The Big Trees (1952)
The Big Trees is a 1952 lumberjack Western film starring Kirk Douglas and directed by Felix E. Feist. It was Kirk Douglas’s final film for Warner Brothers, a film he did for free in exchange for the studio agreeing to release him from his long-term contract.
Director – Felix E. Feist
Writers – John Twist (screen play by), James R. Webb (screen play by), Kenneth Earl (from a story by)
Cast –
Kirk Douglas as Jim Fallon
Eve Miller as Sister Alicia Chadwick
Patrice Wymore as Daisy Fisher
Edgar Buchanan as Yukon Burns
John Archer as “Frenchy” LeCroix
Alan Hale, Jr. as “Tiny”
Roy Roberts as Judge Crenshaw
Charles Meredith as Elder Bixby
Harry Cording as Cleve Gregg
Ellen Corby as Sister Blackburn
Duke Watson as Mr. Murdoch
Lane Chandler as Brother Dorn
Elizabeth Slifer as Sister Wallace
Lilian Bond as Daisy’s girl
Michael McHale as Mr Keller (an accountant)
William Challee as Brother Williams
Watch “The Big Trees” (1952)
Plot
In 1900, lumberman Jim Fallon (Kirk Douglas) greedily eyes the big redwood trees in the virgin region of northern California. The land is already settled by, among others, a religious group led by Elder Bixby (Charles Meredith) who have a religious relationship with the redwoods and refuse to log them, using smaller trees for lumber. Jim becomes infatuated with Bixby’s daughter, Alicia (Eve Miller), though that does not change his plan to cheat the homesteaders. When Jim’s right-hand man, Yukon Burns (Edgar Buchanan) finds out, he changes sides and leads the locals in resisting Jim. The locals combat Jim’s loggers with a sympathetic judge with Jim fighting back by using Federal laws.
Elder Bixby is killed when a big sequoia tree is chopped down by Jim’s men and falls on his cabin. Jim’s desperate attempt to rescue Alicia’s father saves him from being convicted of murder. Meanwhile, timber rival Cleve Gregg (Harry Cording) appears on the scene, making it a three-way fight. Gregg and his partner Frenchy LeCroix (John Archer) try to assassinate Jim, but end up killing Yukon instead. Jim has a dramatic change of heart and leads the settlers in defeating Gregg and Frenchy. Afterwards, Jim marries Alicia and settles down.