Tonight's Movie: Bright Leaf (1950) - A Warner Archive Blu-ray Review

The post Civil War melodrama BRIGHT LEAF (1950) is now available on Blu-ray from the Warner Archive Collection.

This film, starring Gary Cooper and directed by Michael Curtiz, seems to be relatively lesser known.  It had escaped my notice until its recent Blu-ray release. 

The movie starts off well, with a deep cast playing an initially interesting collection of characters, but as the film's 110 minutes goes on in increasingly depressing fashion, boredom sets in.

The screenplay, written by Ranald MacDougall from a novel by Foster Fitz-Simons, casts Gary Cooper as Brant Royle. In the opening scenes Brant returns to the Southern town he and his financially beleaguered family had been thrown out of years before by wealthy tobacco grower Major James Singleton (Donald Crisp).

Brant has an opportunity for business success thanks to a cigarette-rolling machine invented by John Barton (Jeff Corey). Brant's former flame Sonia, who owns a bordello, becomes his business partner and helps him invest in Barton's invention; they're joined by a former medicine show salesman, Chris Malley (Jack Carson).

Brant becomes wealthy enough to drive Major Singleton out of business; he later abandons his relationship with Sonia to marry Major Singleton's brittle daughter, Margaret (Patricia Neal).

Brant manages to alienate every true friend, while also learning his marriage to Margaret is not quite as it had seemed...

The first hour or so of the film was enjoyable thanks to the deep cast and some unusual premises; the story combined familiar "building a fortune out of nothing" themes with a storyline probably not seen in any other movie, the automation of cigarette manufacturing.

The film is also somewhat unique for its time in that Sonia's profession, so to speak, is quite clear, despite calling the women she lives with (including Cleo Moore and Nita Talbot) "cousins." References Sonia makes to how she's made her money don't leave much to the imagination.

Unfortunately financial success doesn't make Brant happy; instead he becomes increasingly impatient and cruel to his loyal friends Sonia, John, and Chris. As his behavior becomes more and more obnoxious, the film is in turn harder and harder to watch.

Cooper's character starts out with a chip on his shoulder, and instead of being satisfied with success he becomes angrier and angrier. Brant never really learns or develops, other than in a negative fashion. It's really an unpleasant role for Cooper. I noted he looks increasingly haggard as the film goes on and wondered if it were an intentional part of the characterization or if the actor was just looking poorly.

Bacall, Carson, and Corey are all fine as the truly loyal friends Brant doesn't appreciate. Carson in particular always made the most of a role such as this, simultaneously funny and poignant.

I've never been much of a Neal fan, finding her voice and persona off-putting, but she's perfect in this role as an unstable Southern belle. Margaret is initially excited flirting with Brant, the "stranger in town," but ends up loathing him. Her calculating character reminded me a bit of her scheming wife in RATON PASS (1951), in which she ends up starting a range war.

Smaller roles are played by Gladys George (who is mostly wasted), James Griffith, Elizabeth Patterson, Marietta Canty, Thurston Hall, Bill Walker, and Taylor Holmes.

The movie was shot in black and white by Karl Freund. The score was by Victor Young.

The Warner Archive Blu-ray print is from a 1080p HD master from a 4K scan of the original nitrate camera negative. It looks and sounds outstanding.

The lone extras are a pair of cartoons, HILLBILLY HARE (1950) and BUNKER HILL BUNNY (1950).

In the end I'd class BRIGHT LEAF as worth checking out, especially in this fine print, but ultimately disappointing despite its director and cast.

Thanks to the Warner Archive for providing a review copy of this Blu-ray. Warner Archive Blu-rays may be ordered from Movie Zyng, Amazon, and other online retailers.

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