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The Lusty Men

  • 19521952
  • PassedPassed
  • 1h 53m
IMDb RATING
7.4/10
3.3K
YOUR RATING
Robert Mitchum, Susan Hayward, and Arthur Kennedy in The Lusty Men (1952)
Retired rodeo champion Jeff McCloud agrees to mentor novice rodeo contestant Wes Merritt against the wishes of Merritt's wife who fears the dangers of this rough sport.
Play trailer1:35
1 Video
14 Photos
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Retired rodeo champion Jeff McCloud agrees to mentor novice rodeo contestant Wes Merritt against the wishes of Merritt's wife who fears the dangers of this rough sport.Retired rodeo champion Jeff McCloud agrees to mentor novice rodeo contestant Wes Merritt against the wishes of Merritt's wife who fears the dangers of this rough sport.Retired rodeo champion Jeff McCloud agrees to mentor novice rodeo contestant Wes Merritt against the wishes of Merritt's wife who fears the dangers of this rough sport.
IMDb RATING
7.4/10
3.3K
YOUR RATING
  • Directors
    • Nicholas Ray
    • Robert Parrish(uncredited)
  • Writers
    • Horace McCoy(written for the screen by)
    • David Dortort(written for the screen by)
    • Claude Stanush(suggested by a story by)
  • Stars
    • Susan Hayward
    • Robert Mitchum
    • Arthur Kennedy
  • Directors
    • Nicholas Ray
    • Robert Parrish(uncredited)
  • Writers
    • Horace McCoy(written for the screen by)
    • David Dortort(written for the screen by)
    • Claude Stanush(suggested by a story by)
  • Stars
    • Susan Hayward
    • Robert Mitchum
    • Arthur Kennedy
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 44User reviews
    • 34Critic reviews
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • Videos1

    Trailer
    Trailer 1:35
    Watch Trailer

    Photos14

    Robert Mitchum, Susan Hayward, and Arthur Kennedy in The Lusty Men (1952)
    Robert Mitchum and Susan Hayward in The Lusty Men (1952)
    Susan Hayward and Eleanor Todd in The Lusty Men (1952)
    Robert Mitchum, Susan Hayward, and Arthur Kennedy in The Lusty Men (1952)
    Robert Mitchum, Susan Hayward, Arthur Kennedy, and Nicholas Ray in The Lusty Men (1952)
    Robert Mitchum and Susan Hayward in The Lusty Men (1952)
    Robert Mitchum and Susan Hayward in The Lusty Men (1952)
    Robert Mitchum and Susan Hayward in The Lusty Men (1952)
    Robert Mitchum and Susan Hayward in The Lusty Men (1952)
    Robert Mitchum and Susan Hayward in The Lusty Men (1952)
    Robert Mitchum, Susan Hayward, and Arthur Kennedy in The Lusty Men (1952)
    Robert Mitchum and Susan Hayward in The Lusty Men (1952)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Susan Hayward
    Susan Hayward
    • Louise Merritt
    Robert Mitchum
    Robert Mitchum
    • Jeff McCloud
    Arthur Kennedy
    Arthur Kennedy
    • Wes Merritt
    Arthur Hunnicutt
    Arthur Hunnicutt
    • Booker Davis
    Frank Faylen
    Frank Faylen
    • Al Dawson
    Walter Coy
    Walter Coy
    • Buster Burgess
    Carol Nugent
    Carol Nugent
    • Rusty Davis
    Maria Hart
    Maria Hart
    • Rosemary Maddox
    Lorna Thayer
    Lorna Thayer
    • Grace Burgess
    Burt Mustin
    Burt Mustin
    • Jeremiah Watrus
    Karen Randle
    Karen Randle
    • Ginny Logan
    • (as Karen King)
    Jimmie Dodd
    Jimmie Dodd
    • Red Logan
    Eleanor Todd
    Eleanor Todd
    • Babs
    Emile Avery
    • Cowboy at Knife Fight
    • (uncredited)
    Barbara Blaine
    • Bit Part
    • (uncredited)
    Hazel Boyne
    • Bit Part
    • (uncredited)
    Robert Bray
    Robert Bray
    • Fritz
    • (uncredited)
    Buck Bucko
    • Rodeo Official
    • (uncredited)
    • Directors
      • Nicholas Ray
      • Robert Parrish(uncredited)
    • Writers
      • Horace McCoy(written for the screen by)
      • David Dortort(written for the screen by)
      • Claude Stanush(suggested by a story by)
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

