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:

Charles Schnee (screenplay), Niven Busch (from a novel by)

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 (Walter Huston) 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 (Wendell Corey), a saloon owner who's father T.C. took land from. His headstrong daughter, Vance (Barbara Stanwyck), 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?

---

Plot Keywords:

new mexico | rancher | gambler | gun battle | squatter | 

---

Genres:

Drama | Romance | Western

---

Certificate:

Passed

Did You Know?

Trivia

Cinematographer Lee Garmes shot part of this movie, uncredited.

---

Quotes

Rip Darrow: [to TC, on being immediately insulted and invited to leave the wedding of TC's son] Sir, you posted an open invitation to this gathering on every stick of lumber in the country. To protect those present from any further unpleasantness, I'd like to make a deal with you. You stop telling lies about me, and I'll stop telling the truth about you!

---

Connections

Featured in Century of Cinema: A Personal Journey with Martin Scorsese Through American Movies (1995)

---

Soundtracks

Trail to Mexico
(uncredited)
Traditional

User Reviews

dark,simmering film with over the top performances

This is a good film to watch as autumn turns to winter. It's filled with old hatreds, revenge both old and new, explosive emotions and a subtle intelligence. Walter Huston and Barbara Stanwyck go on a powerful tear as T.C. and Vance Jeffords. There are hints of incest in the complex presentation of the lives of this father and daughter.There, most of all, is a escalating chill that sweeps down into the furies, that freezes hearts and cools ardor.Films like "The Furies", swirl around the omnipotent lives of stern and demanding patriarchs. We await their comeuppance, their downfall. We await it and we regret that these larger then life men fail to hold on to their wealth, their loves, and sometimes their lives. It is a shame that Walter Huston was dead a year before this, his final film was released. His performance is mesmerizing.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

14 August 1950 (UK)

Also Known As:

Die Farm der Besessenen

Filming Locations:

Empire Ranch, Sonoita, Arizona, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Wallis-Hazen

Technical Specs

Runtime:

109 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1