Tobacco Road (film) "Tobacco Road" was on the list of banned titles. Eventually, 20th Century Fox won the rights in August 1940, with RKO as its main competitor. It was believed that Fox won due to the success of "The Grapes of Wrath" (1940). They were the main preference of the copyright holders Erskine Caldwell and Jack Kirkland, who were reluctant to sell the rights unless the film "would be picturized honestly and fearlessly." Initially, Henry Hull was sought from Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer to reprise the main role previously portrayed on Broadway. However, in October 1940 he was revealed to be only in consideration, along
Tobacco Road (play) immoral. The May 4, 1941 episode of the "Texaco Star Theater" radio show started with comedian Fred Allen doing a sketch about the closing of "Tobacco Road" on Broadway. He asked various characters how they felt about the closing. In the song "Come Up To My Place" from the musical "On the Town", which takes place in 1944, Chip asks the cab driver Hildy to take him to several defunct New York attractions, including Tobacco Road. Tobacco Road (play) Tobacco Road is a play by Jack Kirkland first performed in 1933, based on the 1932 novel of the same name