Bright Leaf (1950)

In 1894, Brant Royle shocks the aristocratic tobacco growers of Kingsmont by planning to mass-produce cigarettes.

Director:

Michael Curtiz

Writers:

Ranald MacDougall (screenplay), Foster Fitzsimmons (novel)

Stars:

Gary Cooper, Lauren Bacall, Patricia Neal

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Gary Cooper	...	Brant Royle
Lauren Bacall	...	Sonia Kovac
Patricia Neal	...	Margaret Jane Singleton
Jack Carson	...	Chris Malley (Dr. Monaco)
Donald Crisp	...	Major James Singleton
Gladys George	...	Rose
Elizabeth Patterson	...	Tabitha Singleton
Jeff Corey	...	John Barton
Taylor Holmes	...	Lawyer Calhoun
Thurston Hall	...	Phillips

Storyline

Once, magnate Major Singleton ran the Royles out of the Kingsmont tobacco country for daring to make lowly cigarettes. Now in 1894, Brant Royle, last of his name, is back. Forceful and macho, Brant intends to re-establish his family no matter what it takes. Two lovely women have waited for him: bordello keeper Sonia, with love; Singleton's daughter Margaret, with hatred and desire. As automation rears its head, the struggle attains an epic quality. Will Royle Cigarettes flood the market? Will Brant pick the wrong woman?

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Plot Keywords:

tobacco | bordello | suicide | rise and fall | hotel | 

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

2 July 1950 (USA)

Also Known As:

Semillas de venganza

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros

Technical Specs

Runtime:

110 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

To add authenticity to the film, an authentic, turn of the century cigarette maker was purchased as a prop.

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Quotes

Chris Malley: The nice thing about being rich is having so much money.

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Connections

Featured in The Last Cigarette (1999)

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Soundtracks

"Wedding March"
(uncredited)
From "A Midsummer Night's Dream"
Music by Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy
Played briefly at the wedding

User Reviews

Okay historical melodrama about the tobacco industry.

Gary Cooper plays Brant Royle, a guy from the wrong side of the tracks who sets out to conquer the cigarette market at the turn of the century, whatever the cost. He's pitted against the Southern Aristocracy who've owned the market for generations. His only ally is Lauren Bacall, as the town "bad girl", but that doesn't stop him from pursuing the daughter of his worst enemy: Patricia Neal as the cool embodiment of aristocracy.

It's fairly heavy going through most of the film. There is some technical stuff about the tobacco business, but mostly it's about Royle's emotional conflicts: Love vs. social climbing; his conscience vs his business sense; what to do when achieving your dreams isn't enough; loyalty vs expedience; etc. It's all rather slow and humorless, not at all gripping.

Cooper is a good enough actor to keep you watching through all this even though his character is basically unlikeable, but Patricia Neal is the best reason to watch the film. The best moments of the film, the only ones that make it worth watching, are when she drops the icy mask of aristocratic poise and reveals her true character and motivations. That part it genuinely gripping. Bacall is likeable, but doesn't make an equal impact, and doesn't really seem to belong there. Perhaps it's because she looks terrible in the period wardrobe (19th century clothes were not designed for tall, skinny women).

It's also historically interesting to see a movie about the tobacco industry made before they found out about nicotine causing cancer. Nobody seems to think cigarettes are anything but a harmless indulgence and a cash cow.