In the case of every situation having three sides, only the truth is right here. The "Peckerwoods" (cotton field workers) and "Planters" (basicaly the man who gets the money...) all have pros and cons for each of their concerns in this depression era issue picture that showed slavery wasn't really dead. It just had a different name.
Berton Churchill owns a large plot of land which he rents out to the "Peckerwoods" to tend. What they raise, they sell back to him. One of those "PW's" is David Landau who has worked for Churchill his whole life and ends up dying having barely hit middle age. He has raised an intelligent son (Richard Barthelmess) who wants to go to school, and Churchill notices potential in him, so he hires him. Already in love with poor, sweet Dorothy Jordan, Barthelmess must decide between her and Churchill's equally beautiful daughter Bette Davis, a flirt who has eyes on Barthelmess herself. Then, learning that some of the other PW's are stealing the cotton rather than selling it back to Churchill, Barthelmess is put in the position of betraying his own people.
There is no real side to take. Both Churchill and the PW's are guilty of various crimes, Churchill for cheating his tenants and the PW's for theft and vandalism. This all sets up for a good plot, but unfortunately, due to some embarrassingly poor acting by Barthelmess, this ranks among Warner's weaker "poor man fighting rich man" dramas. This will always be known for a famous line uttered by Bette Davis (which was admittedly her favorite), and she really is the best thing about this movie. Her smile is radiant; Like that quote from "The Women", "She's got those eyes that run up and down a man like a searchlight." Churchill, too, is excellent; He instills his character with likability even though he's not totally honest. His character reminded me of Donald Crisp in "The Valley of Decision", a basically very good man with power trying to do the best he can, but sometimes abusing it a little. But Barthelmess was perhaps Warner Brothers' weakest leading men, genuinely boring. Something tells me he was better in silent movies. Davis had more "heat" from George Arliss. Someone like George Brent or Paul Muni would have had more presence, particularly in the final court room scene. The ending wraps everything up too neatly, something I fear would never have happened in the south in real life.
Berton Churchill owns a large plot of land which he rents out to the "Peckerwoods" to tend. What they raise, they sell back to him. One of those "PW's" is David Landau who has worked for Churchill his whole life and ends up dying having barely hit middle age. He has raised an intelligent son (Richard Barthelmess) who wants to go to school, and Churchill notices potential in him, so he hires him. Already in love with poor, sweet Dorothy Jordan, Barthelmess must decide between her and Churchill's equally beautiful daughter Bette Davis, a flirt who has eyes on Barthelmess herself. Then, learning that some of the other PW's are stealing the cotton rather than selling it back to Churchill, Barthelmess is put in the position of betraying his own people.
There is no real side to take. Both Churchill and the PW's are guilty of various crimes, Churchill for cheating his tenants and the PW's for theft and vandalism. This all sets up for a good plot, but unfortunately, due to some embarrassingly poor acting by Barthelmess, this ranks among Warner's weaker "poor man fighting rich man" dramas. This will always be known for a famous line uttered by Bette Davis (which was admittedly her favorite), and she really is the best thing about this movie. Her smile is radiant; Like that quote from "The Women", "She's got those eyes that run up and down a man like a searchlight." Churchill, too, is excellent; He instills his character with likability even though he's not totally honest. His character reminded me of Donald Crisp in "The Valley of Decision", a basically very good man with power trying to do the best he can, but sometimes abusing it a little. But Barthelmess was perhaps Warner Brothers' weakest leading men, genuinely boring. Something tells me he was better in silent movies. Davis had more "heat" from George Arliss. Someone like George Brent or Paul Muni would have had more presence, particularly in the final court room scene. The ending wraps everything up too neatly, something I fear would never have happened in the south in real life.