User Reviews

Produced in 1950 by Henry Blanke for Warner Brothers BRIGHT LEAF is set in the tobacco growing region of the American South at the turn of the 20th. Century. A highly charged drama - BRIGHT LEAF is about ambition, love and loss and retribution and was expertly directed by the prolific Michael Curtiz. Based on the novel by Foster Fitz-Simons it was splendidly written for the screen by Ranald MacDougall ("Mildred Peirce") from which emerged a sparkling, and at times, spontaneous script. Its balmy Southern setting looked great thanks to the smart Art Direction by Stanley Fleischer, the crisp Monochrome Cinematography of Karl Freund and the atmospheric music by the always wonderful Victor Young.

Gary Cooper is Brant Royle who returns to his home in the South after some years. He rides into Kingsmont where years before his family was dispossessed, humiliated and forced out at the hands of wealthy tobacco tycoon Major Singleton (Donald Crisp). Now he's back and intends to exact some sort of vengeance on the irascible and acerbic Major. Low on funds ("I own a good horse - I own a good suit of clothes and I have $40 in my pocket") he meets up with an old flame - the attractive Sonia Kovac (Lauren Bacall) who runs a "boarding house for young ladies" and persuades her to back him in a business venture in establishing a new idea of a cigarette making machine. The enterprise is a runaway success and almost overnight Royle - along with his partners Sonia and Chris Malley (Jack Carson) - becomes a millionaire to the chagrin of the Major. Royle had always loved the Major's unobtainable and distant daughter Margaret (Patricia Neal) and makes plans now to marry her. This - together with Royle's on going presence in Kingsmont, his phenomenal business success and a pistol duel between them that goes wrong - drives the Major to take his own life. Later Margaret does agree to marry him but only with the sole purpose to destroy Brant Royle and obtain retribution for the death of her father. The picture ends with Royle financially ruined and a well executed climactic sequence which sees the opulent Singleton mansion going up in flames. With Sonia also turning him down Brant Royle rides out of Kingsmont on the same road he entered in the hope of finding contentment elsewhere.

One of the great aspects of BRIGHT LEAF is the stunning score by the great (and cigar chomping) Victor Young! Normally a Warner picture like this would have a score by the studio's resident composer Max Steiner. But Steiner was over committed on other projects and suggested his friend Victor Young write the music. Young accepted the assignment and turned in one of his finest scores. The Main Title is a sprawling and sweeping theme for full orchestra! A ravishing piece with the strings, upward yearning, climbing to their topmost register. There is also a gorgeous plaintive melody for the Lauren Bacall character, a brilliantly exciting cue for a montage of the cigarette machine as it spews out thousands of cigarettes and a frantic cue near the end for the magnificent house fire. The music from BRIGHT LEAF is high on the list of admirers of Young's scores!

BRIGHT LEAF is an engrossing and engaging story and has smooth performances throughout. Cooper is particularly good as is Bacall but Neal's southern nasally drawl is a bit grating at times. And in a rare unsympathetic role Donal Crisp is excellent as the Major. Curiously cigarette smoking is somewhat glorified in the picture and viewing the film today - some sixty years after it was made and when the smoking habit is increasingly taboo - it now seems a little perverse!

Classic line from BRIGHT LEAF...........

Jack Carson to Lauren Bacall when she bail's him out of jail.......

"Maam! I consider you a rare gem in the diadem of womanhood".

Producer: Henry Blanke. Copyright 16 June 1950 by Warner Brothers Pictures, Inc. New York opening at the Strand: 16 June 1950. U.S. release: 1 July 1950. U.K. release: 2 July 1951. Australian release: 20 September 1951.

SYNOPSIS: In a Southern state in the late nineteenth century, the possession of a cigarette manufacturing machine brings a tenant farmer's son into control of a tobacco empire.

COMMENT: Here's another film that doesn't deserve its poor reputation. The reason for this downgrading is of course that Hollywood was producing so many fine films in this period, the level of craftsmanship in a less-than-outstanding offering tended to be overlooked.

