan, and Stranger’s Return.
With the script finished Vidor tried to sell the idea to Irving Thalberg at MGM,
but although he expressed a liking for the story, he didn’t think it appropriate for MGM
(Vidor 221). Vidor had no better luck with anyone else until he appealed to Charlie
Chaplin, a co-owner of United Artists. UA agreed to release the picture, but Vidor still
had to produce it himself. To get funding he hocked everything he could, raising about
$125,000 to budget his film.
With this money Vidor was able to make his film about an ideal social system,
where people work together towards a common goal with a relationship based on trust to
form a utopian community, showing the romantic idealist in Vidor (Welsh 446). Vidor
wanted to take the same protagonists from The Crowd, John and Mary, and place them in
Our Daily Bread so that he could move them out of the city and show them in a rural
environment. Vidor wanted to offer an alternative lifestyle that involved getting away
from the big cities and living off of the land. His conception of the agricultural cooperatives suggested a shifting away from industrialization and instead refocusing on the
countries agricultural strengths to pull us out of the Depression.
In Our Daily Bread, John and Mary begin in the city, both out of work. They get a
break when a relative of Mary gives them the rights to an abandoned farm, so they back
up what they can and leave the city for the country. However, their ignorance in
agriculture has them turn to the help of others, an immigrant farmer and his family. They
know how to farm and offer their services in exchange for being able to stay on the land
with them. This starts a trend as they begin taking in out of work people that happen to
pass by. The community that forms consists of people of all trades; there is even a
criminal who serves as the commune’s cop. And they also take in trouble in the form of
the town hussy, the platinum blonde Sally.
With the people in place the commune holds a campfire meeting to decide what
direction they want their co-operative to head towards. John is willing to cede ownership
of the land to the group. Much political rhetoric of a varied nature goes on, with ideas
that swing from fascist to socialist to communist, but the group settles on having one
strong leader in a democratic system, and that leader being John, despite his inexperience
at farming.
The commune runs into trouble when a drought hits and the corn crop is in
danger. The commune must scrounge for food because they have no money to buy
supplies. The criminal offers to give himself up to authorities so that the commune may
collect on the $500 reward being offered for him, but the commune declines. The trouble
that the commune has causes John to lose interest not only in the farm but also his wife as
he becomes taken with Sally. When things seem darkest, John decides to run with Sally
back to the city. However, shortly after leaving John gets a vision of an irrigation ditch
they can build from a nearby stream that can save the crops. He turns around an presents
his idea to the commune and they buy into it and set to work on digging it. The sequences
were shot by Vidor as if it were a ballet (Vidor 224). The films end with the ditch being a
success, with full and health crops in a very fantasy like ending
It is this lack of realism that makes Our Daily Bread an inferior film, especially as
a follow up to The Crowd. The Crowd was a heart-wrenching look at the insanity of city
life that showed how contentment could only be achieved by losing one’s sense of self.
Our Daily Bread is an unrealistic solution to the Depression, which is also hindered by its
poor acting and characters, in particular John, played by Tom Keene. The bad acting can
perhaps be excused by the fact that Vidor hadn’t much of a budget to work with, but the
character he presented in John was not a good example of a working class hero. John is
weak and incompetent and it does not stand to reason that the co-operative would elect
him as their leader. When things get tough John makes it his opportunity to run off with
Sally. And it is not guilt of leaving his wife that brings him back, but his vision of an
irrigation ditch that makes him turn back.
His insight into the irrigation ditch is also a questionable plot mechanism. John is
not the experienced farmer, but the immigrant who was first to arrive at the co-operative
is. It is unreasonable to conceive that thousands of years of humans developing farming
techniques would be lost on this poor Swede to where he would never come up with the
concept of an aqueduct. This is one of several agricultural inaccuracies. The water they
use in the end supposedly comes from a mountain stream. If this is true then mountain
land is not fertile enough to grow corn and wheat, like what was being done in the cooperative. Also, it was suggested that the co-operative was growing their crops to sell, not
just subsistence. During this time period there was a surplus of corn and wheat. There
was no market for their crops.
What makes this film particularly bad is how confused is seems ideologically at
times. The campfire scene has moments were the film is very much leftist, then it swings
to the right (Durgnat 149). John tries to give up ownership of the land to the co-operative,
a left-wing act, but they feel it would be an ungrateful act, similar to an anti-welfare
attitude. They also demand a strong leader and choose John, which he proudly accepts,
also a right-wing attitude. There are other instances where there is a more leftist attitude,
where people sacrifice for the good of the collective, which leans almost towards
communism. The best example is when the criminal/cop turns himself in for the $500
reward to feed the commune. What best illustrated this confusion is the film’s winning
second prize at a Soviet film festival in Moscow, yet didn’t receive first prize because
they considered it to be “capitalist propaganda.” The Hearst press machine labeled the
film “pinko”, and the Los Angeles Times refused an advertising layout because the film
went too far to the left in their opinion (Vidor 227).
