I want to begin by countering a few comments in other reviews: 1. That Gary Cooper is too old for the part. Really? Why? Mature people don't have a romantic life (and BTW, it's mentioned that he's been away a long time)? 49 is too old to become a businessman? In reality, it's more likely a mature man who has learned some lessons in life will see how to begin a business. And, he needs to be a son's age to Singleton (Donald Crisp). Nope. Age works fine here.
2. That this film is inspired by "Gone With The Wind". Why? Because it takes place in the South (30-some years after the war)? Because in one line the Civil War is mentioned? This film could have just as easily taken place in New England where tobacco was also grown, and that would have had nothing to do with GWTW. Any film that has anything remotely to do with the Civil War is not related to GWTW. And later in the film it is 1900.
3. One reviewer said "The Fountainhead" (Cooper's and Neal's previous film pairing) was unwatchable. Really? Yes, it failed at the box office. But critics have taken a new look at the film, and many have given it rather positive reviews. On Rotten Tomatoes, that film gets an 83% rating, which is darned good.
Let's face it...some of the negativity about this film is because it is about tobacco. Times have changed. When this film came out, smoking was quite popular, cigarette commercials were about to be the major sponsors of many television shows, and no one thought much of anything about smoking being dangerous to health.
Are there problems with the plot here? I don't really think so. It's rather simple, really. A man whose father was defeated by the local big shot comes back and -- for several reasons -- goes up against the local (and now old) big shot. Not that uncommon a concept. He romances the old man's daughter, making the old man hate him even more. Rather logical, and sets up a second conflict for the main characters. Meanwhile he can't stay away from a not so upright woman in the town, but can't be serious about her, either. Pretty common behavior. And it all comes down to revenge upon revenge, a jilted lover, and suicide.
Now in terms of the acting, let's start with Cooper. Cooper pretty much plays Cooper. Someone suggested Kirk Douglas could have played the role better. Actually, I agree. But then it would have been a very different movie, even if everything else had remained the same. Cooper does fine here, and Cooper does what Cooper always did.
Lauren Bacall was fine here, also, and I say that as a person who is not a fan. Her role as a hard-as-nails madam turned wealthy stock holder is quite tasty. It's Patricia Neal that seemed quite out of place to me...until the end...when we see what her character is really all about.
In terms of Jack Carson, he plays the best friend who can't get the girl. It works. Donald Crisp is perfect (wasn't he always?) as the old "major" from another era who is fighting the younger generation.
Don't get me wrong. It's not a "great" film. Pretty standard, in fact. But good and dependable entertainment...providing you stop seeing things that aren't there. And frankly, to those who dislike the film, frankly I don't give...oops, back to GWTW.
2. That this film is inspired by "Gone With The Wind". Why? Because it takes place in the South (30-some years after the war)? Because in one line the Civil War is mentioned? This film could have just as easily taken place in New England where tobacco was also grown, and that would have had nothing to do with GWTW. Any film that has anything remotely to do with the Civil War is not related to GWTW. And later in the film it is 1900.
3. One reviewer said "The Fountainhead" (Cooper's and Neal's previous film pairing) was unwatchable. Really? Yes, it failed at the box office. But critics have taken a new look at the film, and many have given it rather positive reviews. On Rotten Tomatoes, that film gets an 83% rating, which is darned good.
Let's face it...some of the negativity about this film is because it is about tobacco. Times have changed. When this film came out, smoking was quite popular, cigarette commercials were about to be the major sponsors of many television shows, and no one thought much of anything about smoking being dangerous to health.
Are there problems with the plot here? I don't really think so. It's rather simple, really. A man whose father was defeated by the local big shot comes back and -- for several reasons -- goes up against the local (and now old) big shot. Not that uncommon a concept. He romances the old man's daughter, making the old man hate him even more. Rather logical, and sets up a second conflict for the main characters. Meanwhile he can't stay away from a not so upright woman in the town, but can't be serious about her, either. Pretty common behavior. And it all comes down to revenge upon revenge, a jilted lover, and suicide.
Now in terms of the acting, let's start with Cooper. Cooper pretty much plays Cooper. Someone suggested Kirk Douglas could have played the role better. Actually, I agree. But then it would have been a very different movie, even if everything else had remained the same. Cooper does fine here, and Cooper does what Cooper always did.
Lauren Bacall was fine here, also, and I say that as a person who is not a fan. Her role as a hard-as-nails madam turned wealthy stock holder is quite tasty. It's Patricia Neal that seemed quite out of place to me...until the end...when we see what her character is really all about.
In terms of Jack Carson, he plays the best friend who can't get the girl. It works. Donald Crisp is perfect (wasn't he always?) as the old "major" from another era who is fighting the younger generation.
Don't get me wrong. It's not a "great" film. Pretty standard, in fact. But good and dependable entertainment...providing you stop seeing things that aren't there. And frankly, to those who dislike the film, frankly I don't give...oops, back to GWTW.