What's going on here? The Furies are Roman mythological goddesses of vengeance. Well that fits insofar as Barbara Stanwyck is the strong-willed daughter (of strong-willed rancher Walter Huston) who seeks revenge when daddy backtracks on promise to leave her his ranch 'The Furies', having hooked up with Judith Anderson (who drinks the disgusting sounding combination of cognac with orange juice!). Although why you would name your ranch that is another matter (it's a bit silly).
Stanwyck also has a hot-cold thing going for mercenary and emotionless Wendell Corey, but her heart is with a Mexican (Gilbert Roland) whose family has lived on the estate for ages. There's a very dramatically faulty sequence where Huston's men lay siege to Roland's family's castle (which, frankly, looks unassailable) but they surrender... and then Huston has him hanged for theft of a horse (which he succumbs to without a word or a struggle??) What a cunt! And of course this is going to position his daughter hotly against him also.
And the in the end, she ruins him, but then goes into partnership with him! And marries Corey! But Roland's mother (oh - that was Beulah Bondi) kills him - good!
I can't help the feeling that this all probably plays better after a few sherberts.
Charles Schnee adapted a novel by Niven Busch. both names we know. And having just been enjoying Mann's films noir like T-Men, Border Incident and Raw Deal, we were somewhat disappointed. Though we like the cast, which also includes Thomas Gomez. It was Huston's last - he died later that year.
Photographed by Victor Milner and scored by Franz Waxman for Paramount, produced by Hal Wallis.
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| Barbara about to disfigure Judith Anderson |
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