Gold Is Where You Find It (1938)

Set in 1870s Northern California, hydraulic mining sends floods of muddy water into the Sacramento Valley destroying land and water resources necessary to the wheat farmers in the valley. Against this backdrop, a mining engineer (George Brent) and a farmer's daughter (Olivia De Havilland) fall in love although their loyalties belong to different factions. Based on the book by Clement Ripley and directed by Michael Curtiz (CASABLANCA). The movie is a fictionalized take on the 1882 Woodruff vs. North Bloomfield Mining Company lawsuit. It's an agreeable potboiler more interesting for its landmark court decision than its anemic romance. The film was shot in the relatively new three strip Technicolor process. Unfortunately, the print I watched was somewhat faded and not very sharp. It needs a major restoration but it's not an important enough film to spend the necessary funds. With Claude Rains, Margaret Lindsay, Tim Holt, Sidney Toler and John Litel.