Duel in the Sun (1946)

Director:

King Vidor
(more)

Writers:

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

Release Date:

12 September 1947 (Mexico)

Genre:

Drama | Romance | Western

Tagline:

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

Plot:

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.

Plot Keywords:

Half Breed | Lovers | Texas | Shooting | Biracial

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 1 win

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
Charles Dingle	...	Sheriff Hardy
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Griff Barnett	...	The Bordertown Jailer (uncredited)
Hank Bell	...	McCanles Ranch Hand (uncredited)
Johnny Bond	...	Cowhand at Barbecue (uncredited)
Lane Chandler	...	Fence-Line Cavalry Captain (uncredited)
Tex Cooper	...	Square Dancer (uncredited)
Frank Cordell	...	Sid (uncredited)
Tom Dillon	...	Train Engineer (uncredited)
Steve Dunhill	...	Jake (uncredited)
Si Jenks	...	Dance-Floor Cowboy (uncredited)
Victor Kilian	...	Gambler (uncredited)
Kermit Maynard	...	Barfly (uncredited)
Francis McDonald	...	Gambler (uncredited)
Robert McKenzie	...	Bartender Zeke (uncredited)
Lee Phelps	...	Train Fireman (uncredited)
Rose Plumer	...	Dancer (uncredited)
Bert Roach	...	Barbecue Guest (uncredited)
Lloyd Shaw	...	Barbecue Dance Caller (uncredited)
Al Taylor	...	Cowboy at Barbecue (uncredited)
Orson Welles	...	Narrator (voice) (uncredited)
Dan White	...	Ed, the Wrangler (uncredited)
Guy Wilkerson	...	Dance-Floor Cowboy (uncredited)
Hank Worden	...	Dance- Floor Cowboy (uncredited)

Directed by
King Vidor
Otto Brower		(uncredited)
William Dieterle		(uncredited)
Sidney Franklin		(uncredited)
William Cameron Menzies		(uncredited)
David O. Selznick		(uncredited)
Josef von Sternberg		(uncredited)

Writing credits
David O. Selznick		(screenplay)
Niven Busch		(suggested by a novel by)
Oliver H.P. Garrett		(adaptation)
Ben Hecht		uncredited

Produced by
David O. Selznick	....	producer

Original Music by
Dimitri Tiomkin

Cinematography by
Lee Garmes		(director of photography)
Ray Rennahan		(director of photography)
Harold Rosson		(director of photography) (as Hal Rosson)

Casting by
Ruth Burch		(uncredited)

Production Design by
J. McMillan Johnson

Art Direction by
James Basevi

Costume Design by
Walter Plunkett

Makeup Department
Margaret Martin	....	hair stylist (uncredited)
Gale McGarry	....	hair stylist (uncredited)
Norbert Miles	....	makeup artist (uncredited)
Robert Stephanoff	....	makeup artist (uncredited)

Production Management
Fred Ahern	....	assistant production manager (uncredited)
Glenn Cook	....	unit manager (uncredited)
Charles L. Glett	....	general manager (uncredited)
Richard Johnston	....	production manager (uncredited)
William McGarry	....	unit manager (uncredited)
Argyle Nelson	....	production manager (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Otto Brower	....	second unit director
B. Reeves Eason	....	second unit director (as Reaves Eason)
Lowell J. Farrell	....	assistant director
Bert Chervin	....	second assistant director (uncredited)
Harvey Dwight	....	assistant director (uncredited)
Arthur Fellows	....	second assistant director (uncredited)
Chester M. Franklin	....	second unit director (uncredited)
William Cameron Menzies	....	second unit director (uncredited)

Art Department
John Ewing	....	associate art director
Emile Kuri	....	interior decorator
John Brent	....	property master (uncredited)
Arden Cripe	....	assistant property master (uncredited)
Harold Fenton	....	construction superintendent (uncredited)
Roy McLaughlin	....	greensman (uncredited)
Josef von Sternberg	....	visual consultant (uncredited)
Fred Widdowson	....	property master (uncredited)

Sound Department
Richard DeWeese	....	recordist (as Richard De Weese)
James G. Stewart	....	sound director
Charles L. Freeman	....	sound effects editor (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Clarence Slifer	....	special effects

Visual Effects by
Spencer Bagdatopolis	....	matte painter (uncredited)
Jack Cosgrove	....	special photographic effects (uncredited)
Harold Grigg	....	visual effects camera operator (uncredited)
Robert Hansard	....	chief effects projectionist (uncredited)
Hans Ledeboer	....	matte painter (uncredited)
Owen Marsh	....	visual effects assistant cameraman (uncredited)
Jack Shaw	....	matte painter (uncredited)
Clarence Slifer	....	visual effects cinematographer (uncredited)

Stunts
Richard Farnsworth	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Charles P. Boyle	....	additional photography
Raymond Bahns	....	key grip (uncredited)
Allen M. Davey	....	additional cinematographer (uncredited)
Eddie Fitzgerald	....	camera operator (uncredited)
Madison S. Lacy	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Owen Marsh	....	assistant camera: visual effects (uncredited)
Edward Petzoldt	....	chief electrician (uncredited)
Homer Plannette	....	gaffer (uncredited)
Morris Rosen	....	key grip (uncredited)
Cliff Shirpser	....	assistant camera: Technicolor (uncredited)
Al St. Hilaire	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Harry Webb	....	camera operator (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Harry Apperson	....	master drapes (uncredited)
Frank Beetson Jr.	....	wardrobe superintendent (uncredited)
Elmer Ellsworth	....	wardrobe superintendent (uncredited)
Eugene Joseff	....	costume jeweller (uncredited)
Ann Peck	....	wardrobe superintendent (uncredited)

