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.