Main Cast: Sylvia Sidney, Henry Fonda, Fred MacMurray, Fred Stone, Nigel Bruce
Release Year: 1936
Country: US
Run Time: 102 minutes
Plot
Paramount's first outdoor Technicolor feature, Trail of the Lonesome Pine was the third film version of John Fox Jr.'s novel. Inspired by the Hatfield-McCoy feud, the story is set in the Blue Ridge mountains of Virginia. Outsider Fred MacMurray arrives to clear the path for a new railroad. Mountain girl Sylvia Sidney falls in love with MacMurray, which incurs the enmity of Sidney's boyfriend Henry Fonda. It also plunks MacMurray in the middle of a long-standing feud between Sidney's family and another mountain clan. Hostilities alternately erupt and simmer until Sidney's youngest brother (Spanky McFarland) is killed by a feud-inspired dynamite blast. This tragic incident brings virtually everyone to their senses, and the feud is finally buried. Better in its individual setpieces than as a unified whole, Trail of the Lonesome Pine is still a worthwhile experience, especially when a pristine three-strip Technicolor print is available. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Review
Filmed largely in the beautiful hills surrounding Cedar Lake, CA, The Trail of the Lonesome Pine is a somewhat dated but still enjoyable backwoods melodrama. Modern audiences will undoubtedly have some problems with the screenplay, as its Hatfield/McCoy-inspired story comes across as somewhat hokey in places, and much of the earnest dialogue sounds clanky and contrived. Still, the basic conflict definitely has power, there's plenty of "down home" atmosphere to add flavor to the story, and individual moments pack a great deal of power. The beautiful Technicolor lensing may have a few flaws, but overall, the color and photography create a visual feast. Sylvia Sidney's delectable looks are a feast unto themselves; if her performance is occasionally shrill, it's still effective. Even better are Fred MacMurray and Henry Fonda, both of whom were pretty boyish at the time but deliver performances that are man-sized in their power and presence. Fonda, in particular, makes the most of his dramatic moments, partially because his role is a bit showier than MacMurray's. Of the supporting cast, Beulah Bondi is all stubborn pride and strength, Nigel Bruce is gruffly appealing, and Spanky McFarland makes the tear-jerking climax work well. Trail is a bit uneven, but on the whole it's memorable. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide
Hans Dreier - Art Director, Henry Hathaway - Director, Robert Bischoff - Editor, Boris Morros - Musical Direction/Supervision, W. Howard Greene - Cinematographer, Robert C. Bruce - Cinematographer, Walter Wanger - Producer, Walter Wagner - Producer, Grover Jones - Screenwriter, Horace McCoy - Screenwriter, Harvey Thew - Screenwriter, John Fox, Jr. - Book Author
The Trail of the Lonesome Pine is a 1936romance film based on the novel of the same name. It was directed by Henry Hathaway. It was the second full length feature film to be shot in three-strip Technicolor and the first to be shot outdoors.
