Which 1936 documentary by Pare Lorentz was commissioned by the U.S. government about soil erosion?

The 1936 documentary by Pare Lorentz about soil erosion, commissioned by the U.S. government, is The Plow That Broke the Plains.

The film was produced for the Resettlement Administration as part of Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal. It traces the cultivation of the Great Plains after the Civil War, emphasizing how intensive farming, the removal of native grasses, and economic pressure helped create conditions that culminated in the Dust Bowl. Lorentz presented the subject as both an environmental warning and an argument for better land management.

The score by composer Virgil Thomson was central to the film’s impact. Its orchestral music, narration, and montage helped establish a distinctive American documentary style. The film was made on a modest budget, and the musicians reportedly finished recording the score without overtime pay when the production ran out of funds.

The Plow That Broke the Plains first appeared at the White House in March 1936 before its public release. It was the first U.S. government film made for commercial distribution, and it helped demonstrate how documentary cinema could explain public policy and environmental problems to a broad audience.