Cannery Row

6/23/2026

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.