Directed by Michael Curtiz, with a screenplay by Warren Duff and Robert Buckner, this historical drama Western was one of Warner Bros.'s first Technicolor films. Not only does it cover a subject I had not seen previously discussed, the harmful practice of using hoses to wash away entire hillsides to find gold, but it's delightful to see so many known actors in color for the very first time. It also offers a change of pace from the cattlemen vs. the farmers stories! I'm not sure why this epic isn't as well known as some other, later films like Duel in the Sun (1946) and How the West Was Won (1962), but it's certainly worth a look for anyone who hasn't seen it. There is quite a bit of narration at the beginning (and some at the end) which setup the "story of California" and explains the film's title.
George Brent plays an engineer from the east who has come to California to help his employers mine gold from the hills. He's tough enough to hold his own against the gruff mine foreman Slag Martin (Barton MacLane). Unfortunately, because of the way the gold is mined, the water used and the resulting mud from the process run down into the valley, destroying the wheat crops of those who had previously cleared and tamed the land there. Chris Ferris (Claude Rains) owns one such plantation and is perhaps the wealthiest man around. Willie Best is inserted in some scenes, obviously cast as one of the farm workers. His almost 17 year old daughter Serena (the lovely Olivia de Havilland) has begun growing fruit trees on "her" 50 acres. His older son Lance (Tim Holt) doesn't like working in the fields and instead wants to find a quicker way to riches. Enter Jared Whitney (Brent) who, because he's tolerated by their gentleman father, becomes Lance's best friend, actually saves him (his life) in a barroom fight, and Serena's "boyfriend"; Jared teaches her irrigation!
Later, Chris will regret the growing relationship between her daughter and Jared, and he works to stop it. Chris's brother Ralph (John Litel) sees the writing on the wall and decides to sell his land to Chris. His wife Rosanne's (Margaret Lindsay) father happens to be the man that owns the San Francisco-based mining firm that employs Whitney, Harrison McCooey (Sidney Toler). Later, Lance goes to San Francisco himself to make his fortune. One of the most (techni-)colorful scenes in the film is a tracking shot down a long bar filled with multicolored drinks. When Jared has an idea to improve production, he travels to San Francisco where Rosanne tells her friend Molly (Marcia Ralston) "hands off" the attractive newcomer. Later, Serena travels to San Francisco where she and Jared pick up where they left off, much to the chagrin of the married Rosanne.
When one of the wheat farmer's (Russell Simpson) home collapses because of a mudslide, killing his wife & child, the farmers gather together to discuss taking matters into their own hands and marching on the mines. Chris is able to calm the crowd, at least temporarily, saying that they should trust him, the lawyers they've hired, and the courts who are sure to decide that what the miners are doing much be stopped. Sure enough, despite the miners' lawyer (Robert McWade), the judge order an injunction to stop the miners' activities until the California Supreme Court can review the issue. Jared, who had expressed his concerns about what his employers were doing, is fired and replaced with Slag Martin, who issues rifles to his men and orders them to barricade the mine to keep the injunction from being issued. Lance volunteers to deliver the injunction, but is killed by Slag's men in the process. Jared carries Lance's body back to the Ferris home where Chris is told that Jared had tried to stop the shooting. Despite Doc Parsons's (Harry Davenport) efforts, Lance dies; this prompts Chris's call to arms.
Just before the farmers, many veterans of the Civil War, advance on the mine, Jared pleads to Chris that there is another way. He convinces them to wait so that he can sneak into the mine, steal some dynamite, and blow up the dam he'd convinced his former bosses to build to improve efficiency. Slag sees what he's doing and tries to stop him. Even though Jared is wounded, he succeeds in destroying the dam causing a massive flood (that somehow doesn't destroy all the farmland below). Slag is killed in the process; Jared rescues Chris. In the CA Supreme Court, the judge (Henry O'Neill) delivers the verdict the miners don't want to hear - that their actions must cease because they're harming the farmers. Jared and Serena are shown together as the narrator explains that fruit exports will now become the gold of California.
