Das Tal der Leidenschaften

Set in 1860s Missisippi with the prosperous Dabney family , founders of a rich plantation in Levington . The first founder was the proud grandfather Big Sam : Russell Simpson , though he remains really faithful to the Union . His son is called Hoab : War Bond and he has two beautiful daughters : Susan Hayward as Morna Debney , Julie London and a son : Richard Long . While war bursts out Hoab attempts to remain neutral and to withdraw the land around his plantation to avoid problems . Hoab gains support from local journalist Keith Alexander : Van Heflin . Grandfather Big Sam and Hoab attempt to keep their family out of the civil war but soon find find themselves much affected by tragic circumstances . They decide not get involved in the war because they believe that this isn't their war , but then things go wrong . Eventually , all of them get involved when their mansion is invaded by the Confederation troops . It is time of war and violence and tragedy reaches the Dabney family. When she lost her lover ... her sister gained one !

A thrilling and excting epic set in early Cvil American War in which both sides are really confronted , as the starring family , The Dabney , remains loyal to Union , while the daughter's boyfriend is an extreme Confederate officer . The films contains a similar plot to most successful "Shenandoah" 1965 by Andrew V McLagen with James Stewart , equally concerning a peaceful family becomes reluctantly involved into the Civil War resulting in fateful consequences . Main and support cast are pretty good . As Van Heflin is nice as the local newspaperman who finds himself in the middle of war and while falling in love for Morna Debney . And Susan Hayward is fine , though overacting at times , as the stubborn heir who suffers an accident being impeded to walk and along the way he is extremely enamored for a Southern officer . In addition, War Bond is the brave father who will stop at nothing to save his children , Boris Karloff plays competently an Indian who attempts to destroy the enemy plans , Russell Collins as the patriarch who vows to remains neutral , Julie London as the beautiful sister who will betray to Morna , besides : Richard Long as a valiente son , Whitfield Connor as the Cofederate Major , Arthur Shields as a Reverend , Rudy Dandridge as a servant , among others .

The motion picture produced in medium budget by Walter Wanger was professionallity directed by George Sherman , though with no much originality , neither enthusism and nor vigour , but there is entertainment enough . Sherman was a prolific artisan who made a long career , directing films of all kinds of genres and with penchant for Western , such as : "Big Jake" , "War Arrow", "Treasure of Pancho Villa" , "War Arrow" , "Tomahawk" , " Comanche Territory" , "The Last of the Badmen", "The Sombrero Kid" , "Santa Fe Stampede" , "Cowboys From Texas" , "Rock Mountain Rangers" , "Covered Wagon Days" , "Frontier Horizon", "Outlaws of Sonora", "Wyoming Outlaw" , "Pals of the Saddle" , "Overland Stage Raiders" , "Three Texas Steers" , "Outlaws of Sonora" , among others . Well worth watching.

I was able to tape this film years ago. It is not often seen on TV and a true classic film. Tap Roots takes place at the outbreak of the Civil War, Lebanon Valley tries to secede from the state of Mississippi and remain neutral. Hating slavery, its leader, Hoab Dabney(Ward Bond), and a faithful Indian friend of the family, Tishomingo(Boris Karloff), promise to protect the valley against the Confederate army. There is a great cast of actors namely: Susan Hayward, Van Heflin and Julie London(former wife of Jack Webb, Dragnet T.V) Tap Roots is rather long and drawn out. However, the plot has romance, excellent photography of the Civil War costumes, sex situations and the action is of great value. Karloff is excellent as an Indian guide of the family and his make-up makes him look just like a Native American. I noticed the Smoky Mountains located in North Carolina and Tennessee where this Mississippi story was filmed which is magnificent to view.

When the South secedes from the union, starting the Civil War, plantation owner Hoab Dabney (Ward Bond) declares that his land, encompassing the large Lebanon Valley in Mississippi, will not join in, and will be a free land where other like minded farmers can settle and ride out the war in peace. His daughters Morna (Susan Hayward) and Aven (Julie London) both pine for the same man, loyal Confederate officer Clay MacIvor (Whitfield Connor), while Hoab's chief lieutenant, newspaperman Keith Alexander (Van Heflin) has eyes for Morna. Eventually things reach a reckoning, and lives and loves are lost and won.

There's a lot of nice outdoor cinematography to be seen, and the production design is good, with detailed sets and authentic costumes. Heflin seems like an odd casting choice for the womanizing, pistol-packing Alexander, who seems more in the Clark Gable or William Holden vein. Heflin isn't bad, though, and he holds his own among some big scenery chewers,like Ward Bond and Susan Hayward. I watched this for Karloff, who plays a Choctaw Indian and loyal family retainer. His slightly lisping, British-accented voice seems odd for a Mississippi born-and-raised native, but if you roll with it, he does a good job. It's certainly one of the more interesting characters Karloff played around this time. The film's literary roots are apparent in an abundance of characters, themes and subplots, not all of which get enough attention in the script. A fun bit of trivia: Julia London took time off while filming this to elope with Jack Webb in Vegas.

The story is about the Dabney family and it begins in Mississippi just before the Civil War. The Dabneys are a proud family and not in favor of secession. But they and the folks around them are a distinct minority and eventually they end up seceding from Mississippi once the state joins the Confederacy. Not surprisingly, the new Confederacy is NOT pleased that this county has joined the Union...and bad things are a comin'.

But there's much more to the tale and it centers around Morna Dabney (Susan Hayward). She is vivacious and beloved by Clay--a man who loves the idea of war and secession. But when Morna is injured and it appears as if she'll never walk again, Clay shows his true colors...and the roguish Keith (Van Helfin) steps up and shows he really is a heck of a guy.

This is enjoyable and with very nice acting. The only real problem is that what happens to the Dabneys and the county is pretty much foreordained and there are few surprises here. The story, by the way, was inspired by a similar situation in Jones county, where such a rebellion against the state of Mississippi occurred.

1948's "Tap Roots" has been described as a poor man's "Gone with the Wind," and that pretty much sums up the simplistic plot, with Van Heflin and Susan Hayward supplying the love interest. As Hoab Dabney, patriarch of the Lebanon Valley in Mississippi, Ward Bond enjoys one of his most prominent movie roles, ably assisted by the scene stealing Boris Karloff, surprisingly cast as Choctaw Indian medicine man Tishomingo, equally adept at healing as he is wielding a mean whip. The slave-owning Dabneys decide to stay neutral as the Civil War gets underway, rousing the townsmen to defy the Confederates, regardless of the consequences (Jonathan Hale has one scene as General Joseph Johnston). By this time, Karloff made infrequent returns to the studio that made him a star (ending with 1953's "Abbott and Costello Meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde"), and his casting was most definitely inspired by his recent portrayal of Guyasuta, Chief of the Senecas, in Cecil B. De Mille's "Unconquered." The darkly-complected actor had played a multitude of Native Americans, mostly villainous, during the silent era, but had only these two roles since the advent of talkies (his only sound Western was 1930's "The Utah Kid").