Bright Leaf Reviews

Cooper returns to his southern hometown after being kicked out years earlier by local tobacco tycoon Crisp who didn't want the somewhat unscrupulous Cooper dating his daughter, Neal. Anxious to do well in the business world, Cooper woos wealthy madame Bacall into investing in Corey's cigarette-making machine. Cooper and his cohorts make a fortune, driving the local tobacco monopolizers into near-bankruptcy. Hoping to keep her father's business afloat, old flame Neal agrees to marry Cooper. Upon learning of their betrothal, anguished Crisp kills himself. Seeking revenge for her father's death, Neal informs the government of Cooper's monopolistic techniques and the never-happy couple separates. Cooper, about to leave town to escape federal investigation, bids farewell to Bacall, telling her that he's always loved her and will return someday. Although this type of period melodrama was Curtiz's forte, the passionate director missed the mark with this uninteresting tale. Cooper and Bacall do well with their roles, but Neal is a screaming failure as the calculating daughter The lush look and feel of the film is the work of one of the great cinematographers, Karl Freund.