![]() Movie mavens will recognize Clara Blandick as a frightened landlady and Samuel S. ![]() Precocious & poignant, Spanky’s character is quite unforgettable.įred Stone & Robert Barrat play the heads of the two feuding clans, one gentle – the other fierce. Already the star of numerous OUR GANG comedies, the tiny tyke here displays the talent that placed him in the front rank of child movie stars. Special mention should be made of seven-year-old Spanky McFarland, who plays Miss Sidney’s little brother. Cuddly Nigel Bruce is MacMurray’s associate – gruff & grumbly, but with a heart of gold. ![]() The marvelous character actress Beulah Bondi appears as Miss Sidney’s mother, one of the first in a decades-long line of stubborn, proud old women she would play her eyes tell of the world of trouble her character has seen on the mountain. All three deliver compelling performances, with a slight advantage going to the gentlemen, as their roles do not require as much shrill, fickle behavior as does Miss Sidney’s. The film’s romantic triangle consists of barefoot mountain lass Sylvia Sidney, her decent, uncomplicated cousin Henry Fonda, and mining executive Fred MacMurray, who, as a newcomer to the backwoods, rebels against the traditions of violence & revenge he finds there. The vividly depicted consequences of mindless, violent behavior give the film a real punch. Escapism – absolutely, but a welcome reminder perhaps that the sharing of life’s trials and tribulations can make the good times even sweeter.`In the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, on THE TRAIL OF THE LONESOME PINE,’ a young woman discovers love, but no respite from the violent feud which has torn apart two families.įull of good performances & boasting excellent production values courtesy of Paramount Studios, this fine drama brings to its viewers a not-so-subtle message of peace & tolerance. It also made this reader want to book into the ‘Sweet Betsy from Pike’ bed and breakfast immediately and inhabit a world not so much lacking realism, as simply filtering out some of the customary ugliness. This is an easy read, over a gingerbread latte that oozes traditional values and charm. The challenges for this star-crossed couple include creating the space for their natural chemistry to flourish, but also finding common cause in combatting local corruption and fashioning a very special Christmas celebration, the life-blood on which the town depends. Still, it is the palliative care of his mother and childcare of his orphaned nephew that dominate Tyler’s life. Lifelong member of that community, Tyler Morris, is owner of ‘The Olde Yarn Bookshop’ and is also leading the local response to a bizarre drone problem besetting the townsfolk. Miss Holly Bennett hails from Richmond, but when her unreliable boyfriend (Craig) disappoints yet again, the main character takes her sister’s advice and heads to the snowy slopes, with her dog ‘Skeeter’, for some retail therapy in the Victorian quaintness of rural Bethlehem. Whilst ‘romance’ is a genre I have ordinarily neglected, what better time to indulge in a novel high on the feel-good quotient, than Christmas week? Moreover, in her latest novel (published November 2021), Christian author, M.C.Harrison has certainly tapped into the Christmas spirit and the magic that attends the festive season, whisking the reader away to the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia.
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