Claudelle Inglish (1961)

TCM's theme tonight was adaptations of novels by Erskine Caldwell. I'd
seen the better-known God's Little Acre (1958) starring Robert Ryan and
featuring the film debut of Tina Louise. The novel (1933) was subject to
numerous censorship attemps due to its sexual content, and some of the
steaminess survived on screen. The movie tones down the ending, no
murder/suicide. One suspects the censorship of the novel backfired,
given 14 million copies sold.

In the adaptation of Claudelle Inglish, the two murders are retained,
apparently past the era of strict production code enforement.

It's not great but I was entertained. It's Warner Bros. so I recognized
much of the supporting cast from television. Sugarfoot! Doug Phillips from
The Time Tunnel! (Robert Colbert's career had a potential major setback
as WB television retconned Maverick to create a third brother, Brent, who
looked like a younger James Garner and fit Garner's costume! Fortunately
for him, he was just in three fourth season episodes, the first playing
a one-off character partially dressed in Bret's costume, then the other
two as Brent. He did not appear in season 5.) Sheriff Lobo! Dr. Gannon
from Medical Center! Major Stovall from Twelve O'Clock High!

Adaptation by Leonard Freeman (Hawaii Five-O)

Stars Diane McBain (Surfside 6), just gorgeous. Given the melodramatic
material, I thought she gave a nice performance, going from good girl to
bad girl. Anne Francis (Forbidden Planet), then 30, was offered the lead
but didn't like the script. I think the character aged from 17 to 21;
McBain was 19.

Her father was Arthur Kennedy, an absolutely wonderful actor whose
performances were always unforced and natural, no matter the script.
Kennedy plays a tenant farmer of Claude Akins, whose rents are so high
there's barely enough to make a living for his family.

Her mother was gorgeous Constance Ford, Sandra Dee's vial mother in A
Summer Place (1959) (also with Arthur Kennedy). She's quite unpleasant
in this, too, complaining constantly about her unprosperous husband, and
tries to get the daughter to marry Akins, a widower.

Claudelle and Linn (Chad Everett) are engaged; she's finishing high
school. Her mother opposes marriage because he'll just be another dirt
farmer. Linn has to do his Army service but he promises they'll marry
once he's discharged. They sleep together.

Close to two years go by when Claudelle gets dumped in a letter; Linn
intends to marry another woman. She decides to get revenge REVENGE by
becoming promiscuous, intending to break some men's hearts by letting
them fall in love with her. She sleeps with boys she knew in high school
and some older men, one of whom is the married proprietor of the general
store whose son Dennis (Sugarfoot) will propose to her against the
father's wishes. She won't sleep with Claude Akins. She's been accepting
gifts from men.

At a bar/dance hall, while supposedly on a date with someone else, she
meets Rip (Colbert), who wants her for a casual relationship and won't
fall in love with her. This sets up the crisis. Dennis becomes jealous
of Rip, starts several fights with him, the last of which results in
Dennis's murder by Rip. Claudelle sees the error of her ways after her
mother finally leaves her father (having threatened to for years), gets
rejected by Claude Akins, then decides to live on her own in another
town. Claudelle and her father reconcile and her father decides to seek
another life elsewhere. But the proprietor arrives to shoot Claudelle
dead blaming her for his own son's death. Her father hears the gunshot
but isn't a witness. Claudelle dies in his arms.

Both murders violate the no-longer-enforced Production Code as neither
perpetrator is punished on screen.