Mind you, Bright Leaf has all the makings of "grade A" romance: best-selling novel, period setting, sweeping backgrounds, self-willed characters, illicit romance. The difficulty is that despite some persuasive (Cooper, Bacall, Carson, Crisp) and indeed fiery (Patricia Neal) acting, the people in this saga remain stubbornly one-dimensional.

This fault is compounded by the tact that their particular traits are almost all unlikable. Royle's is a morose, vengeful figure at the center of an unlovely group of robber barons, con artists and connivers. Even Lauren Bacall's sweet eagerness is flawed by her profession and her hopeless love is so obviously foredoomed, it robs the script of a fair degree of romantic suspense. Crisp has a meaty part for once - and he makes the most of it - even though his character too is patently a mere pawn in the author's telegraphed chess game. It is Patricia Neal who excels, bringing such fire and vengeful malice to her role as to divert our attention momentarily from the mere mechanics of the plot.

Whatever the shallowness of the script, it has been most appealingly dressed up in full regalia. The Warner Brothers have outfitted it in their finest production values: Karl Freund's crisply grey-toned deep-focus photography, Victor Young's atmospheric score, Stanley Fleischer's enormously vistaed sets. Director Michael Curtiz is in his element with such big-budget props. The action and crowd scenes are handled with his usual power. If the more intimate episodes lack the same conviction, it is not for want of dramatic skill, simply the fact that the script is often so stubbornly synthetic.

Some of the support players are afforded excellent opportunities: Elizabeth Patterson is nicely cast as an independent-minded aunt, Jeff Corey is rightly long-suffering as a put-upon Yankee, Chick Chandler makes an amazingly sing-song auctioneer, while James Griffith limns an obsequious clerk to perfection. If the entertainment of the whole falls somewhat short of the sum of the parts, Bright Leaf is still one of the classier, flying high films of the year. Who can resist Cooper's Brant Royle, a truly tragic figure played with such assurance and conviction? (In many ways it's a typical role - well within the actor's range - but nowadays it has the fresh appeal of unfamiliarity.)

I'm a fan of Michael Curtiz and his seminal film, "Mildred Pierce", so I couldn't help comparing the story/plot of "Bright Leaf" to Mildred Pierce, which was a well-received Curtiz film from 1945 - five years previous to the release of Bright Leaf.

The following is my comparison: Mildred Pierce is a woman from humble stock who is spurned by her unfaithful husband and her class-conscious daughter. Mildred determines to prove her worth by obtaining wealth and thereby purchasing both her position in society and the affections of her daughter. Success comes in the form of a chain of popular restaurants. Acceptance into higher society eludes Mildred as her snobbish daughter continues to ridicule Mildred and she is then double-crossed by her business partner/lover, society playboy Monte Barragan. Mildred loses everything for which she worked so hard; her wealth, social status, daughter, lover, etc.

In the film "Bright Leaf", Brant Royle is the son of a poor tobacco farmer who was pushed out of business by the family of Margaret Singleton (played by Patricia Neal), the boyhood crush of Brant Royle. Brant determines to prove his worth and gain revenge on the Singleton family by obtaining wealth and thereby driving Major Singleton out of business. Revenge eludes Brant Royle; however, as he is double-crossed by his business partner/lover, Margaret Singleton. Brant loses everything for which he worked so hard; his wealth, social status, lover, etc.

Although Bright Leaf is not a one-for-one plot-mirror of Mildred Pierce, the similarities to me were startling. Mildred is clearly the better film, in my opinion, due to the more likable and sympathetic main character. Mildred was motivated by a needy sort of "love" for her daughter, while Brant was motivated by a desire for revenge.

The audience is left with sympathy for Mildred who was a victim of the selfish people around her. The audience must; however, place the blame of Brant's demise squarely on his own shoulders, for as Douglas Horton once said, "While seeking revenge, dig two graves - one for yourself".

