This is an excellent film, and one with an interesting history you should read before viewing it (check out Wikipedia!).
According to Wikipedia, when Howard Hawks began directing it, the story was about the rape of the land by a soon-to-be timber baron. Producer Samuel Goldwyn wanted it to be about a timber baron who is involved in a romantic triangle with his son and a young lady. Goldwyn won, of course, but had to fire Hawks and replace him with William Wyler. I think Goldwyn made the right decision, although both themes are well-covered.
The beginning of the film is very interesting because of all the scenes on location in Idaho (not the northern mid-west where the film is set) of timber processing from the mass cutting down of trees, to their transport (before trucking), to their processing. Watching the excellent REAL footage, I kept thinking how industry would rape the land back then.
Then the film switches more to the romance angle of the film, which is quite riveting as the timber baron turns into a dirty old man who makes a fool of himself, particularly after the son falls (reasonably) in love with the same young lady.
The father/timber baron was supposed to be played by Spencer Tracy, one of my very favorite actors. And, he would have been excellent in it, but to be honest, Edward Arnold is perfect in the role, and it is a good reminder that Arnold was once a top name in the film industry, before his weight led him (apparently happily) into more character roles. The son is played by Joel McCrea, and although his role is clearly secondary, he does a fine job in a key role. The female interest is Frances Farmer, and may I say I don't get it. I was not impressed by Farmer at all, and from my perspective she is the one defect in the film. It is interesting that she plays both a woman and the woman's daughter. Walter Brennan has always been one of my favorite character actors, and this role brought him his first (and the first) Oscar for supporting male actor. However, while I still enjoyed his performance, I wasn't quite convinced of his Swedish accent here.
While the theme of the rape of the land got sidelined, it doesn't disappear from the film altogether, but, in my view, the story of the emotional fall of a rich and powerful man is far more interesting.
Highly recommended.
According to Wikipedia, when Howard Hawks began directing it, the story was about the rape of the land by a soon-to-be timber baron. Producer Samuel Goldwyn wanted it to be about a timber baron who is involved in a romantic triangle with his son and a young lady. Goldwyn won, of course, but had to fire Hawks and replace him with William Wyler. I think Goldwyn made the right decision, although both themes are well-covered.
The beginning of the film is very interesting because of all the scenes on location in Idaho (not the northern mid-west where the film is set) of timber processing from the mass cutting down of trees, to their transport (before trucking), to their processing. Watching the excellent REAL footage, I kept thinking how industry would rape the land back then.
Then the film switches more to the romance angle of the film, which is quite riveting as the timber baron turns into a dirty old man who makes a fool of himself, particularly after the son falls (reasonably) in love with the same young lady.
The father/timber baron was supposed to be played by Spencer Tracy, one of my very favorite actors. And, he would have been excellent in it, but to be honest, Edward Arnold is perfect in the role, and it is a good reminder that Arnold was once a top name in the film industry, before his weight led him (apparently happily) into more character roles. The son is played by Joel McCrea, and although his role is clearly secondary, he does a fine job in a key role. The female interest is Frances Farmer, and may I say I don't get it. I was not impressed by Farmer at all, and from my perspective she is the one defect in the film. It is interesting that she plays both a woman and the woman's daughter. Walter Brennan has always been one of my favorite character actors, and this role brought him his first (and the first) Oscar for supporting male actor. However, while I still enjoyed his performance, I wasn't quite convinced of his Swedish accent here.
While the theme of the rape of the land got sidelined, it doesn't disappear from the film altogether, but, in my view, the story of the emotional fall of a rich and powerful man is far more interesting.
Highly recommended.