The Michael Curtiz-directed and 1890s-set Bright Leaf recently made its way onto Blu-ray in late July 2025 by way of the Warner Archive Collection. Bright Leaf is presented in black and white with a 1.37:1 aspect ratio with side mattes and a DTS HD-MA 2.0 MONO soundtrack.

Brant Royle (Gary Cooper) returns to his North Carolina hometown to settle his late uncle’s estate, but his real motive is revenge. Years earlier, tobacco tycoon Major Singleton drove Brant’s family out of Kingsmont, seizing their land and the prized bright leaf tobacco that once made the Royles famous. Now wealthy and ambitious, Brant intends to reclaim his legacy and challenge Singleton’s empire—while rekindling his complicated bond with Singleton’s daughter, Margaret (Patricia Neal). When inventor John Barton (Jeff Corey) offers Brant a revolutionary cigarette-rolling machine, he sees his chance to upend the industry and settle old scores.

To finance his venture, Brant turns to Sonia Kovac (Lauren Bacall), a former flame turned savvy businesswoman who still carries a torch for him. With Barton’s machine and Sonia’s investment, Brant launches a modern cigarette enterprise, quickly eclipsing his rivals. As his business grows, his personal life becomes entangled in ambition, pride, and misplaced affection. Sonia realizes her love for Brant will always take second place to his obsession with success—and to Margaret’s allure.

Brant eventually crushes Singleton’s empire, but his victory turns hollow. Singleton’s suicide leaves Margaret cold and vengeful, and she marries Brant only to preserve her family’s name. Their union soon decays into resentment, deceit, and betrayal. Sonia’s return from Europe offers no solace; she learns of Brant’s loveless marriage even as her own romantic prospects shift toward his loyal lieutenant, Chris Malley (Jack Carson).

As the century turns, Brant’s empire crumbles under scandal and sabotage. Margaret conspires against him, draining his fortune and exposing his monopolistic practices. When their confrontation ends in flames—literally—Brant watches his mansion burn, symbolizing the ruin of everything he built. In a quiet, tragic epilogue, he visits Sonia to say farewell. The relentless drive that once defined him is gone, leaving only regret and the echo of his father’s pocket watch—a reminder of time lost to pride and vengeance.

Bright Leaf was made in the latter part of Michael Curtiz’s directing career. Anyone familiar with Curtiz’s history knows he was a reliable filmmaker for Warner Bros., turning out a remarkable number of films for the studio. In fact, this adaptation of Foster Fitz-Simons’ 1949 novel was one of three Curtiz-directed releases in 1950.

As later revealed in the 2003 documentary Bright Leaves, Bright Leaf is loosely inspired by the rivalry between tobacco magnates Washington Duke and John Harvey McElwee. If that documentary hadn’t been released by another studio, it would have made an ideal Blu-ray companion piece. Alas, Bright Leaves was distributed by First Run Features, and much like many previous Warner Archive Collection titles, the disc offers slim pickings beyond the feature itself—just a few animated shorts.

As a film, Bright Leaf runs a bit long, and it’s probably better to move on to the next title on your watchlist instead. I’m not sure if it was the pacing or my own pre–Yom Tov mindset when I pressed play, but even with Curtiz behind the camera and stars like Gary Cooper and Lauren Bacall on-screen, the spark doesn’t quite ignite the way it should.

Bonus Features

• Classic Cartoons
  • Bunker Hill Bunny
  • Hillbilly Hare

DIRECTOR: Michael Curtiz
SCREENWRITER: Ranald MacDougal
CAST: Gary Cooper, Lauren Bacall, Patricia Neal, Jack Carson, Donald Crisp, with Gladys George, Elizabeth Patterson, Jeff Corey, Taylor Holmes, Thurston Hall

Warner Bros. released Bright Leaf in theaters on July 1, 1950. Grade: 2.5/5

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