CULTURED PEARL
In his very laudatory essay on Pearl Buck, history teacher James C. Thomson Jr. tells us--incredibly--that the movie version of Buck’s “The Good Earth” “had more viewers than any in history until ‘Gone With the Wind.’ ”
Mr. Thomson may be a history teacher, but he sure doesn’t know his Hollywood history. Though brilliantly done, “The Good Earth” lost $496,000 in the first five years following its release (early in 1937). This made it one of the biggest financial losers in MGM history. The film did well in the big cities but very poorly in the rest of the country.
DAVID R. MOSS
LOS ANGELES
Mr. Thomson does not equate profits with patrons; something about apples and oranges.--Ed.
Only good movies
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