The problem you're probably going to experience with this film is the poor condition it's in. And it's a bit surprising that it hasn't been restored. In 1937, producer Hal Wallis selected this film to be shot in Technicolor, as a dry run for upcoming "The Adventures of Robin Hood". It was the first Western shot in Technicolor, and only the second movie to be shot in new Technicolor. And the cast is decent -- Olivia deHavilland, George Brent, and Claude Rains.
Perhaps the issue is that is the same old story in many Westerns, except this time instead of being cattlemen versus sheep herders, it's farmers versus gold miners. Otherwise, it's fairly predictable and relatively historically accurate. It is interesting, particularly because you can learn a lot about the kind of surface mining which was quite prevalent in California in the early days -- hydraulic mining, which really scarred the environment.
This was clearly a big-budget picture, and it made a quarter-million dollars at the box office. So again, why not a restoration? Perhaps it is because over the years, George Brent's star has fallen quite a bit.
George Brent, although without his mustache, is very good here. As is Olivia deHavilland. Claude Rains' hair makes him almost unrecognizable, but he's always good.
And there are a rash of recognizable character actors in support of the main cast. John Litel, Barton MacLane (very little screen time), Tim Holt (not very impressive here), Sidney Toler (I ask again, what did the studios see in this "actor"?), Henry O'Neill, Willie Best (very short screen time; irrelevant to the film), Russell Simpson (a small role but strong performance), Harry Davenport (an all too short appearance for this classic character actor), Clarence Kolb, Moroni Olsen (as senator and father of William Randolph Hearst), and with a short screen time -- Gabby Hayes! The story is good, production values mostly appeared to be high, and since it takes place in California, much was shot on location, and the Great Valley and Sierra Nevada Mountains are there to see. This was a near-great film that somehow didn't quite live up to its potential. I'm glad to have seen it; it's well worth watching; but it won't end up on my DVD shelf.
Perhaps the issue is that is the same old story in many Westerns, except this time instead of being cattlemen versus sheep herders, it's farmers versus gold miners. Otherwise, it's fairly predictable and relatively historically accurate. It is interesting, particularly because you can learn a lot about the kind of surface mining which was quite prevalent in California in the early days -- hydraulic mining, which really scarred the environment.
This was clearly a big-budget picture, and it made a quarter-million dollars at the box office. So again, why not a restoration? Perhaps it is because over the years, George Brent's star has fallen quite a bit.
George Brent, although without his mustache, is very good here. As is Olivia deHavilland. Claude Rains' hair makes him almost unrecognizable, but he's always good.
And there are a rash of recognizable character actors in support of the main cast. John Litel, Barton MacLane (very little screen time), Tim Holt (not very impressive here), Sidney Toler (I ask again, what did the studios see in this "actor"?), Henry O'Neill, Willie Best (very short screen time; irrelevant to the film), Russell Simpson (a small role but strong performance), Harry Davenport (an all too short appearance for this classic character actor), Clarence Kolb, Moroni Olsen (as senator and father of William Randolph Hearst), and with a short screen time -- Gabby Hayes! The story is good, production values mostly appeared to be high, and since it takes place in California, much was shot on location, and the Great Valley and Sierra Nevada Mountains are there to see. This was a near-great film that somehow didn't quite live up to its potential. I'm glad to have seen it; it's well worth watching; but it won't end up on my DVD shelf.