- Bright Leaf
Infobox_Film
name = Bright Leaf
imdb_id = 0042285
producer =Henry Blanke
director =Michael Curtiz
writer =Ranald MacDougall
starring =Gary Cooper Lauren Bacall Patricia Neal
music =Victor Young
cinematography =Karl Freund
editing =Owen Marks
distributor =Warner Bros.
released =July 2 ,1950
runtime = 110 min.
language = English"Bright Leaf" is a 1949 novel written by
Foster Fitzsimmons , which was adapted into a 1950 film byHenry Koster and starringGary Cooper andLauren Bacall . The works derive their name from the type oftobacco grown inNorth Carolina after theAmerican Civil War .Plot
Loosely based on the rivalry of
tobacco tycoonsWashington Duke andGeorge McElwee , "Bright Leaf" follows tenant farmer Brant Royle (Gary Cooper ) who returns home after his family is driven from their farm by fellow farmer Major Singleton (Donald Crisp ). Royle and Singleton battle each other for their respective empires.Legacy
The film, one of many epic melodramas produced by
Hollywood at the time, was widely forgotten after its first theatrical release in 1950. "Bright Leaf" found new life in 2003, when it played prominently in the documentary "Bright Leaves", by filmmakerRoss McElwee , a descendant of the man whose life was reflected in both the novel and film.Cast
Gary Cooper "as" Brant RoyleLauren Bacall "as" Sonia KovacPatricia Neal "as" Margaret Jane SingletonJack Carson "as" Chris MalleyDonald Crisp "as" Major SingletonGladys George "as" Rose
Elizabeth Patterson "as" Tabitha SingletonJeff Corey "as" John BartonCleo Moore "as" Cousin Louise
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