With the country in the midst of The Great Depression it is easy to see why the
film was well received. The system that was currently in place was obviously not
working. People wanted a solution to their problems. Vidor offered the means to a
utopian society where people could work together towards a common goal, everyone
doing equal share, everyone taking equal rewards. But his vision was unachievable.
People out of work in the cities didn’t have relatives that owned farms and were willing
to give them away. Cash crops were not bringing enough to earn a living. Vidor’s dream
for pulling America out of the Depression was nothing more than what it was: a dream.
Works Cited
Bergman, Andrew. We’re in the Money: Depression America and its Films. New York:
NYU Press, 1971.
Durgnat, Raymond & Simmon, Scott. King Vidor, American. Los Angeles:
University of
California Press, 1988.
Vidor, King. A Tree is a Tree. New York: Harcourt, Brace, 1952.
Welsh, James M. “Vidor, King Wallis.” The Political Companion to American Film. Ed.
Gary Crowdus. Lakeview Press, 1994.
Keywords:
word count king vidor film daily bread aptly named film prayer than actual solution great
depression like other socio political films tries offer solution problems faced many
americans however vidor message gets lost somewhere between poor production acting
inconsistent ideology film those reasons what comes almost silly climax with little
realism that offers same amount help that escapist vehicle same period would offer vidor
vision first began with classic couple being subjugated city crowd which first part series
films wanted that depicted lives average american women follows protagonist john slaves
away office doing paperwork like many other insignificant when john leaves work still
just going through motions courtship marriage heroine mary seems like part city routine
their marriage enclosed city their marriage suffers until mary becomes pregnant here
makes point with images births quantity bergman john downfall begins death child street
truck child lies dying tries seems fight sights sounds killed daughter death continues
haunt relives scene over over work eventually loses wife wanders around nothing live
reunites mary they attend show where program advertising slogan responsible rejoices
this achievement then able laugh show joining rest people crowd touching realistic
ending called perfectly natural finish story anyman bergman early wanted take trials
unrest common into read many articles could subject came across article college
professor reader digest proposed implementation agricultural operatives solution
unemployment used this concept formulate story wife them began work script they
finished story four months which they titled daily bread followed trend other back earth
films came such king kong state fair life jimmy dolan stranger return script finished tried
sell idea irving thalberg although expressed liking didn think appropriate better luck
anyone else until appealed charlie chaplin owner united artists agreed release picture still
produce himself funding hocked everything could raising about budget this money able
make about ideal social system where people together towards common goal relationship
based trust form utopian community showing romantic idealist welsh wanted take same
protagonists from crowd place them daily bread could move them show rural
environment offer alternative lifestyle involved getting away from cities living land
conception agricultural operatives suggested shifting away from industrialization instead
refocusing countries agricultural strengths pull depression begin both break when relative
gives rights abandoned farm back what leave country however their ignorance agriculture
turn help others immigrant farmer family know farm services exchange being able stay
land starts trend begin taking people happen pass community forms consists trades there
even criminal serves commune also take trouble form town hussy platinum blonde sally
place commune holds campfire meeting decide what direction want operative head
towards willing cede ownership land group much political rhetoric varied nature goes
ideas swing fascist socialist communist group settles having strong leader democratic
system leader being despite inexperience farming commune runs into trouble when
drought hits corn crop danger must scrounge food because have money supplies criminal
offers give himself authorities collect reward offered declines trouble causes lose interest
only farm also wife becomes taken sally things seem darkest decides sally back however
shortly after leaving gets vision irrigation ditch build nearby stream save crops turns
around presents idea into digging sequences were shot were ballet ditch success full
health crops very fantasy ending lack realism makes inferior especially follow heart
wrenching look insanity life showed contentment only achieved losing sense self
unrealistic depression which also hindered poor acting characters particular played keene
acting perhaps excused fact hadn much budget character presented good example
working class hero weak incompetent does stand reason operative would elect leader
things tough makes opportunity guilt leaving brings vision irrigation ditch turn insight
irrigation questionable plot mechanism experienced farmer immigrant first arrive
operative unreasonable conceive thousands years humans developing farming techniques
would lost poor swede where never come concept aqueduct several inaccuracies water
supposedly comes mountain stream true then mountain fertile enough grow corn wheat
done suggested growing crops sell just subsistence during time period there surplus corn
wheat there market particularly confused seems ideologically times campfire scene
moments were very much leftist then swings right durgnat tries give ownership left wing
feel ungrateful similar anti welfare attitude demand strong choose proudly accepts right
wing attitude instances more leftist attitude sacrifice good collective leans almost towards
communism best example criminal turns himself reward feed best illustrated confusion
winning second prize soviet festival moscow didn receive prize because considered
capitalist propaganda hearst press machine labeled pinko angeles times refused
advertising layout because went left opinion country midst great easy well received
system currently place obviously working problems offered means utopian society
together common goal everyone doing equal share everyone taking equal rewards
unachievable cities didn have relatives owned farms willing give cash bringing enough
earn living dream pulling america nothing more than dream works cited bergman andrew
money america york press durgnat raymond simmon scott king american angeles
university california press tree tree york harcourt brace welsh james wallis political
companion american gary crowdus lakeview
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