BRIGHT LEAF
US, 1950, 110 minutes, Black and white.
Gary Cooper, Lauren Bacall, Patricia Neal, Jack Carson, Donald Crisp, Gladys George, Elizabeth Patterson, Jeff Corey, Taylor Holmes
Directed by Michael Curtiz
Bright Leaf is a Gary Cooper vehicle. Patricia Neal and Lauren Bacall were rising stars at the time. It is Warner Bros bestseller material of 1950.
The film focuses on a southern town, the stranglehold of the Singleton family on the town, Brant Royle (Cooper) as a rebel. The industry of the town is tobacco - and the revolution in cigarette-making.
The film is entertaining - in the atmosphere of the times. It is a Michael Curtiz film, big on emotion and action. (The material, of course, is sanitised for 1950 - with Lauren Bacall playing a woman who has inherited a boarding house which is obviously a brothel.) The material for later mini-series and the grand bestseller treatment.
1. Popular melodrama of 1950? The Warner Bros style? Based on a popular bestseller?
2. Production values: big budget, black and white photography, re-creation of the 1890s? Musical score?
3. The impact of the tobacco industry at the end of the 19th century? The tobacco harvest of Virginia and other states? The industrialisation of cigarette-making? The automation at the end of the 19th century? The threat to the elitist families and companies? The newcomers and their plans, breaking into the market? The 20th century history of cigarettes? Their popularity in 1950? Their being pictured in movies? The changes during the latter part of the 20th century? Popular attitudes towards tobacco and cigarettes?
4. A strong Gary Cooper vehicle? His screen presence? His playing Brant Royle? His background, the wrong side of the tracks, the family considered trash? The past history with the Singleton family? The ousting of the family by Major Singleton? His coming back, the meeting with Sonia? The boarding house, her girls? The contrast with Margaret? Sonia and her love for him? Margaret and her aristocratic attitude, concealing her dislike? The interactions with Major Singleton, the discussions, the threats, the risk to business? The interactions with John Vardon and Chris Malley? Friendships? His ideas, motivation? Money, building of the factory? His success? Margaret and his choices, emotions? Love-hate? The confrontation and the buying of the company? Death? Margaret and her voting? Laura and Margaret? The build-up to the confrontation? The burning of the crop? Leaving?
5. The re-creation of the South in the 19th century, the change in the 1890s? The place of the Singletons, their home, traditional family, attitudes, racist? Elitist?
6. The supporting characters: John Vardon, Chris Malley, medicine, support?
7. The portrait of Sonia, the bordello described as a boarding house? The sanitising of this theme? The girls? Sonia and her relationship with them? Management? Her love for Brant? Rejection?
8. The contrast with Margaret, as a Singleton? Her relationship with Tabitha? With her father? The attitude towards the Royles, her aristocratic poses, her wanting to charm Brant? Revenge?
9. The 19th century and industrial progress, wealth, the emergence of individuals? The attitude of post-World War Two America and the welcoming of this kind of film and its themes? Emotional conflicts? Authentic love versus place in society, questions of conscience and business sense, achieving ambitions and dreams – sufficient? Loyalties? The image of the American hero?