Powerful tobacco king Donald Crisp is angered when Gary Cooper, the son of a man whose property Crisp took away from him, returns to his home town after a seven year absence, more prosperous, but like "Wuthering Height's" Heathcliff, determined to even the score. It happens that Crisp's beautiful daughter, Patricia Neal, once had her eye on Cooper, but the ruthless father made his displeasure clear by destroying any chance they had of being together by running Cooper out of town. Now back to settle his late uncle's estate, Cooper becomes involved in a plan to mass-market cigarettes with the help of the man who invented the cigarette rolling machine. Town madame Lauren Bacall loans Cooper the money to patent the machine, and before you can say, "Do you have a light?", Cooper has totally taken over the tobacco market, virtually wiping Crisp out, and driving the man to a desperate act of revenge.

When first seen, Cooper is a determined man, not totally consumed with revenge, but as he gets more power, he becomes just as bad (possibly even worse) than Crisp ever was. He uses the two women in his life, particularly Bacall, whose obvious whorehouse is disguised as a boarding house occupied by her large amount of cousins. Neal and Bacall sadly do not share any scenes, but after being in the background for a quarter of the earlier part of the film, suddenly emerge in strong character studies. Neal, in particular, has a particularly triumphant juicy moment that reveals everything we know has been building up inside this spoiled beauty. Like "The Furies", Neal defies her powerful father, but the father/daughter relationship is obviously stronger than any love match could be. Fortunately, unlike "The Furies'" Wendell Corey, "Bright Leaf" (which is actually the name of the plantation that Cooper ends up in control of), Cooper is a stronger and more magnetic actor. With the real-life love affair between Cooper and Neal going on during this and the magnificent "The Fountainhead", they show more on-screen sparks than Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor had in most of their films.

The one sour note in this film is the presence of Jack Carson as the medicine man who ends up being Cooper's partner. He really seems to have no reason for being here other than to give box-office name to a film, that with Cooper, Neal, and Bacall really didn't need it. Donald Crisp, who played a wealthy steel mill owner of a sympathetic nature in "The Valley of Decision" just five years before this, gets to add some delicious ruthlessness. In comparing Crisp and Neal's relationship to "The Furies'" Walter Huston and Barbara Stanwyck, you will notice some similarities as I mentioned. Then, in smaller roles, are Elizabeth Patterson and Gladys George as Neal and Bacall's confidantes. They do respectable work as usual. This is modern Greek tragedy at its finest, and a rare chance to see Cooper playing a very unsympathetic character. The ending is very satisfactory, both a typical Hollywood finale and a moral lesson as well.

A turn of the Century twist with another Cooper, O'Neal romance. NOT!!! Don't let that stop you at the Gates of the Singleton Plantation. Gary Cooper,(Brandt Royle) the last of his families line,a wannabee businessman meets Northerner Mr. Barton with a cigarette rolling machine that could make them millions. Enter Bordello owner Sonia, (Lauren Bacall) who has feelings for Mr. Royle. Royle needs money to start up his cigarette business but Sonia knows all to well that she's being used as his love interest. This movie is not about the money or the success that it brings. This movie shows how old fashioned ways, traditions and family hatred get in the way of just about everything. Cooper does a fine job of transforming from a humble upstart to a drunken self absorbed entrepreneur. In my opinion Lauren Bacall could have played Patricia Neal's role but the casting dept had other ideas. The supporting cast does a fine job of holding the story together. Donald Crisp as the irascible old school Tobacco King and Jack Carson who starts out a down on his luck charlatan running a medicine show at the beginning of the story into a well polished boardroom businessman at movie's end. Does this movie teach us to love our superficial business world or should we search for our true passions instead? This question haunts the masses for centuries and this movie may or may not give us the answers but you will be entertained by an all star cast.

Yes, this movie has some good actors and one of the best directors ever. However it still doesn't work for me. It drags (no cigarette pun intended) on and on. Finally I was left with the feeling I had just wasted a good hour and a half. Lauren Bacall is beautiful as always but seems out of place here. And it's hard to believe any sane man would shun her for Neal. Coop at 49 is way to old to be playing the young maverick he is supposed to be. Patricia Neal is young and wide eyed but not nearly as attractive as Bacall whom we are expected to believe is second best. The other actors are also good, but sadly they don't have much to work with. This film is predictable from the start. The ending is telegraphed well in advance and contains no surprises. It's one of those films where nobody gets the girl or the guy.

