Hot Blood (1956)

Director:

Nicholas Ray

Writers:

Jean Evans (story)
Jesse Lasky Jr. (writer)

Release Date:

March 1956 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Musical

Tagline:

Jane Russell shakes her tamborines and drives Cornel Wild

Plot:

Stephen Torino (Wilde), who is tricked by his brother Marco (Adler) into an arranged marriage with tempestuous Annie Caldash (Russell). Annie is willing to give the union a go, but Torino wants none of it. |

Plot Keywords:

Beautiful Woman | Gypsy

Cast

Jane Russell	...	Annie Caldash
Cornel Wilde	...	Stephano Torino
Luther Adler	...	Marco Torino
Joseph Calleia	...	Papa Theodore
James H. Russell	...	Xano (as Jamie Russell)
Nina Koshetz	...	Nita Johnny
Helen Westcott	...	Velma
Mikhail Rasumny	...	Old Johnny
Wally Russell	...	Bimbo

Also Known As:

Bad Blood (USA) (alternative title)
Tambourine (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

85 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

Ray had wanted producer Gabriel Pascal to play "Marco Torino," the King of the Gypsies, but Pascal died before the film was made. According to modern sources, Ray also considered Edward G. Robinson for the role, which eventually was portrayed by Luther Adler, a veteran of the Group Theater.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Hollywood Uncensored (1987)

Tangled up in red

After a hat trick ,after three films ,two of which are absolute classics "Rebel without a cause" and "Johnny Guitar" and another one which was largely and unfairly ignored ,the poetic western "run for cover",all that Nicholas Ray would do would be necessarily a disappointment .I must confess "Hot Blood" failed to excite me.

There 's one of Ray 's permanent features :the old character ,feeling that his days are numbered ,who is in search of someone younger to take over from him:that was the subject of his wonderful "lusty men" or of "run for cover" .

The problem is that it's very difficult to believe these people are gypsies:the music does not sound "gyspsy" at all,being closer to musicals ,but no tune is particularly memorable.A gypsy called... Annie? The scene when Russell read her rival's cards could have been very funny,had her lines been a bit more subtle.

Cornel Wilde and Jane Russell are attractive actors but there's no real chemistry between them.Cause he's been forced to get married against his will (the scene when Wilde realizes he's been had is the best),Stephano refuses to consummate the wedding but the girl is not prepared to accept it.But he does not know his brother suffers from TB.

The colors are gaudy ,with red as the predominant color.But it's a far cry from "Johnny Guitar" filmed in "Trucolor" (sic).

"Hot blood" is a faux pas in Ray's brilliant career: its follow-up ,"Bigger than life" showed the director at the top of his game again.