Bright Leaf 1950

     The setting of this film is 1894 in North Carolina.  Cigar making tobacco magnate Major Singleton has run the Royles out of the Kingsmont North Carolina tobacco country.  They dared to make lowly cigarettes and not cigars.  Brant Royle is back in town and his father has passed way.  He’s the last of his family name.  Brant is determined to re-establish the Royle name by any means necessary.  Sonia loved Brant, she still loves him and she’s waited for him.  She’s made a success of her life and she has become prosperous.  Margaret Singleton is the daughter of Major Singleton and she has both an intense hatred and desire for Brant.

     I wish this film didn't telegraph the outcome for Brant from the beginning?  I knew right away the decisions he would make and the repercussions of those choices.  I didn't know that cigars were king at this time and cigarettes were looked down upon?  I also didn't know what kind of establishment Sonia owns?  If Margaret's father were any stiffer in his thoughts, feelings and view of society, he would not be able to bend his body?  3 1/2* (I liked this movie)

110 min, Drama directed by Michael Curtz with Gary Cooper, Lauren Bacall, Patricia Neal, Jack Carson, Donald Crisp, Gladys George, Elizabeth Patterson, Jeff Corey, Taylor Holmes, Thurston Hall.

Note:  Imdb 6.6 out of 10, 52% audience on Rotten Tomatoes, 3 ½* out of 4* by Slant Magazine, TCM Leonard Maltin 2.5* out of 4* average user rating 3.5* out of 5*, Amazon 4.5* out of 5* with 35 reviews.

Special Note:  A turn-of-the century cigarette maker was purchased as a prop to make the film authentic.  Patricia Neal was involved in a 3-year off screen romance with Gary Cooper.  She wanted to play the role of Sonia but Warner Brothers refused to test her.  This was the last Bacall film on a 7-year contract with Warner Brothers.  Documentary filmmaker Ross McElwee thought this film mirrored his great-grandfather’s contributions to the Bull Durham tobacco Industry along with his rival James B. Duke in post-Civil War Durham, NC.  He filmed a documentary with the title Bright Leaves in 2003 about this subject.  Amazon has 3.7* out of 5* with 9 reviews for the 2003 film.