The Human Comedy (film)

The Human Comedy is a 1943 American drama film directed by Clarence Brown and adapted by Howard Estabrook. It is often thought to be based on the William Saroyan novel of the same name, but Saroyan actually wrote the screenplay first, was fired from the movie project, and quickly wrote the novel and published it just before the film was released. It stars Mickey Rooney with Frank Morgan. Also appearing in the film are James Craig, Marsha Hunt, Fay Bainter, Ray Collins, Van Johnson, Donna Reed and Jackie Butch Jenkins.

Robert Mitchum and Don DeFore appear uncredited in early bit parts as buddies of a soldier Barry Nelson with a night off from training, trying to meet girls and take in a movie. Carl Switzer, best known as Alfalfa in the Our Gang shorts, appears uncredited as Auggie, a friend of Ulysses.Saroyan wrote a film treatment and a screenplay that he was asked to direct. He was paid off and removed from the project when his film proved to be more than two hours long. Saroyan was not at all happy with the film as completed by Brown, and he wrote his novel from the script he produced. The novel was published at the same time as the films release with the intent of countering the film version of the story.citation needed There are noticeable differences between the film and the novel, including a stronger characterization of Ulysses, the small boy, in the novel and far fewer scenes of sentiment than were incorporated into the film by Estabrook and Brown social criticism is also much blunter in the novel.citation needed Louis B. Mayer, head of MGM, who suggested that this was his favorite film, also suggest a very definite MGM house style. ........

Source: Wikipedia