Le Sang de la terre

Half backed shenanigans down plantation way. A story of a wealthy family of farmers who wish to remain separate from the insanity of the Civil War and the fiery minx who is the eldest daughter of said family.

More interesting for what it represented to its leading lady than for how the film turned out. When Susan Hayward landed in Hollywood after being spotted in a magazine advertisement she was still Edythe Marrenner a green kid from Brooklyn who along with a flock of other young hopefuls tested for the role of Scarlett O'Hara in Gone With the Wind. Obviously she didn't get the part and if you've ever seen her test it's obvious she was nowhere near ready. However it planted the seed for her desire to if not play Scarlett then at least play a Southern belle.

Within a short time she was discovered by producer Walter Wanger who recognized her potential and through the years carefully cultivated her career eventually making the film which won her the Oscar, I Want to Live! Along the way, about a decade after her initial GWTW test, Wagner developed this mint julep mediocrity for her to fulfill her dream. The thing is it's an odd choice to achieve that goal. Her character, the interestingly named Morna Dabney, after making a memorable entrance disappears for great swathes of the film's running time, first through infirmity and then being removed from the main action of the story for most of the climax. When the camera does train itself on her she is breathtaking, at the peak of her beauty in gorgeous Technicolor but the script hands her a confused character to play, one minute pining for the lout who runs off with her hussy of a sister, a young and lovely Julie London who is given little to do, the next passionate about Van Heflin playing another murkily defined role. Around the edges of the story are Boris Karloff ludicrously cast as an Indian and Ward Bond who by the end is hamming it up to the nth degree.

This is beautifully produced but a moderate affair. However for fans of Miss Hayward it's worth watching once but she has many much better movies in her filmography.

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").

Universal seem to have thrown a lot of cash at these sub 'Gone with the Wind' shenanigans but really should have paid more attention to the script. Although a potentially interesting idea - a small valley tries to stay neutral during the US Civil War - the movie concentrates almost exclusively on a vapid central romance lifted almost wholesale from that earlier Selznick classic.

Van Hefflin tries hard to inject the kind of dangerous humour that Clark Gable brought to Rhett Butler but Susan Hayward is hopelessly miscast as the young, flighty Southern belle. An excellent actress in the right circumstances, here she looks far too sensible for the role and resorts to a permanent wide-eyed stare to convey youth and innocence. She merely looks like a startled rabbit.

Elsewhere, what should have been the pivotal role of the valley's patriarch is simply not given enough screentime, thus reducing Ward Bond to the occasional ineffectual splutter and the climax to an empty, mechanical spectacle devoid of emotional resonance. Boris Karloff brings a touch of class to the role of the friendly native American retainer but Julie London is wasted in a thankless role.

Overall, it's the kind of picture that the studio must have presumed would make itself and this lack of commitment results in a significant lack of quality.

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.

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.