George 'Gabby' Hayes, Clarence Kolb, and Moroni Olsen also appear (the latter two as Senators) as does Charles Halton, uncredited, as one of Jared's employees (an accountant, I think).
George Brent plays an engineer from the east who has come to California to help his employers mine gold from the hills. He's tough enough to hold his own against the gruff mine foreman Slag Martin (Barton MacLane). Unfortunately, because of the way the gold is mined, the water used and the resulting mud from the process run down into the valley, destroying the wheat crops of those who had previously cleared and tamed the land there. Chris Ferris (Claude Rains) owns one such plantation and is perhaps the wealthiest man around. Willie Best is inserted in some scenes, obviously cast as one of the farm workers. His almost 17 year old daughter Serena (the lovely Olivia de Havilland) has begun growing fruit trees on "her" 50 acres. His older son Lance (Tim Holt) doesn't like working in the fields and instead wants to find a quicker way to riches. Enter Jared Whitney (Brent) who, because he's tolerated by their gentleman father, becomes Lance's best friend, actually saves him (his life) in a barroom fight, and Serena's "boyfriend"; Jared teaches her irrigation!
Later, Chris will regret the growing relationship between her daughter and Jared, and he works to stop it. Chris's brother Ralph (John Litel) sees the writing on the wall and decides to sell his land to Chris. His wife Rosanne's (Margaret Lindsay) father happens to be the man that owns the San Francisco-based mining firm that employs Whitney, Harrison McCooey (Sidney Toler). Later, Lance goes to San Francisco himself to make his fortune. One of the most (techni-)colorful scenes in the film is a tracking shot down a long bar filled with multicolored drinks. When Jared has an idea to improve production, he travels to San Francisco where Rosanne tells her friend Molly (Marcia Ralston) "hands off" the attractive newcomer. Later, Serena travels to San Francisco where she and Jared pick up where they left off, much to the chagrin of the married Rosanne.
When one of the wheat farmer's (Russell Simpson) home collapses because of a mudslide, killing his wife & child, the farmers gather together to discuss taking matters into their own hands and marching on the mines. Chris is able to calm the crowd, at least temporarily, saying that they should trust him, the lawyers they've hired, and the courts who are sure to decide that what the miners are doing much be stopped. Sure enough, despite the miners' lawyer (Robert McWade), the judge order an injunction to stop the miners' activities until the California Supreme Court can review the issue. Jared, who had expressed his concerns about what his employers were doing, is fired and replaced with Slag Martin, who issues rifles to his men and orders them to barricade the mine to keep the injunction from being issued. Lance volunteers to deliver the injunction, but is killed by Slag's men in the process. Jared carries Lance's body back to the Ferris home where Chris is told that Jared had tried to stop the shooting. Despite Doc Parsons's (Harry Davenport) efforts, Lance dies; this prompts Chris's call to arms.
Just before the farmers, many veterans of the Civil War, advance on the mine, Jared pleads to Chris that there is another way. He convinces them to wait so that he can sneak into the mine, steal some dynamite, and blow up the dam he'd convinced his former bosses to build to improve efficiency. Slag sees what he's doing and tries to stop him. Even though Jared is wounded, he succeeds in destroying the dam causing a massive flood (that somehow doesn't destroy all the farmland below). Slag is killed in the process; Jared rescues Chris. In the CA Supreme Court, the judge (Henry O'Neill) delivers the verdict the miners don't want to hear - that their actions must cease because they're harming the farmers. Jared and Serena are shown together as the narrator explains that fruit exports will now become the gold of California.
George 'Gabby' Hayes, Clarence Kolb, and Moroni Olsen also appear (the latter two as Senators) as does Charles Halton, uncredited, as one of Jared's employees (an accountant, I think).