The Promised Land Barred to Hoboes (1936) User Reviews

Right To Travel

[boblipton · 5/10 · 8 December 2023]

Here's a short clip from Hearst's Metrotone newsreels for MGM about the ban California placed on penniless people moving to California. The idea was that people like that would be a charge on the state. If you're familiar with THE GRAPES OF WRATH in any form, you'll recognize the situation.

Interestingly, thirty years later, when Chavez began to unionize the migratory workers, the farm owners who opposed his efforts vehemently were often Okies who had moved to California despite the ban. I am not certain how the state action ended, but the current state of law holds that American citizens have the right to travel from one state to another without let or hindrance; if they are driving autos or trucks, though, they do need a valid driver's license.

Calling Woody Guthrie

[Michael_Elliott · 1 January 2013]

The Promised Land Barred to Hoboes (1936)

This Hearst Motrotone newsreel is a pretty interesting bit of history and especially when you think about THE GRAPES OF WRATH, which would be released shortly afterwards. This newsreel clocks in at just two-minutes but ten-seconds into the picture you're blood is probably going to be boiling. This covers how California basically closed their borders to anyone who didn't have money or the state felt were going to have a negative impact. Of course, the majority of these people were just trying to find work but the newsreel says that the police said 60% of those fingerprinted had criminal records. This here is certainly an interesting piece of history because it shows real people being turned away from California and we even get to hear from the Governor of Arizona who talks about why he's against the state doing this. There's a lot of footage showing real people being taken away by the police so history buffs will certainly want to check this out.

Revealing historic news item.

[Mozjoukine · 22 March 2012]

Well let's see how we go doing ten lines on a two minute newsreel item lopped out of a Hearst Metronome reel, but you can tell that from the credits can't you?

The piece is included in the Treasures of the West DVD set with the intention of contrast with other items like their DESCHUTES DRIFTWOOD but really the telling comparison is with features like GABRIEL OVER the WHITE HOUSE and The GRAPES OF WRATH with their contrasting attitudes to the social divide.

Good actuality transport images and intriguing commentary.

There we are at length after all.