FeaturePG1982·120m·5.8

Cannery Row

You don't have to be crazy to live here... but it helps.

DramaRomance

Doc, who has just moved to Cannery Row, realizes that the only entertainment is the brothel. There he meets the spunky Suzy and they fall in love, giving them both a renewed chance at life.

Play now

Cast

Nick Nolte

Doc

Debra Winger

Suzy DeSoto

Audra Lindley

Fauna Flood

Frank McRae

Hazel

M. Emmet Walsh

Mack

Tom Mahoney

Hughie

John Malloy

Jones

James Keane

Eddie

Sunshine Parker

The Seer

Santos Morales

Joseph and Mary

John Huston

Narrator

Ellen Blake

Wisteria

Sharon Ernster

Agnes

Kathleen Doyle

Violet

Mary Margaret Amato

Lola

Brenda Hillhouse

Martha

Mariko Tse

Blossom

Colleen O'Grady

The Pitcher

Tona Dodd

Golden Poppy Waitress

Judy Kerr

Beer Milkshake Waitress

Details

Status
Released
Original language
English
Languages
English
Budget
$11.3M
Revenue
Age rating
PG
Quality
4K UHD · HDR10 · Dolby Vision
Production
Chai ProductionsMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer

Crew

Director

David S. Ward

Writers

John Steinbeck, David S. Ward

Sven Nykvist

Director of Photography

David Bretherton

Editor

Richard Macdonald

Production Design

Jack Nitzsche

Original Music Composer

Ruth Myers

Costume Design

Gallery

Reviews

Phills2

6/23/2026

4.0

I'm afraid I speak for quite a few fans of the late Nobel winning novelist's book to say this film simply doesn't do his work justice. Just too many changes were made to fit a more Hollywood style formula comedy romance. It also was frustrating to see Sweet Thursday, his least successful book, combined and used more in the film. The new things added by director-wruter Ward seemed to have no purpose We have a trumpet playing Chinatown style while a hat floats in the water. Apparently a character named the Seer has drowned and he was hurt by Doc when he used to be prize fighter (or was it a baseball player?} Why on earth this was added to the movie still is a mystery to me. Mr. Ward now teaches screenwriter at Chapman College. God help his students if they write more films like this one. Doc and Suzy alternately dance and fight, oh, where on earth in the novels was that or why was it needed?