Don't listen to the Hype. It's awful

It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

There's no way I can possibly love it entirely but I just think its ridiculously bad, but enjoyable at the same time.

It is a whirlwind of delight --- attractive actors, stunning couture, spectacular sets and outrageous parties. It's a feast for the eyes. But what really makes this dramedy work is the acting.

There are a lot of similarities between Romance Of The Limberlost and such films as Shepherd Of The Hills, Trail Of The Lonesome Pine, The Yearling, and Spitfire all set in some truly rural areas All of those films had the advantage of much bigger budgets from bigger studios than Romance Of The Limberlost which was an item from Monogram.Our main character is Jean Parker a free spirited lass who to escape the tyrannical bullying of her aunt Marjorie Main who has raised her since her mother died by going into the forest. She's got more critter friends than Elly Mae Clampett and a couple of human friends in Eric Linden who wants to be a lawyer and simple swamp kid Hollis Jewell.Main is fixing to marry Parker off to the much older and richer Edward Pawley whose puss was in many a Warner Brothers gangster flick of the Thirties. He's a mean brute looking for a nice young trophy wife.When Pawley is killed, it's Jewell who's arrested at the scene and it's Linden who defends him. During that trial a whole lot of hidden truths come out.Limberlost is the name for the swamp area in Indiana where the action takes place. Being from Monogram this didn't have too much in the way of production values. But the earnestness of the players overcomes a lot of that.Marjorie Main is almost a synonym for female rustic characters on screen. But the woman wasn't always comical as she was in the Ma&Pa Kettle series. She could do a dramatic turn with the best as witness by this film and her performance in that most urban of dramas Dead End as Humphrey Bogart's mother.Romance Of The Limberlost is worth a look.

This second talkie version of The beautiful story by Gene Stratton Porter is slightly altered from the previous version, "A Girl of the Limberlost", but several elements remain that tie the two together. Laurie is a lovely country girl, both sweet and intelligent, brought up by a stern and seemingly hateful aunt (Marjorie Main) who promises her to a wealthy but brutish garment (Edward Pawley) who is killed right before their wedding, putting Parker's pal on trial. It us up to rising attorney Eric Linden to prove his innocence and during the trial, secrets and true emotions are revealed which change a lot of lives.Main's character, a cold-hearted mother in the original, has been made Parker's aunt and is obviously a reverse snob, against book learning and big city folk, such as the wealthy but kindly Betty Blythe who befriends Parker and becomes her mentor. Sarah Padden and George Cleveland offer comfort to Parker who turns to them for solace over Main's brutality. This is a simple story of human failings and the ability to forgive and atone. In several of Main's scenes, it is obvious that she is hiding her true emotions so it is easy to forgive her in her crueler moments. Parker is a sweet heroine, with Blythe excellent as the woman who helps her without question every chance she gets. Touching yet not maudlin, this is worth a look, and not a carbon copy of its predecessor.

A young girl Laurie lives a life of misery with her cruel aunt in a small swamp village. The wealthiest man in the area makes a pact with the aunt so that he can take the girl's hand in marriage. This man is a drunken bully and old enough to be her father, so this is a pretty horrendous turn of events. Laurie has to rely on a few good souls to help her escape from this dreadful fate.Romance of the Limberlost is a very enjoyable melodrama. Its success is down to a simple but engaging story with good characterisation and a likable heroine. You really care for her predicament and this is ultimately what makes the film work. It's a feel-good romance at the end of the day. It also has a sweet scene in the forest where Laurie interacts with a selection of wild animals. It's a slightly surreal moment that adds a nice touch of the fantastic to proceedings.This is a very obscure film but it really shouldn't be. It's one of the better poverty row dramas that I have seen and is very accessible. It deserves a wider audience.

Laurie (Jean Parker)lives in the Limberlost (swampy timberland found in the American south)with her Aunt Nora (Marjorie Main), who hates the girl because her mother married the man Nora had loved. Laurie's existence is much the same as a bonded servant and she gets no encouragement from her aunt as she tries to overcome her environment by studying. Laurie's only friends are the birds and animals of the forest, and a young boy named Chris (Hollis Jewell), a bound boy to Corson (Edward Pawley), a drunken, coarse bully who is the wealthiest man in the community. Laurie meets and falls in love with Wayne (Eric Linden)whose ambition is to become a lawyer.In the meantime, Corson, a widower, decides he wants to marry again and bargains with Nora to get Laurie as his bride. He promises to support Nora for the rest of her life in style and wealth. Laurie agrees to the forced marriage because Nora threatens to involve her dead mother in a scandal. Chris, secretly in love with Laurie, threatens to kill Corson before he will let him marry Laurie.On the night before the wedding, Chris follows Corson to the barn, with a gun, but the bully disarms him with a whip. Accidentally, Corson falls onto the gun which he has seized from Chris, and is killed.Chris is charged with murder, and Wayne agrees to defend him.