Tortilla Flat (1942)

Description

Danny (John Garfield) inherits two houses, so Pilon (Spencer Tracy) and his poor, idle friends move in. One of them, Pirate, (Frank Morgan) is saving money which Pilon endeavors to steal, until he discovers that it is being collected to purchase a golden candlestick which he intends to burn for St. Francis to honor the Pirate's dead dog. One of the houses burns down, so Danny allows his friends to move into the other house with him, and in gratitude Pilon tries to make life better for his friend. Things are fine at first until Danny's passion for a lovely girl (Hedy Lamarr) causes him to actually go to work. A misunderstanding caused by Pilon about a vacuum cleaner causes Danny to lose it; he becomes drunk and a bit crazy. He almost dies in an accident in the cannery but through Pilon's prayers, is restored to health. He then marries his sweetheart with the promise that he will become a fisherman now that Pilon has found the money to buy a boat. The happy ending is quite different from the novel's ending in which Danny dies after a fall.