The Big Tree's (1952)

'The Big Tree's' was the last movie Kirk Douglas made as a studio player for Warner Brothers. Set in 1900 it is the story of a scheming Wisconsin lumber man who travels to California and attempts to cheat a Quaker colony out of their land, but can beautiful Quaker gal Eve Miller set Douglas on the right path in the end, of course she can. Douglas's performance channels Matthew McConaughey nearly two decades before he was even born, or has McConaughey been channeling Douglas? At times Edger Buchanan steals the film as 'Yukon Burns'. A major plot point hangs on a cat. This movie is justly proud of its Humboldt country location shooting, beautiful country. **1/2