GOD'S COUNTRY AND THE WOMAN

US, 1937, 85 minutes, Colour.
George Brent, Beverly Roberts, Barton Mac Lane, Alan Hale.
Directed by William Keighly.

God's Country and the Woman was one of the first films made in Technicolour. It is a conventional story about logging in the northwest US and the clashes of business interests. It is also a battle of the sexes, 30s style. (One-line of dialogue has George Brent saying that this is where men are men and so are the women.) George Brent was a big star at Warner Bros. at the time. Beverly Roberts appeared only in a few films. There is a good supporting cast led by Alan Hale as a Finnish overseer. There are the usual presentations of big business, authentic scenes of logging in the mountains, violent clashes and romance. The film is very reminiscent of the type of screenplay written by Ken G. Hall for Australian productions of this time like Tall Timbers.

1. Entertain frontier film? Of the mid '30s? Battle of the sexes?

2. Warner Bros. production, outdoor locations, early colour photography? Musical score?

3. The themes of logging, opening the frontier, clashes of business, violence on the frontier? (And the issues of the environment from a later perspective?)

4. Jo Barton and inheriting the firm from her father, the tough woman on the frontier, the logging, her men, working them hard, stern? The clash with the Russets? The coming of Steve, the clash, secretly falling in love with him? Making him work hard? The interactions with him, admitting her love? Finding out the truth? Her anger? The train coming through with supplies? The log jam? Going to the city, the confrontation, Steve breaking the log jam? The happy ending? The picture of a tough 30s woman?

5. The Russet firm, Jeff and business, getting Steve back from Paris, his hard hitting tactics with the Barton firm, spies in the camp, sabotage?

6. Steve, the man about town, the returning, flying into the frontier, the encounter with Jo, wanting food, being put to work, tough work, talking with Bjorn? His achievement? The truth about his identity, Jo's reaction, his return, the about the log jam, his heroics in the explosion, reconciliation with Jo? A happy Future?

7. The men in the camp, worked hard, Jo's pressure, their revolt, stirred up by bull head, Bjorn trying to help? Bullhead stabbing Bjorn?

8. The scenes of logging, toppling the trees, their going down river, the log jams?

9. The supporting characters - cooks, workers. spies, roustabouts?

10. An action film of the mid 30s capitalising on colour processes?