Law of the Timber

Engaging little mystery set in a lumber camp. Yeah, the plot is pretty clichéd - cute blonde inherits her pop's business which greedy crooks are after - but the picturesque forest setting gives the story a new dimension of interest. Someone is sabotaging the H&L Lumber Co's operations and will stop at nothing - even murder - to take over and get H&L's new government contract. Red herrings abound, from the multicultural lumberjacks themselves to the squatters living illegally nearby. And how about that new guy who looks and acts nothing like a lumberjack? As the mystery unfolds we are treated to the great scenery of Big Bear Lake,CA, along with stock footage of the lumber industry in action (kind of funny seeing the same log splash into the river multiple times!) The acting is decent, with the best performance hailing from Sven Hugo Borg as the Swede Olaf; the film's most suspenseful moment revolves around a secret message Olaf scrawls on a poker card...but will that ace fall into the hand of the intended recipient?