The Furies (1950)

A firebrand heiress clashes with her tyrannical father, a cattle rancher who fancies himself a Napoleon; but their relationship turns ugly only when he finds himself a new woman.

Director:

Anthony Mann

Writers:

Niven Busch (novel), Charles Schnee

Stars:

Barbara Stanwyck, Wendell Corey, Walter Huston

Nominated for 1 Oscar.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Barbara Stanwyck	...	Vance Jeffords
Wendell Corey	...	Rip Darrow
Walter Huston	...	T. C. Jeffords
Judith Anderson	...	Flo Burnett
Gilbert Roland	...	Juan Herrera
Thomas Gomez	...	El Tigre
Beulah Bondi	...	Mrs. Anaheim
Albert Dekker	...	Mr. Reynolds
John Bromfield	...	Clay Jeffords
Wallace Ford	...	Scotty Hyslip
Blanche Yurka	...	Herrera Mother
Louis Jean Heydt	...	Bailey
Frank Ferguson	...	Dr. Grieve
Charles Evans	...	Old Anaheim
Movita	...	Chiquita (as Movita Casteneda)

Storyline

The 1870s, New Mexico territory: T.C. Jeffords is a cattle baron who built his ranch, the Furies, from scratch. He borrows from banks, pays hired hands with his own script ("T.C.'s"), and carries on low-level warfare with the Mexicans who settled the land but are now considered squatters. He has enemies, including Rip Darrow, a saloon owner who's father T.C. took land from. His headstrong daughter, Vance, has a life-long friend in one of the Mexicans, her heart set on Rip, and dad's promise she'll run the Furies someday. Her hopes are smashed by Rip's revenge, a gold-digger who turns T.C.'s head, and T.C.'s own murderous imperialism. Is Vance to be cursed by fury and hatred?

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Plot Keywords:

cattle | mexican | rancher | 1870s | squatter | 

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Genres:

Drama | Romance | Western

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

28 March 1951 (France)

Also Known As:

Almas em Fúria

Filming Locations:

Arizona, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Hal Wallis Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

109 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Cinematographer Lee Garmes shot part of this film, uncredited.

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Quotes

Dallas Hart: Just get in off the railroad?
Vance Jeffords: Yeah.
Dallas Hart: We haven't met before. My name is Dallas Hart. I'm new in town, honey.
Vance Jeffords: Honey, you wouldn't be new anyplace.

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Connections

Featured in Barbara Stanwyck: Fire and Desire (1991)

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Soundtracks

"T.C. Round-Up Time"
by Jay Livingston and Ray Evans

User Reviews

A dramatic steak for actors to sink their teeth into.

Very few westerns have the psychological impacts that this "Mourning Becomes Electra" like saga dramatizes. Barbara Stanwyck, in the role that must have influenced her "Big Valley" character for TV, is both tough and tender as Vance Jeffords, the western princess of TC Jefford's (Walter Houston) empire. Dare step on her toes, and you won't be able to rest, as love interest Wendell Corey finds out. And dare come between her and her beloved father, and you'll end up with a surprising bit of vengeance as Judith Anderson as a gold-digging San Francisco socialite finds out.

Barbara Stanwyck was the Queen of the west, and in almost a dozen Westerns, it was Barbara Stanwyck who gave many a western hero a run for their money. Walter Huston, as her patriarchal father, is a force to be reckoned with who has trained his daughter to be tough. When he betrays her one wish, he also becomes a victim of her vengeance.

There are also Gilbert Roland as a Mexican squatter, her life-long friend who becomes a toy in her father's revenge against her; Blanche Yurka, the great Hungarian stage actress, plays the bit role of his vengeful mama; Even in the small role, we are reminded of her excellent performance as Madame DeFarge in the Ronald Colman version of "A Tale of Two Cities" years before. Beaulah Bondi also shows up briefly as a society matron. With all this talent, it is amazing that the scenery wasn't eaten up along the way. The great Judith Anderson, who played many of the types of roles on Broadway that Stanwyck did on screen, is subtle as she tries to worms her way into the role of Queen of the Furies, but it is Stanwyck's ultimate revenge which prevents this from happening. Later, when we get our last glimpse of the beaten Anderson, she gives herself a great exit line. This, ironically, was the second film in which one of Stanwyck's characters had an impact on Anderson's character; In the 1946 film noir, "The Strange Love of Martha Ivers", it is young Martha (who as an adult is played by Stanwyck) who pushes matriarch Anderson down some stairs to her death, giving that film its motivations.

The one problem with this casting is the performance of Wendell Corey, perhaps one of the dullest leading men in Hollywood history. Stiff and unappealing, there is no doubt in the viewer's mind that Stanwyck would never feel any passion for the treetrunk like character. Fortunately, Walter Huston is given more screen time, and is absolutely outstanding. It was his last film, as he died before the film was released. Stanwyck praised Huston publicly, and at her AFI tribute, Walter's son, director John Huston, praised Stanwyck (whom he had never met) for her professionalism and kindness to his father.