I find it hard to believe it's been rated here as highly as it is. If you love Coop or any of the other fine actors in this there are countless better films to see them in.

I want to begin by countering a few comments in other reviews: 1. That Gary Cooper is too old for the part. Really? Why? Mature people don't have a romantic life (and BTW, it's mentioned that he's been away a long time)? 49 is too old to become a businessman? In reality, it's more likely a mature man who has learned some lessons in life will see how to begin a business. And, he needs to be a son's age to Singleton (Donald Crisp). Nope. Age works fine here.

2. That this film is inspired by "Gone With The Wind". Why? Because it takes place in the South (30-some years after the war)? Because in one line the Civil War is mentioned? This film could have just as easily taken place in New England where tobacco was also grown, and that would have had nothing to do with GWTW. Any film that has anything remotely to do with the Civil War is not related to GWTW. And later in the film it is 1900.

3. One reviewer said "The Fountainhead" (Cooper's and Neal's previous film pairing) was unwatchable. Really? Yes, it failed at the box office. But critics have taken a new look at the film, and many have given it rather positive reviews. On Rotten Tomatoes, that film gets an 83% rating, which is darned good.

Let's face it...some of the negativity about this film is because it is about tobacco. Times have changed. When this film came out, smoking was quite popular, cigarette commercials were about to be the major sponsors of many television shows, and no one thought much of anything about smoking being dangerous to health.

Are there problems with the plot here? I don't really think so. It's rather simple, really. A man whose father was defeated by the local big shot comes back and -- for several reasons -- goes up against the local (and now old) big shot. Not that uncommon a concept. He romances the old man's daughter, making the old man hate him even more. Rather logical, and sets up a second conflict for the main characters. Meanwhile he can't stay away from a not so upright woman in the town, but can't be serious about her, either. Pretty common behavior. And it all comes down to revenge upon revenge, a jilted lover, and suicide.

Now in terms of the acting, let's start with Cooper. Cooper pretty much plays Cooper. Someone suggested Kirk Douglas could have played the role better. Actually, I agree. But then it would have been a very different movie, even if everything else had remained the same. Cooper does fine here, and Cooper does what Cooper always did.

Lauren Bacall was fine here, also, and I say that as a person who is not a fan. Her role as a hard-as-nails madam turned wealthy stock holder is quite tasty. It's Patricia Neal that seemed quite out of place to me...until the end...when we see what her character is really all about.

In terms of Jack Carson, he plays the best friend who can't get the girl. It works. Donald Crisp is perfect (wasn't he always?) as the old "major" from another era who is fighting the younger generation.

Don't get me wrong. It's not a "great" film. Pretty standard, in fact. But good and dependable entertainment...providing you stop seeing things that aren't there. And frankly, to those who dislike the film, frankly I don't give...oops, back to GWTW.

Bright Leaf is a relatively absorbing story of a man who comes home to tobacco country in the late 1800s and goes into the cigarette manufacturing business.

Gary Cooper plays that man, Brant Royle, whose raison d'etre is to get back at a tobacco tycoon who dispossessed his family years before. Coop is really not the type for this sort of role. He plays it well enough, but it's easy to picture other actors who were much more suited to it.

Royle is involved with two women, a tobacco heiress who's a bit sadomasochistic (Patricia Neal), and a down to earth lady of the evening (Lauren Bacall, in her last film under her original Warner contract). There's a business partner he isn't very good to (Jack Carson), the father-in-law who hates him for various reasons (Donald Crisp), and the smart Northerner whose cigarette-making machine sets Brant up in business (Jeff Corey). Elizabeth Patterson (as Neal's Aunt Tabby) and Gladys George are in it too.

