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Bright Leaf (1950)
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Overview
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Release Date:
2 July 1950 (USA)
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Plot:
In 1894, Brant Royle shocks the aristocratic tobacco growers of Kingsmont by planning to mass-produce cigarettes. full summary | add synopsis
User Reviews:
Okay historical melodrama about the tobacco industry.
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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 Singleton | |
| Gladys George | ... | Rose | |
| Elizabeth Patterson | ... | Tabitha Singleton | |
| Jeff Corey | ... | John Barton | |
| Taylor Holmes | ... | Lawyer Calhoun | |
| Thurston Hall | ... | Phillips |
Additional Details
Parents Guide:
Runtime:
110 min
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Aspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono (RCA Sound System)
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Fun Stuff
Quotes:
Major Singleton:
I'm afraid I don't believe in cigarettes, much less a machine for makin' them. It turns my stomach, sir, every time I have occasion to witness someone pokin' one of those vile concoctions into their face. I deal in cigars, sir. Nothing less.
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Movie Connections:
Featured in Bright Leaves (2003)
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This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.more (7 total)
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Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Bright Leaf (1950)| Recent Posts (updated daily) | User |
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| DVD now available directly from Warner Home Video! | simonhowson |
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Recommendations
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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.