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    Did you know

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    • Trivia
      In the opening credits, filmed on Stone St. in Tucson, AZ, the Pioneer Hotel is briefly visible, and farther down the street, Steinfield's Department Store. The hotel was said to be "100 percent fireproof", a claim that was refuted in December 1970 when fire swept through the upper floors, claiming 29 victims - among whom were Harry and Margaret Steinfield, who lived in its penthouse. The building was repaired and is now a mixed-use apartment and office space.
    • Goofs
      During the Tucson Rodeo sequence, bull rider [Chet?] Peterson switches hands mid-ride.
    • Quotes

      Jeff McCloud: There never was a bronc that couldn't be rode, there never a cowboy that couldn't be throwed. Guys like me last forever.

    • Connections
      Featured in Lightning Over Water (1980)

    User reviews44

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    8/10
    Lousy title but a really good movie
    Don't let the title fool you. Apparently part of the studio's design to tempt a broader audience in to see this film, 'The Lusty Men' is just not a very good title for it. Two other titles were considered - one even worse, "This Man is Mine", and one that was better if not exciting, "Cowpoke". Briefly, this is the story of a young ranch worker (Arthur Kennedy) and his new bride (Susan Hayward) trying to save up money to buy a ranch of their own. Faded rodeo star Mitchum crosses their path and changes their lives, showing the young husband Kennedy a shortcut to big money by riding in the rodeo. There's a lot of friction resulting as time goes on, with Kennedy hooked on the easy money and attention, while Hayward fears for his safety and blames Mitchum for driving a wedge between the couple. I won't give away any of the story beyond that.

    I do want to give a broader review of this movie for the type that it is. I don't think I've ever seen a seriously-made movie which depicts rodeos or bull riding that was not at least fairly compelling, as this one is. Whether it's 'The Lusty Men' or 'Eight Seconds' or 'The Ride', those who ride rodeo put their lives and safety on the line for relatively little pay in most cases. They pursue their sport with an intensity that may be hard to understand for those who live a more ordinary existence. Just as a compulsive gambler gets that little rush every time he scratches off a lottery ticket or pulls the handle on a slot machine, every time the bull or bronc rider nods his head and the chute gate swings open, he has a brief chance at success and a win and the thrill that goes with it - but he has hundreds, maybe thousands of people playing the game along with him. If he has a great ride, the crowd goes wild. If he gets bucked off, or gets hurt - maybe even killed - he has done so trying to please all those people in addition to himself.

    The complexities of the motivation of the rodeo rider belie what some may feel to be a very simple or even 'dumb' pursuit. It is these motivations which create the opportunity for fascinating characters living lives that follow different rules. They live outside the box, even now as they have for decades, in pursuit of their dreams. That's why 'The Lusty Men' and the other rodeo / bull riding films I've seen have been so good. When you start with characters filled with the 'heart and try' to compete at rodeo, people who are not so bound to logic and common-sense, the storyline possibilities are nearly endless.

    Things in the world of rodeo have changed since this movie was made. As one other reviewer pointed out, a rodeo rider of the past having to retrieve his winnings at a saloon after having gotten banged up riding that day would be the perfect formula for the start of a drinking problem. Fortunately, they don't get their winnings at a saloon anymore. On the other hand, the 'buckle bunnies' who pursue rodeo riders are still drawn to the lean, lanky, quietly courageous cowboy no matter whether he rode for eight seconds or got bucked off in two. He doesn't need to be a big money winner, because the cowboy's appeal has never been about money. To the contrary - his lack of wealth may be part of his appeal by making him seem more down-to-Earth and approachable, maybe even vulnerable because he is nearly broke. In this movie however, the young cowboy / rising rodeo star does attract the wrong kind of women because he has amassed some money winnings.

    You don't have to be a fan of rodeo or bull riding to enjoy this movie. While it does revolve around those sports, the real story is what happens to the young couple and the old rodeo star who enters their lives.
    helpful•10
    2
    • rooster_davis
    • May 29, 2010

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • October 24, 1952 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Cowpoke
    • Filming locations
      • Pendleton, Oregon, USA(rodeo exteriors)
    • Production company
      • Wald/Krasna Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

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    • Runtime
      1 hour 53 minutes
    • Color
      • Black and White
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.37 : 1

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