King of the Lumberjacks (1940)

To me, this movie is perfection.

At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

The first must-see film of the year.

The movie's not perfect, but it sticks the landing of its message. It was engaging - thrilling at times - and I personally thought it was a great time.

Stars John Payne and Gloria Dickson. Stanley Fields is the Boss. Fields has a pretty interesting story... he had started out as a boxer, which explains the first five minutes of the films, where they box for no reason. and Fields only made a couple more films, then died the next year. Payne is Slim Jim, who shows up and wants to work as a lumberjack, but has to prove himself, of course. Jackson also shows up in town, as a singer, and we can tell right off SOMEONE is going to fall in love. Jimmy Conlin is the pianny player.. he was a bit-part player in just EVERYTHING in the 1930s and 1940s. Everyone has a backstory, and we hear it, and watch it play out. An age old story. Surprisingly good film. Some very predictable scenes, but oh, well. Just part of the deal. Shown on Turner Classic Films. Only 81 votes so far, so they must have just started showing it. Directed by William Clemens for Warner Brothers. A 58 minute shortie, but a goodie.

Warner's TIGER SHARK plot -- usually with Edward G. Robinson in the lead and a top director like Howard Hawks or Raoul Walsh directing -- gets the B treatment among lumberjacks . Stanley Field, of course, doesn't have the range of Robinson, but John Payne is fine in an early outing as the juvenile lead, and Gloria Dickson is absolutely terrific. She never got out of the Bs, and was working for Columbia when she died in a fire at her home four years later, alas.This feature is one of the very short, one-hour second features that Warner Brothers produced under Briney Foy in the pre-war period. Overall, it's a good, workmanlike piece.

JOHN PAYNE plays a college guy who gets a lumberjack job on a crew run by STANLEY FIELDS. Fields is a rough mannered, diamond-in-the-rough type of guy who manages to win the attention of GLORIA DICKSON when she applies for a job as singer in the local tavern. And unfortunately, he has most of the footage throughout the film.Turns out that Dickson is Payne's former sweetheart which sets up the usual formula triangle with Payne caught between the newly married couple and his friendship with both.Some of the timberland footage looks like stock shots used from other Warner films about lumberjacks. The story, as well, seems like a retread of familiar films dealing with the same background and romantic triangle.With Fields using rough tactics to get his logs to the mill on time, we know there will be some sort of conflict between him and Payne before the story is over. Too much plot takes place in the last ten minutes, involving a vengeful runaway train, which gives the story an abrupt feel before it winds up in downbeat fashion.Summing up: Forgettable B-film leaves a bad impression.