The Big Trees *** (1952, Kirk Douglas, Eve Miller, Patrice Wymore, Edgar Buchanan, John Archer, Alan Hale Jr, Roy Roberts) – Classic Movie Review 7509

Director Felix E Feist’s 1952 adventure movie The Big Trees stars Kirk Douglas as timber baron John Fallon, the money-grabbing lumberman out to chop down California’s beautiful  giant sequoia redwood trees, in this ecologically sound reinterpretation of 1938’s Valley of the Giants.

[Spoiler alert] Fallon (Douglas) is moved to leniency by the local Quaker colony’s love of the land and battle to save the trees, which leads to much mushy sentiment and a little bit of love interest, with nice Alicia Chadwick (Eve Miller) superseding saloon-girl Daisy Fisher (Patrice Wymore) in Douglas’s affections.

Maybe the drama is a bit wooden in this 1952 adventure, based on a story by Kenneth Earl, but there is a sturdy cast, lovely Technicolor colour cinematography by Bert Glennon, some lively action nicely staged by director Felix Feist, and of course great trees.

Also in the cast are Edgar Buchanan, John Archer, Alan Hale Jr, Roy Roberts, Charles Meredith, Harry Cording and Ellen Corby.

The Big Trees is directed by Felix E Feist, runs 89 minutes, Warner Bros, is written by John Twist and James R Webb, based on a story by Kenneth Earl, is shot in Technicolor by Bert Glennon, is produced by Louis F Edelmann and is scored by Heinz Roemheld.

© Derek Winnert 2018 Classic Movie Review 7509

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