God's Country and the Woman (1937)

Jefferson Russett runs a logging company; his brother, Steve, is the prodigal son. Jeff cuts off his allowance and puts him to work, but on his first day, he is tricked into signing a ... See full summary »

Director:

William Keighley

Writers:

James Oliver Curwood (based upon the novel by), Norman Reilly Raine (screen play),

Stars:

George Brent, Beverly Roberts, Barton MacLane

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
George Brent	...	Steve Russett
Beverly Roberts	...	Jo Barton
Barton MacLane	...	Bullhead
Robert Barrat	...	Jefferson Russett
Alan Hale	...	Bjorn Skalka (as Allan Hale)
Joe King	...	Red Munro (as Joseph King)
El Brendel	...	Ole Olson
Addison Richards	...	Gaskett
Roscoe Ates	...	Gander Hopkins
Billy Bevan	...	Plug Hat
Joseph Crehan	...	Jordan
Bert Roach	...	Kewpie
Victor Potel	...	Turpentine (as Vic Potel)
Mary Treen	...	Miss Flint
Herbert Rawlinson	...	Doyle

Storyline

Jefferson Russett runs a logging company; his brother, Steve, is the prodigal son. Jeff cuts off his allowance and puts him to work, but on his first day, he is tricked into signing a contract allowing arch-rivals Barton Logging to use Russett railways. Jeff hauls Steve up to the logging camp, but he steals a plane. It runs out of gas in Barton territory, where spitfire Jo is running the camp. Naturally, this shrew must be tamed, so Steve, calling himself Steve Martin, sets out to do just that as he's trapped in the camp for two months until the next boat anyhow.

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Plot Keywords:

logging camp | contract | foreman | gunfire | france | 

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Taglines:

Men as untamed as the wilderness charge this drama with all the fury of nature and human emotions unleashed! (original Herald)

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English French

Release Date:

16 January 1937 (USA)

Also Known As:

La loi de la forêt

Filming Locations:

Hollywood Gorge, Toutle, Washington, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros

Technical Specs

Runtime:

85 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Technicolor cinematographer William V. Skall was relegated to the position of photographic advisor when he broke his ankle in a fall.

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Connections

Version of God's Country and the Woman (1916)

User Reviews

Feuding Timber Families

A year after Paramount did its first outdoor color feature, The Trail Of The Lonesome Pine, Warner Brothers shot this film entirely on location in the timber country of the State of Washington. God's Country And The Woman is about two feuding timber families and the head of one family trying to crush the other.

But Robert Barrat has more than getting rid of Beverly Roberts and her holdings on his mind. He's got a lazy irresponsible playboy brother in the person of George Brent who spends the money as fast as Bob can cut down the trees to make it.

Through a combination of circumstances that you have to watch God's Country And The Woman for, Brent winds up working for the opposition and wooing Beverly Roberts. I don't think I have to tell you how all this turn's out.

Brent's playing a part that probably was originally written with Errol Flynn in mind, in fact I think the project was conceived for Errol Flynn and Olivia DeHavilland. Bette Davis turned this one down also and went on suspension. So the B team of George Brent and Beverly Roberts was brought in.

On the plus side the camera work in this film is superb. The footage was used many times over by Warner Brothers. Though not credited here, I recognize some of it from their later logging story from the Fifties, The Big Trees.

The story however may have been a little too overplotted and Robert Barrat does an about face in character and motivation that one does not see coming in any way.

Good scenery of the great Pacific Northwest and excellent background shooting of the work of the lumberjacks. Sad though that it's tied to a rather pedestrian tale.