![]() ![]() Anyway, this was a fine showcase for the Technicolor photography as kudos to director Henry Hathaway for making every scene count as this was a most entertaining drama with a couple of touching, though tragic, scenes at the end. Incidentally, while Knight sings the latter, Fonda whistles and Spanky hums and this was a couple of years before Spanky's "Our Gang" co-star Alfalfa sung part of this tune in the short The Little Ranger (which McFarland doesn't appear in). (If anyone is familiar with me, they know my favorite movie is It's a Wonderful Life and I like noting actors in that movie in other films like Bondi and Hinds who were married in the latter) Then there's Fuzzy Knight who's a charmer as something of a Greek chorus singing songs like "Twlight on the Trail" and the Oscar-nominated "A Melody from the Sky". Also appearing were Beulah Bondi, Nigel Bruce, and Samuel Hinds as the Sheriff. There's also a romantic rivalry between Fonda and MacMurray for Sidney. This was a compelling story of a couple of feuding families and one outsider played by MacMurray who's trying to build a railroad around both respective groups' areas. While it had stars like Fred MacMurray, Henry Fonda, and Sylvia Sidney, the main reason I was interested in this movie was because of one Spanky McFarland, who at the time was still a member of "Our Gang". Just watched this Technicolor Paramount feature (The first of the kind that was shot outdoors) on YouTube. Reviewed by tavm 8 / 10 The Trail of the Lonesome Pine features fine performances by Henry Fonda, Fred MacMurray, Sylvia Sidney, and Spanky McFarland The tune for the chorus of The Trail Of The Lonesome Pine,' by Ballard MacDonald & Harry Carroll, can be briefly heard during the opening credits viewers will need to watch Laurel & Hardy's WAY OUT WEST (1937) to hear this fine old song actually sung.įamous as the first outdoor film produced in full Technicolor, THE TRAIL OF THE LONESOME PINE benefits greatly from its location filming near Cedar Lake, in California's San Bernardino Mountains. The film is stitched together by the evocative, nostalgic singing of Fuzzy Knight, who introduces Twilight On The Trail' & √ Melody From The Sky,' (both by Louis Alter and Sidney D. Movie mavens will recognize Clara Blandick as a frightened landlady and Samuel S. Precocious & poignant, Spanky's character is quite unforgettable.įred Stone & Robert Barrat play the heads of the two feuding clans, one gentle - the other fierce. Already the star of numerous OUR GANG comedies, the tiny tyke here displays the talent that placed him in the front rank of child movie stars. Special mention should be made of seven-year-old Spanky McFarland, who plays Miss Sidney's little brother. ![]() Cuddly Nigel Bruce is MacMurray's associate - gruff & grumbly, but with a heart of gold. The marvelous character actress Beulah Bondi appears as Miss Sidney's mother, one of the first in a decades-long line of stubborn, proud old women she would play her eyes tell of the world of trouble her character has seen on the mountain. All three deliver compelling performances, with a slight advantage going to the gentlemen, as their roles do not require as much shrill, fickle behavior as does Miss Sidney's. The film's romantic triangle consists of barefoot mountain lass Sylvia Sidney, her decent, uncomplicated cousin Henry Fonda, and mining executive Fred MacMurray, who, as a newcomer to the backwoods, rebels against the traditions of violence & revenge he finds there. The vividly depicted consequences of mindless, violent behavior give the film a real punch. ![]() `In the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, on THE TRAIL OF THE LONESOME PINE,' a young woman discovers love, but no respite from the violent feud which has torn apart two families.įull of good performances & boasting excellent production values courtesy of Paramount Studios, this fine drama brings to its viewers a not-so-subtle message of peace & tolerance. Reviewed by Ron Oliver 10 / 10 Excellent Golden Era Film He soon captures the attention of the beautiful June Tolliver (Sylvia Sidney) and quickly becomes involved in a love triangle with her and her cousin Dave (Henry Fonda)-tonyman With plans to build a railroad through both families' land and mine coal deposits beneath it, enterprising outsider Jack Hale (Fred MacMurray) inadvertently becomes entangled in the region's politics. A feud, the origins of which can barely be remembered, has been boiling for decades between two sheltered mountain families, the Tollivers and the Falins. ![]()
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