The Oprah Winfrey Show
Oprah's Best Life Series
Harpo Films
For One More Day
The Great Debaters
O, The Oprah Magazine
Subscribe Today
Oprah Radio
Oprah's Angel Network
Oprah's Book Club
Facts
O-lan Gets a Makeover
The MGM film adaptation of The Good Earth opened in January of 1937 to rapturous reviews from both critics and fans. Legendary producer Irving Thalberg's last project—he died before the movie was completed—the film carries his unmistakable stamp in its cinematography and bent towards romance. Though the picture is true to the novel in many ways, in order to give the beautiful Luise Rainer a juicy role, O-lan was transformed from a dowdy slave to a glamorous seductress who claims Wang Lung's erotic lust. The movie earned several Academy Award® nominations and Rainer won the best actress statue for her tender portrayal.
