Tortilla Flat (1942)

Set among the paisano community on the Monterey coast of California, a shiftless young man (John Garfield) inherits two houses when his grandfather dies. His indolent friends led by the sneaky but crafty Pilon (Spencer Tracy) take over his property and try to take over his life too after he falls for a local Portuguese beauty (Hedy Lamarr). Based on the novel by John Steinbeck and directed by Victor Fleming (GONE WITH THE WIND). I think we're supposed to be amused by these lazy but colorful bunch of leeches who refuse to work and con their way into getting money and wine to live on. I found them irritating. The characters are all supposed to be of Spanish, Mexican or Portuguese descent which means everybody is miscast and their accents dicey and in Spencer Tracy's case, egregiously so. Tracy lacks any semblance of the charm needed to make his character tolerable. Two actors stand out in spite of the miscasting: Frank Morgan (in an Oscar nominated performance) as the dog loving wood seller and Hedy Lamarr as the feisty lovely who captures Garfield's heart. The film was a big hit. With Akim Tamiroff, John Qualen, Connie Gilchrist, Allen Jenkins and Sheldon Leonard.