Movies - Bright Leaf

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	Movies - Bright Leaf

Bright Leaf is a 1949 novel written by Foster Fitzsimmons, which was adapted into a 1950 film by Henry Koster and starring Gary Cooper and Lauren Bacall. The works derive their name from the type of tobacco grown in North Carolina after the American Civil War.

Plot

Loosely based on the rivalry of tobacco tycoons Washington Duke and George 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 filmmaker Ross McElwee, a descendent of the man whose life was reflected in both the novel and film.

Cast

Gary Cooper as Brant Royle
Lauren Bacall as Sonia Kovac
Patricia Neal as Margaret Jane Singleton
Jack Carson as Chris Malley
Donald Crisp as Major Singleton
Gladys George as Rose
Elizabeth Patterson as Tabitha Singleton
Jeff Corey as John Barton

[ Visit the complete Wikipedia entry for Bright Leaf ]

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