Songs: Hoagy Carmichael composed both lyrics and music for the novelty number, "My Dog", which he also sings. The others, sung by Vera Ralston, are "The Tambourine Waltz" and "What Ev'ry Young Girl Should Know", with words by Paul Francis Webster, and "He's Dead But He Won't Lie Down", the words of which were written by Johnny Mercer. Title song "Timberjack", sung by The Lancers, was written by Ned Washington and Victor Young.
Unfolding against the lavish natural wonderland of Western Montana, the film was made on location both there and in Glacier National Park.
Copyright 1955 by Republic Pictures Corp. New York opening at Loew's State: 9 March 1955. U.S. release: 28 February 1955. U.K. release: March 1955. Australian release through 20th Century-Fox: 24 February 1956. Sydney opening at the Palladium: 24 February 1956 (ran one week). 8,326 feet. 92 minutes.
SYNOPSIS: Tim Chipman (Sterling Hayden) returns to his native Talka River section of Montana when he learns his father has met with a serious accident. Tim's boyhood sweetheart, Lynne Tilton (Vera Ralston), is now the owner and singing star of the Vermilion Belle, a deluxe cabaret. The place is highly popular with timberjacks employed by the Talka River Logging Company, a powerful outfit headed by ruthless Croft Brunner (David Brian).
Brunner explains that the road is closed to the Chipman interests until the $11,000 assessment on the Chipman stock in the railroad is paid. Tim accuses Brunner of having killed Chipman. With Steve Riika (Chill Wills) and Lynne's father, "Swiftie" Tilton (Adolphe Menjou), Tim tries to get the season's quota of timber to market. Brunner offers to buy a fine quarter-million stand of fir, and Tim refuses to sell. Brunner imports city goons to wreck Tim's timber-floating preparations. (At this stage, however, the picture runs out of money and proceeds to a swifter and much more economical climax than that promised).
COMMENT: Catchy title tune, picturesquely rugged scenery, a Shay logging locomotive with flatcars, a couple of vigorously staged action spots, a great performance by Howard Petrie - that just about sums up the entertainment virtues of Timberjack. But on the other side of the coin: dreary songs and overly contrived dance numbers, garish sets, long dialogue stretches with boring people exercising their gums at considerable length - and Vera Ralston filling the wide screen just a little too comfortably.
OTHER VIEWS: Vera Ralston registers fine as Vera Ralston in this typical Republic outdoors melodrama. The usual brawls, shoot-outs and occasional spurts of action, plus genuine location scenery that looks mighty picturesque in Trucolor, makes Timberjack a natural for the bush. For city suburban cinemas, however, Timberjack is best booked as the lower half of a midweek double. - Exhibitors' Booking Guide.
Unfolding against the lavish natural wonderland of Western Montana, the film was made on location both there and in Glacier National Park.
Copyright 1955 by Republic Pictures Corp. New York opening at Loew's State: 9 March 1955. U.S. release: 28 February 1955. U.K. release: March 1955. Australian release through 20th Century-Fox: 24 February 1956. Sydney opening at the Palladium: 24 February 1956 (ran one week). 8,326 feet. 92 minutes.
SYNOPSIS: Tim Chipman (Sterling Hayden) returns to his native Talka River section of Montana when he learns his father has met with a serious accident. Tim's boyhood sweetheart, Lynne Tilton (Vera Ralston), is now the owner and singing star of the Vermilion Belle, a deluxe cabaret. The place is highly popular with timberjacks employed by the Talka River Logging Company, a powerful outfit headed by ruthless Croft Brunner (David Brian).
Brunner explains that the road is closed to the Chipman interests until the $11,000 assessment on the Chipman stock in the railroad is paid. Tim accuses Brunner of having killed Chipman. With Steve Riika (Chill Wills) and Lynne's father, "Swiftie" Tilton (Adolphe Menjou), Tim tries to get the season's quota of timber to market. Brunner offers to buy a fine quarter-million stand of fir, and Tim refuses to sell. Brunner imports city goons to wreck Tim's timber-floating preparations. (At this stage, however, the picture runs out of money and proceeds to a swifter and much more economical climax than that promised).
COMMENT: Catchy title tune, picturesquely rugged scenery, a Shay logging locomotive with flatcars, a couple of vigorously staged action spots, a great performance by Howard Petrie - that just about sums up the entertainment virtues of Timberjack. But on the other side of the coin: dreary songs and overly contrived dance numbers, garish sets, long dialogue stretches with boring people exercising their gums at considerable length - and Vera Ralston filling the wide screen just a little too comfortably.
OTHER VIEWS: Vera Ralston registers fine as Vera Ralston in this typical Republic outdoors melodrama. The usual brawls, shoot-outs and occasional spurts of action, plus genuine location scenery that looks mighty picturesque in Trucolor, makes Timberjack a natural for the bush. For city suburban cinemas, however, Timberjack is best booked as the lower half of a midweek double. - Exhibitors' Booking Guide.