King of the Lumberjacks

JOHN PAYNE plays a college guy who gets a lumberjack job on a crew run by STANLEY FIELDS. Fields is a rough mannered, diamond-in-the-rough type of guy who manages to win the attention of GLORIA DICKSON when she applies for a job as singer in the local tavern. And unfortunately, he has most of the footage throughout the film.

Turns out that Dickson is Payne's former sweetheart which sets up the usual formula triangle with Payne caught between the newly married couple and his friendship with both.

Some of the timberland footage looks like stock shots used from other Warner films about lumberjacks. The story, as well, seems like a retread of familiar films dealing with the same background and romantic triangle.

With Fields using rough tactics to get his logs to the mill on time, we know there will be some sort of conflict between him and Payne before the story is over. Too much plot takes place in the last ten minutes, involving a vengeful runaway train, which gives the story an abrupt feel before it winds up in downbeat fashion.

Summing up: Forgettable B-film leaves a bad impression.