Bright Leaf manages to hold the interest, but it's something of a potboiler. There's something tired about it (maybe it's Cooper. He was 50-ish and still playing a youngish man). It's not the finest hour of anyone in the cast (though Crisp is impressive). Nonetheless, director Michael Curtiz does a lot with the material. The atmosphere is well done. The action and movement, the use of bit players, as well as extras, is the work of a highly talented craftsman. Watch closely as various scenes unfold (Cooper riding into the town - Kingsmont - for the first time, for example - with all the activity swirling around him). It's incredibly fine work.

The production values - cinematography (Karl Freund), costumes, sets, music (Victor Young) are top of the line.

The movie is about a poor man who idolizes the rich family in town. All he wants is to have a house like theirs & to marry the rich man's daughter. He spends his entire life making a living off tobacco in such a way that ruins the rich man's life. After that to add worse to wear he marries his daughter. He's a horrible person. There's nothing to like about him. The story is very very depressing watching him gain wealth by hurting & ruining other people.

In 1950, when this film was released, tobacco smoking, mainly involving cigarettes, was considered a necessity by the majority of American men, and minority of women. The advantages were considered to trump various disadvantages, including increasing evidence of significant health risks, such as lung cancer. Thus, the men responsible for inventing a machine that rolled and packaged cigarettes were considered heroes for much reducing the cost of cigarettes. That's what this film is about. Ironically, Patricia Neal, one of the stars would die of lung cancer, and Gary Cooper, another star, would die at the relatively young age of 60 from a cancer that eventually went to his lungs. Many of the movie stars of this era died prematurely of lung cancer, or other maladies, in which smoking was later proven to be a significant risk factor......Revenge is the primary motivation for much of the action. We have Brant Royle's(Gary Cooper) strong motivation to eventually bring local tobacco magnet Major Singleton to his knees for running Brant's family out of the area some years go. Now , Brant returns, ostensibly to settle his uncle's estate, but also with the mind to ruin Singleton, and marry his daughter. He hopes to accomplish this by commercializing a machine that rolls tobacco into cigarettes and packages them, thus making cigarettes much cheaper than the cigars that Singleton champions. After Brant's success, Singleton wants to extract revenge by challenging Brant in a formal duel. Brant declines, citing laws that prohibit such duels, and stating that they are a waste of human life. Singleton calls him a yellow-bellied coward, but Brant won't change his mind. Singleton threatens that he will shoot Brant , in any case. And, he does, but a compromise shot that only wounds Brant. He then retires to his buggy and shoots himself. In effect, Brant won the duel, completing his revenge against Singleton.,,......John Barton(Jeff Corey),who invented the cigarette machine, extracted revenge for Brant's eventual belittling of his role in the company, going to Detroit to take part in the automobile revolution......Most shockingly, Singleton's daughter, Margaret, accepted Brant's marriage proposal mainly to extract revenge for bankrupting her family and being the cause of her father's suicide. She did this by engineering anti-monopoly lawsuits, and by selling the many shares of the company that Brant had entrusted her with. ...... There's the romantic triangle between Margaret, Brant, and Sonia(Lauren Bacall). Sonia was a more lovable person than the aristocratic Margaret. She loaned Brant the money to start his business. However, she suffered the indignity of being the madame of a bordello, disguised as a rooming house. Brant made the wrong choice of social position over love. After Margaret left him, he tried to return to Sonia, but she said that all the things she used to love about him had vanished.......I question why Barton resorted to someone like Brant , with no capital of his own, to commercialize his machine? Surely, there were plenty of wealthy men who could see the financial gain. Also, Brant's choice of con-man Chris Malley(Jack Carson) as a business partner is curious. Chris was a mere patent medicine peddler when Brant met him. He became rather skilled in running parts off the company.......I much enjoyed this obscure gem, shown on the TCM channel........Note that Cooper and Neal had also stared in a film the previous year, and had an ongoing affair......Director Michael Curtiz also had directed the previous acclaimed "Mildred Pierce", the screenplay of which has many similarities to this film.