The Good Earth, based on Pearl Buck's sprawling novel, is the story of a Chinese farming couple whose lives are torn apart by poverty, greed and nature. For her portrayal of the wife O-Lan, Luise Rainer won the second of her back-to-back Best Actress Academy Awards, while cinematographer Karl Freund also took home an Oscar for his exquisite photography. The Good Earth is Irving Thalberg's final film production. Sadly, he died before it was completed.