Duel in the Sun (1946)

Director:

King Vidor

Writers:

Niven Busch (novel)
Oliver H.P. Garrett (adaptation)

Release Date:

8 December 1948 (Sweden)

Genre:

Western | Drama

Tagline:

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

Plot:

When her father is hanged for shooting his wife and her lover, half-breed Pearl Chavez goes to live with distant relatives in Texas...

Plot Keywords:

Lust | Texan | 1880s | 1860s | Half Breed

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars.

US TV Schedule:

Thur. May 15

2:00 PM

TCM

Cast

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

Runtime:

USA:129 min | USA:144 min (roadshow version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

USA:Approved (PCA #11649) | Australia:PG | Iceland:12 | Finland:K-16 | Spain:13 | Sweden:15 | UK:PG (video rating) (1986) | UK:A (original rating)

Filming Locations:

Arizona, USA

Company:

Vanguard Films

Trivia:

The film was nicknamed "Lust in the Dust", which would later serve as the inspiration for the filmLust in the Dust (1985).

Quotes:

Lem Smoot: There's a funny glow in the sky tonight, ain't there? I remember once hearing one of them injun legends about how their ancestors lit bonfires in the sky when the chief's son was dying.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Dip huet seung hung (1989)

Soundtrack:

I've Been Working on the Railroad

Bawdy, Overacted Sexual Western

Well, it's no Gone With The Wind. Selznick, again, features his wife, Jennifer Jones, in a different role than the usual wholesome roles she was expected to do. Portrait Of Jennie, Since You Went Away and Song of Bernadette. Jones has a bad habit of over-acting if allowed to do so. Example is Tender Is The Night, Man In A Grey Flannel Suit, Ruby Gentry and Love Letters. It takes a strong director to tone her down. King Vidor lost control of her in this or Selznick had too much control. Her performance consisted of a low gutteral voice and a sashaying walk. Not much else.

On the other hand, excellent supporting roles were played by Lionel Barrymore and Lilian Gish. They stole the picture in this viewer's opinion. Gregory Peck and Joseph Cotton went through the paces of what they were asked to do as rivalry brothers. But you kind of knew their hearts weren't in it. Then there was the presence of Butterfly McQueen in her usual Gone With The Wind type performance. Charles Bickford in an undistinguished role was wasted as was Herbert Marshall and Sidney Blackner [all good actors]. An impressive cast when the titles came on, but what followed was not what you wanted to see.

I got tired of seeing Jennifer Jones strutting about making faces of some indian half-breed. Boring. Oh, I liked the horse [the pinto] that she rode. He was terrific. Best to see this on video. Doesn't come off that bad. But it is a cornball western farce.