Bright Leaf - Warner Archive Collection

Director Michael Curtiz made so many unforgettable classics during his three-decade career - Casablanca, The Adventures of Robin Hood, Yankee Doodle Dandy, Mildred Pierce, White Christmas, to name but a few - it's no wonder several of his other finely crafted films fly under the radar of even the most rabid Golden Age fanatics. One of them is Bright Leaf. Produced the same year as such better-known Curtiz movies as Young Man with a Horn and The Breaking Point, this compelling tale of greed, power, and retribution set in the tobacco fields of North Carolina delivers on a number of levels and deserves more attention than it has received over the years.

I'm a huge Curtiz fan, but had never seen Bright Leaf until I received the Warner Archive Blu-ray disc. I kept my expectations in check, but once I saw Ranald MacDougall listed as the screenwriter in the opening credits, those expectations increased. Curtiz and MacDougall collaborated on Mildred Pierce and The Breaking Point, so I felt fairly confident Bright Leaf would rise to the same high standard. And I'm happy to report it does.

It's 1894, and bitter tobacco farmer Brant Royle (Gary Cooper) returns to Kingsmont, North Carolina, years after rich cigar-maker and industry magnate James Singleton (Donald Crisp) put his family out of business and ran him and his father out of town. Brant, who still holds a torch for Singleton's Southern belle daughter Margaret (Patricia Neal), vows to take on and later take down Singleton by beating him at his own game. His first move is investing in a newfangled cigarette-rolling machine that promises to streamline the production process, vastly increase volume, and make him millions.

Brant's co-investor is Sonia Kovac (Lauren Bacall), who runs a ritzy house of ill repute and not-so-silently pines for Brant, who dallies with her when he's lonely. Sonia is the quintessential madam with a heart of gold, but her patience with Brant runs thin the more he brazenly pursues Margaret. And when Margaret begins to respond, her father explodes with rage, which is exactly what Brant wants, but that rage just might lead to his own ruin.

With gusto and grit, Bright Leaf tells a fairly typical rise-and-fall story, but without Curtiz, MacDougall, and the top-notch cast the movie wouldn't be nearly as good. Thanks to Curtiz's masterful pacing, there's not a dull moment during the 110-minute running time, and MacDougall's crackling script contains several heated confrontations and a few surprises that keep the film on its toes. High-quality production values immerse us in the period setting and Victor Young's lush music score both complements the action and provides essential atmosphere.

Bright Leaf is a prime example of everything that was right about the Golden Age studio system. All the varied components fall neatly into place, resulting in an entertaining product with just enough artistry to stimulate the senses. Some might call it assembly-line moviemaking, but more often than not it worked. Of the three films Curtiz made in 1950, Bright Leaf is arguably the weakest, but it's still a damn good movie. And let's just emphasize that Curtiz made three films in one year! Three good films! Nowadays, we're lucky if a director makes one film in three years. Hollywood studios may have been factories in the 1930s, '40s, and '50s, and the moguls who ran them may have been dictators who treated their employees like commodities instead of human beings (and there's a lot wrong with that!), but they knew how to make movies.

The usually soft-spoken Cooper files a muscular portrayal that brims with uncharacteristic fire. He commands the screen in the film's early stages and tears it up when Brant's life gets ripped to shreds later on. Sadly, the 49-year-old actor looks more like 60 and a contemporary of the 68-year-old Crisp. His ragged appearance suits his character well toward the end, but someone like Van Heflin, Alan Ladd, or Robert Mitchum might have been a better choice for the part. Of course, Cooper creates sizzling chemistry with the always electric Neal - the two were having an affair at the time that began while they were shooting The Fountainhead the year before - but he generates fireworks with the fiery Bacall as well.

Bacall didn't appear in many historical films during her career, so it's a treat to see her in period attire, and her cool demeanor makes her a believable bordello proprietress. It's Neal, though, as a Scarlett O'Hara-like vixen, who grabs all the attention in a beguiling performance of deceptive depth. The dignified Crisp brings his British reserve to the crusty, arrogant, and cruel Singleton (although it's hard not to imagine Sydney Greenstreet in the role) and the always reliable Jack Carson delights as a shyster who becomes Brant's most trusted colleague and the most moral character in the movie. Gladys George enjoys a few good moments as a cynical, aging hooker, and Elizabeth Patterson, who graced scads of movies from the 1920s to 1960 and might be best remembered as Little Ricky's babysitter, Mrs. Trumbull, on several I Love Lucy episodes, makes a strong impression as Margaret's faithful aunt and crafty co-conspirator.

Ex-smokers might find Bright Leaf tough to watch, as it celebrates and glorifies all things tobacco - at one point, Bacall puffs so euphorically on a cigarette she looks like she wandered in from Reefer Madness - but it's the drama that provides the film's rush. The satisfying story, potent performances, and Curtiz's deft direction make it easy to inhale this underrated film.

Vital Disc Stats: The Blu-ray
Bright Leaf arrives on Blu-ray packaged in a standard case. Video codec is 1080p/AVC MPEG-4 and audio is DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 mono. Once the disc is inserted into the player, the static menu without music immediately pops up; no previews or promos precede it.

A new HD master struck from a 4K scan of the original nitrate camera negative yields a gorgeous 1080p/AVC MPEG-4 black-and-white transfer that showcases the lush cinematography of Oscar-winner Karl Freund. (Bright Leaf would prove to be Freund's final feature film. Shortly after shooting wrapped, he turned his attention to television, where he could gain lasting fame as the director of photography for all 152 episodes of the classic sitcom I Love Lucy.) Grain levels fluctuate a bit depending on the lighting, but the texture is largely resolved without sacrificing the feel of celluloid.

Excellent clarity and contrast produce a vibrant image that brims with detail and depth, allowing us to fully appreciate all the period costumes and décor. Dense blacks and bright, stable whites anchor the picture and the grays in between exude pleasing variance. Shadow delineation is quite good and sharp close-ups accentuate Cooper's sagging skin while celebrating the flawless complexions of Bacall and Neal. Not a single fleck of dirt or errant scratch sully the pristine source and no digital anomalies could be detected. Fans of Bright Leaf and its stars will be thrilled with this superior effort from Warner Archive.

The DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 mono track supplies clear, well-modulated sound. A wide dynamic scale embraces all the highs and lows of Victor Young's spirited music score and helps it fill the room with ease. Sonic accents like a train bell, fisticuffs, and gunshots are distinct and subtle atmospherics like chirping birds nicely shade the action. All the dialogue is easy to comprehend and no age-related hiss, pops, or crackle intrude.

A couple of Bugs Bunny Looney Tunes cartoons are the only extras on the disc.

• Vintage Cartoon: Hillbilly Hare (HD, 7 minutes) - Bugs heads to The Ozarks and outwits a couple of backwoods rednecks in this amusing cartoon that makes it clear the villains of Deliverance wouldn't have stood a chance against that wascally wabbit.
• Vintage Cartoon: Bunker Hill Bunny (HD, 7 minutes) - The Revolutionary War is the setting for this showdown between Patriot Bugs and a Red Coat Yosemite Sam. Guess who wins.

Bright Leaf captured my fancy with its engrossing story, finely etched portrayals, and expert direction. Cooper, Bacall, and Neal create plenty of fireworks and Curtiz crafts another impressive production. Warner Archive revives this lost gem with a sparkling transfer struck from a new 4K scan of the original nitrate camera negative and remastered audio. Highly Recommended.