Displaying items by tag: Bernard B, Ray

LAW OF THE TIMBER

US, 1941, 65 minutes, Black-and-white.

Marjorie Reynolds, Monte Blue, J. Farrell McDonald, Sven Hogo Borg, Hal Brazeale.

Directed by Bernard B. Ray.

A very small, minor B-budget action supporting feature of the early 1940s, the story of the lumber industry, clashes with squatters in the forest valley, sabotage, workers together, an insider spy… It also features a young woman as head of the company.

The director, Russian born, made several short films and features in the US. The hero, Hal Brazeale, had a short career, uncredited roles until this one which turned out to be his last film. Audiences have never heard the phrase Jumpin’ Jiminy so often in any film through the mouth of Swedish born actor Sven Hugo Balk.

A number of stilted performances, an amount of modelling for some of the mountain and train sequences, an element of mystery about the spy and the identity of the hero.

A curiosity item.