Editorial Department
John Faure	....	associate film editor
Hal C. Kern	....	supervising film editor
William H. Ziegler	....	associate film editor (as Wm. Ziegler)
Noel Coppleman	....	assistant editor (uncredited)
Wayland M. Hendry	....	assistant editor (uncredited)

Music Department
Dimitri Tiomkin	....	conductor
Lucien Cailliet	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
George C. Emick	....	music editor (uncredited)
Herschel Burke Gilbert	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Audrey Granville	....	music coordinator (uncredited)
Jester Hairston	....	choral director (uncredited)
Paul Marquardt	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Joseph Nussbaum	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
George Parrish	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
David Tamkin	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Other crew
Natalie Kalmus	....	color director
Tilly Losch	....	solo dances creator
Morgan Padelford	....	associate color director
Lydia Schiller	....	scenario assistant
David O. Selznick	....	presenter: his production in Technicolor of
Lloyd Shaw	....	group dances
Fred Andrews	....	technical advisor: guns and gunplay (uncredited)
Adele Cannon	....	script clerk (uncredited)
Charles Ellison	....	technical advisor: barbeque scene (uncredited)
Joel Freeman	....	production clerk (uncredited)
Ann Harris	....	researcher (uncredited)
J.T. Harris	....	technical advisor: ranch life details (uncredited)
Walter Haven	....	technical advisor: railroad construction (uncredited)
Philip Kieffer	....	technical advisor: cavalry charge (uncredited)
Paul MacNamara	....	publicity director (uncredited)
Ralph McCutcheon	....	horse trainer (uncredited)
Ralph McCutcheon	....	technical advisor: ranch life details (uncredited)
Donna M. Norridge	....	script clerk (uncredited)
Agnes Pottage	....	script clerk (uncredited)
Carl Preed	....	technical advisor: barroom scenes (uncredited)
Lloyd Shaw	....	technical advisor: 19th-century dances (uncredited)
Dan White	....	technical advisor: Texas dialect (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Selznick Studio, The (as The Selznick Studio)
• Vanguard Films (for) (uncredited)

Distributors

• Selznick Releasing Organization (1946) (USA) (theatrical)
• Schorcht Filmverleih Gmbh (1952) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Selznick Releasing Organization (1960) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Emerald (2006) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (USA) (DVD)
• Playhouse Home Video (????) (USA) (video)

Also Known As:

"King Vidor's Duel in the Sun" - UK (complete title), USA (complete title)

Runtime:

USA:144 min (roadshow version) | USA:129 min | West Germany:138 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

Australia:PG | Iceland:12 | USA:Approved (PCA #11649) | West Germany:16 (nf) | Portugal:M/12 (Qualidade) | USA:Unrated | Finland:K-16 | Spain:13 | Sweden:15 | UK:PG (video rating) (1986) (1992) (1996) (2008) | UK:A (original rating)

Filming Locations:

Chatsworth, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Selznick Studio, The

Trivia:

David O. Selznick reportedly spent $2,000,000.00, an unheard of sum in 1946, on the promotion of this film.

Goofs:

Factual errors: When the Cavalry rides off after intimidating McCanles from attacking the railroad because as the Senator says "I fought to defend that flag (the Stars and Stripes)", the music played is "Bonnie Blue Flag", which was an anthem of the Confederacy.

Quotes:

Pearl Chavez:Oh Vashti, why are you so slow?
Vashti:I don't rightly know, Miss Pearl, except I always have so much to remember.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Siskel & Ebert: Lost in Space/The Spanish Prisoner/Mercury Rising/Kurt & Courtney/Character" (1998)

Soundtrack:

Varsoviana

Loud, boisterous, silly but hugely enjoyable sex Western

A half-breed named Pearl (Jennifer Jones) is sent off to live with her second cousins after her parents are killed. She disrupts the household causing problems between two brothers--one named Lewt (Gregory Peck) who's bad and Jesse (Joseph Cotten) who's good. She also is hated by the father (Lionel Barrymore) and protected by the mother (Lillian Gish).

Beautifully filmed in Technicolor this is a fun movie. The dialogue is full of howlers and, for it's time, this was pretty strong stuff. The emphasis is on sex and that bothered audiences in the late 40s. An entire dance by Jones was cut out and the release of the film was delayed because of the content! Today it's very tame and pretty funny.

Jones is horribly miscast as Pearl. She's very beautiful and wears tight, revealing clothing all through the film, but her acting is terrible. She sneers and glares her way through all her scenes and seems incapable of saying any line believably. Peck is surprisingly very good playing an evil man. Cotten and Gish are stuck with thankless good person roles. Barrymore REALLY chews the scenery. And the opening narration is by Orson Welles!

This movie was made by David O. Selznick to showcase his then girlfriend (and future wife) Jones. Purportedly he made this with serious intentions. It was a big hit but most critics dismissed it as trash. Today it's just a true camp classic. Hysterically bad but beautifully filmed and loads of fun. The climax especially is a howler. A great party flick.

In it's own way, this is a definite must-see.