This one is a real treat. Lots of great exteriors. The location shooting was either done down by Santa Monica along the coast or else they actually went to Salinas (the setting is obviously meant to be Salinas with the canning industry and reference to the Portuguese workers and proximity to San Francisco). It's very atmospheric. And the theme is indeed rather shocking for 1940 (the mother running around with this other guy while her self-loathing alcoholic husband drinks himself nearly to death - and of course, she has to die in the end which isn't exactly a spoiler since this is a production code era Hollywood movie). Lots of great dialogue and wild characters. Joel McCrea's part is pretty typical but Ginger Rogers gets some tremendous lines and the supporting cast is surprisingly strong.
Review of Primrose Path
