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Forget cotton. Tobacco is king in the American South of the 1890s. Brant Royle buys and sells tobacco - and plenty of it, building a cigarette-manufacturing empire. But his empire is starting to crumble. Gary Cooper gives iconic presence to the role of Royle, whose drive for wealth and power is fueled by a desire for revenge against the tycoon (Donald Crisp) who earlier brought ruin to his family. ANother desire also enflames Royle's heart. He;s romantically drawn to the magnate's imperious daughter (Patricia Neal)... and she may have an agenda of her own. Lauren Bacall plays an elegant Royle's inamorata. And Michael Curtiz (Casablanca) directs with a strong sense of style, place and timeless burning ambitions.