Son of Fury: The Story of Benjamin Blake (1942)

User Rating:

7.1/10   

Director:

John Cromwell

Writers:

Philip Dunne (screenplay)
Edison Marshall (novel)

Release Date:

29 January 1942 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Drama | Romance

Tagline:

The Story of Benjamin Blake

Plot:

Cheated out of his estate by his sadistic uncle, young Benjamin Blake goes to the South Seas to make his fortune so he can return to claim his birthright.

Plot Keywords:

Uncle | Inheritance | Grandfather Grandson Relationship | Revenge | Beautiful Woman

Cast

Tyrone Power	...	Benjamin Blake
Gene Tierney	...	Eve
George Sanders	...	Sir Arthur Blake
Frances Farmer	...	Isabel
Roddy McDowall	...	Benjamin - as a boy
John Carradine	...	Caleb Green
Elsa Lanchester	...	Bristol Isabel
Harry Davenport	...	Amos Kidder
Kay Johnson	...	Helena
Dudley Digges	...	Pratt
Halliwell Hobbes	...	Purdy
Marten Lamont	...	Kenneth Hobart
Arthur Hohl	...	Captain Greenough
Pedro de Cordoba	...	Feenou
Heather Thatcher	...	Maggie Martin

Also Known As:

The Story of Benjamin Blake

Runtime:

98 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)

Certification:

Netherlands:12 | USA:Approved (certificate #7715) | Canada:G (video rating) | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15

Filming Locations:

Busch Gardens - S. Grove Avenue, Pasadena, California, USA

Company:

Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Quotes:

Sir Arthur Blake: Have you ever fought with your fists, Ben?
Benjamin Blake: Yes.
Sir Arthur Blake: I don't mean vulgar scuffling in the stables. I mean the rules of the prize ring.
Benjamin Blake: No, sir.
Sir Arthur Blake: Take off your coat, and your education will begin.
[as Ben is removing his coat, Sir Arthur suddenly punches him to the ground]
Sir Arthur Blake: Your first lesson - Never be taken unawares!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Wonder Boys (2000)

The Power of Tyrone

Those who claim Elizabeth Taylor and Montgomery Clift were the screen's all-time most beautiful couple apparently have never seen Tyrone Power and Gene Tierney. SON OF FURY is a wonderful multi-genre picture that goes from British period piece to South Seas romance quite smoothly. The film's plot has been well-explained by multiple IMDb members so I'll just concentrate on the performances.

The entire cast does fine work. Gene Tierney doesn't appear until a full hour as passed and her role doesn't require much except smiling and looking utterly beautiful and that she does to perfection. George Sanders (looking amazingly like John Wayne in the early scenes) has one of his most brutally villainous roles and he plays it without flinching, this is no character you love to hate, he's one scary SOB. This major 1942 film is also notable for giving breaks to two actresses who had been brushed off by many in Hollywood, the troubled Frances Farmer who plays Sanders' daughter (and Power's first love) and early talkie star Kay Johnson, making a very rare appearance, as Sander's wife. John Carradine has one of his most likable roles as a seedy castaway who turns out to be a great friend. There's also an exceptional performance from Harry Davenport (best known as Doc Meade from GONE WITH THE WIND) as Power's beloved grandfather.

And I've saved the best for last, the one, the only Tyrone Power. Was there ever a more gorgeous man in movies? And SON OF FURY fairly revels in his beauty, his beautiful mop of thick black hair, his stunning profile, manly arms, friendly eyes and infectious smile. And as a bonus, there are numerous scenes of Power shirtless, running around the island in sarong-like swim-shorts. To top it all off, Tyrone is a fantastic actor, one of classic Hollywood's best. He would have been a superstar in any era.