6 Essential John Steinbeck Adaptations You Need to Watch at Least Once

Born in California in 1902, John Steinbeck was ideally placed to document the American experience during one of the country’s most tumultuous periods.  A person of German, English, and Irish descent, his worldview was all-encompassing and full of compassion. The 33 novels he wrote during his lifetime dive deep into recurring themes of fate and injustice, firmly rooted in the life of the everyman.

Steinbeck’s no-nonsense prose style, emotive plots, and well-crafted characters lent themselves easily to film adaptations. No fewer than 18 movie versions of the author’s work have been created, often attracting the top tier of directors and actors. Here, we present six of the very best that everyone should watch at least once in their lifetime.

1. Of Mice and Men (1939 and 1992)
2. The Grapes of Wrath (1940)
3. East of Eden (1955)
4. La perla, or The Pearl (1947)
5. Cannery Row (1982)

Of Mice and Men (1939 and 1992)

Steinbeck’s classic study of migrant workers in California during the Great Depression has moved and educated readers for decades with its touching, sorrowful tale of two poor field workers in search of a dream.

George Milton is intelligent but uneducated. His best friend Lennie is strong and kind-hearted but has intellectual disabilities. The story follows the duo’s interactions with several characters whilst working on a farm, each of whom displays fundamental human qualities, from altruism and love to hatred, frustration, self-doubt, and malice.

It’s hard to choose between these two great film versions, so much so that we recommend watching both. The 1939 adaptation features a perfectly picked cast of Burgess Meredith, Betty Field, and the great Lon Chaney Jr. It was produced by Hal Roach and directed by Lewis Mileston, whose other credits include All Quiet on the Western Front (1930).

The 1992 adaptation equals its predecessor by casting John Malkovich and Gary Sinise, the latter of whom also produced and directed the movie. Ultimately, both do a fine job of conjuring the spirit and pathos of Steinbeck’s wonderful novel.

The Grapes of Wrath (1940)

Steinbeck won a Pulitzer Prize for this novel, which once again centers on the Great Depression, following the Joad family of impoverished tenant farmers as they are driven out of their native Oklahoma due to drought and terrible economic pressures. The Joads join thousands of other Okies on the road to California in search of a place where they can live and work with dignity.

The master of the Western, John Ford, directed this film version in-between two other classics, Stagecoach (1939) and How Green Was My Valley (1941). Outstanding screenwriter Nunnally Johnson provided the script, and leading man Henry Ford brought his usual charisma, weight, and pathos in the role of Tom Joad.

With cinematography by the innovative Gregg Toland, it’s little wonder that this film was among the first 25 selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the National Film Registry.

East of Eden (1955)

Steinbeck’s ambitious, sprawling novel is viewed by many as the ultimate expression of his literary gifts. Its setting is the Salinas Valley in Central California—a place Steinbeck brings so vividly to life that it becomes a character in the novel itself.

The story concerns the Trask family, including the father, Adam, his disgraced wife, Cathy, and the pair’s twin sons, Aaron and Caleb. The book takes much inspiration from the biblical tale of Cain and Abel, revolving around themes of the struggle between good and evil, redemption, and fate.

The 1955 film covers the fourth and final part of the novel. The wonderful Elia Kazan directs, a man whose work won multiple Academy Awards. Screenwriter Paul Osborn, who was particularly adept at book-to-film adaptations, penned the script, and the starring role was taken by the one and only James Dean.

Jo Van Fleet justly garnered an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role as the murderous brothel madam, Cathy.

You May Also Like:

Add Mental Floss as a preferred news source!

La perla, or The Pearl (1947)

If there’s a central theme to Steinbeck’s 1947 novel The Pearl, it is that money does not bring happiness, or more correctly, that the pursuit of riches does not bring happiness. That is putting it too simply, of course.

The book takes in themes of need, greed, racism, poverty, and desperation, as it chronicles the tale of poor fisherman Kino, his Juana, and their child, Coyotito. The chance discovery of an enormously valuable pearl promises a better life for the family, but scheming, violence, and single-mindedness ultimately spell disaster.

This Mexican-American movie featured a script co-written by Steinbeck himself, alongside the great Mexican actor, director, and screenwriter, Emilio Fernández, and the prolific writer, Jack Wagner. The wonderful actor Pedro Hastings, who won plaudits for his extensive work in both Mexico and America, plays Kino, and Fernández directed with emotion and style. The film is rightly considered of lasting cultural importance.

Cannery Row (1982)

Published in 1945, Steinbeck once again did a remarkable job of bringing a particular location to life. In this instance, it was the titular Cannery Row—the historic waterfront street in Monterey, California, which at the time was a thriving centre for the sardine canning industry.

The author imagined a memorable and colourful cast of characters, including grocer Lee Chong, marine biologist Doc, and the homeless Mack. When a good deed runs out of control, unintentionally ruining Doc’s house, Mack and friends resolve to make amends by throwing Doc the best party ever.

This comedy-drama film was the directorial debut for David Ward, who had by this point earned an Academy Award as screenwriter for the fantastic The Sting (1973) and would later achieve an Academy Award nomination for his script for Sleepless in Seattle (1993).

Nick Nolte stars as Doc, with the fantastic Debra Winger as Suzy DeSoto, and the extraordinary Emmet Walsh as Mack. The movie is beautifully shot and the script shines—and the combined results are magical.