Movie: Tortilla Flat

Couple years ago I caught this old B&W western from 1942 on TV.  It stars Hedy Lamarr and Spencer Tracy and John Garfield and Frank Morgan (The Wizard of Oz), and it tells a tale of redemption in the Old West from a John Steinbeck novel.  I remember being struck with the insightful dialog, the spare scenery, the bountiful INTELLIGENCE with which it had been put together.  Surprising, for a western.

Been keeping my eye out for a copy ever since.  Haven't found one for a reasonable price yet.

But online, there are PAL region 2 Spanish versions for cheaper than US.  I don't think I want one that bad -- but what's weird is the title.  In the Spanish-language version the title "Tortilla Flat" -- which is a placename in Arizona -- is translated as "La vida es así" = "Life is so".

Odd, that.  Why not just use the placename?

Finally found a copy for what I was willing to pay, about ten dollars. Steinbeck’s writing is clever, and the staging is effective, and the lighting and camerawork, done by the same crew as “The Wizard of Oz” three years earlier, are marvelous.

Wonderful movie.

In addition to Frank Morgan and Victor Fleming, Terry the dog appears in Tortilla Flat. You know her better as Toto.