Duel in the Sun (1946)

Beautiful half-breed Pearl Chavez becomes the ward of her dead father's first love and finds herself torn between her sons, one good and the other bad.

Director:

King Vidor

Writers:

David O. Selznick (screenplay), Niven Busch (suggested by a novel by),

Stars:

Jennifer Jones, Joseph Cotten, Gregory Peck

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 1 win.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jennifer Jones	...	Pearl Chavez
Joseph Cotten	...	Jesse McCanles
Gregory Peck	...	Lewton 'Lewt' McCanles
Lionel Barrymore	...	Sen. Jackson McCanles
Herbert Marshall	...	Scott Chavez
Lillian Gish	...	Laura Belle McCanles
Walter Huston	...	The Sinkiller
Charles Bickford	...	Sam Pierce
Harry Carey	...	Lem Smoot
Joan Tetzel	...	Helen Langford
Tilly Losch	...	Mrs. Chavez
Butterfly McQueen	...	Vashti
Scott McKay	...	Sid
Otto Kruger	...	Mr. Langford
Sidney Blackmer	...	The Lover

Storyline

When her father is hanged for shooting his wife and her lover, half-breed Pearl Chavez goes to live with distant relatives in Texas. Welcomed by Laura Belle and her elder lawyer son Jesse, she meets with hostility from the ranch-owner himself, wheelchair-bound Senator Jackson McCanles, and with lustful interest from womanising, unruly younger son Lewt. Almost at once, already existing family tensions are exacerbated by her presence and the way she is physically drawn to Lewt.

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Plot Keywords:

half breed | lovers | shooting | texas | father son estrangement | 

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Taglines:

Emotions . . . As Violent As The Wind-Swept Prairie !

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Genres:

Drama | Romance | Western

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

12 September 1947 (Mexico)

Also Known As:

King Vidor's Duel in the Sun

Filming Locations:

Chatsworth, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$8,000,000 (estimated)

Gross:

$20,400,000 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Selznick Studio, The, Vanguard Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

144 min 144 min (roadshow)

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The "purity" medal that Walter Huston gives to Jennifer Jones is an Egyptian Magic Coin token, a form of the "Good Luck" token. These were produced starting around 1905 as one appears in a Sear's catalog then. Many more were produced in the 1920s, after the discovery of King Tut's tomb made news all over the world. One side has an Egyptian Pharoah and the other side has an Egyptian Sphinx and Pyramids. They are usually around 32mm in diameter and made of brass. Some are plated with silver or white metal.

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Goofs

At end of Jesse's conversation through the window with Sid, Jesse's right hand moves from the sill to inside the window.

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Quotes

Sen. Jackson McCanles: So that's where you stand!
Jesse McCanles: I think I'd rather be on the side of the victims than of the murderers.

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Connections

Featured in Matador (1986)

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Soundtracks

"I've Been Working on the Railroad"
(uncredited)
Traditional
Sung by Gregory Peck

User Reviews

Overproduced Western Epic Is A Guilty Pleasure!

Everything about 'Duel in the Sun' is overripe: the music, the photography (those red sunsets a la GWTW), the strong emotions and the climactic duel on a blazing desert sun by the two mismatched lovers. Indeed, the excesses are almost operatic in proportion--and yet, a viewer can get caught up in this sprawling western rightly termed "Lust in the Dust" by some reviewers. The rampant sensuality of the steamy scenes between Peck and Jones are emphasized by Dimitri Tiomkin's luscious background score which becomes blistering and intense for the climactic shootout. Overproduced, overacted, overwritten--it still entertains and makes us appreciate the genius of David O. Selznick whose hand on all of the material is quite evident. Jennifer Jones was nominated for her tempestuous Pearl Chavez (but lost to Olivia de Havilland for 'To Each His Own'). Lillian Gish deserved her Oscar nomination. And last but not least, let's not forget Walter Huston, who gives the most realistic and enjoyable performance in the entire film as The Sin Killer--a wickedly funny portrayal. Weakest aspect of the film is Gregory Peck's easygoing villain--his whole performance strikes a false note and is not the least bit convincing. He and Joseph Cotten should have switched their roles--Cotten always made a more believable villain than Peck. Selznick obviously was striving to make a western on the level of GWTW--even including Butterfly McQueen for comic relief. All in all, fun to watch if you don't take any of it seriously. Not exactly a work of art--but definitely worth watching. And, oh, that ripe technicolor!