From the 1950s: The Furies

1950 Western

From Paramount

Directed by Anthony Mann

Starring

Barbara Stanwyck

Walter Huston

Wendell Corey

Judith Anderson

Gilbert Roland

Thomas Gomez

Albert Dekker

John Bromfield

Beulah Bondi

For those who think all westerns are about the same, particularly from the 1950s, the greatest period for the genre, think again.  Here is one for the books... it is adult and psychological, it dabbles in Shakespeare and some Greek Tragedy and is as close to a film noir western as one is likely to encounter.  It is also directed by a man I consider to be one of the giants of western movies at the start of his career in that genre.  Of course, what also makes it a different kind of western is that its central character is a woman.

While we're dishing out the accolades it has two powerhouse performances from Barbara Stanwyck and acclaimed Academy Award-winning character actor, Walter Huston, in his final film.  

This to not to say it is a four-star affair... it is not.  When it was first released, it bombed at the box office and critics seemed reticent to acknowledge it had any good points.  Like a lot of films, however, with the passing of time and a fresher look from newer audiences, it has come to generally be regarded as something to crow about.

It is based on a novel by Niven Busch who also wrote Duel in the Sun which feels like a cousin to The Furies.  The screenplay was adapted by Charles Schnee who had the same duties for one of the greatest westerns, Red River.  The pedigree here is obvious.

We're told at the opening that it is 1870s New Mexico Territory when men created kingdoms out of land and cattle and ruled like feudal lords.  T.C. Jeffords (Huston) runs his sprawling ranch called The Furies with an iron hand.  His authority over many is apparent but it doesn't seem to have much effect over his willful daughter Vance (Stanwyck).  She calls him T.C. and he calls her Daughter.

T.C. obviously favors the temperamental Vance over his easier-to-get-along-with son (Bromfield) but father and daughter have an acrimonious relationship, full of love, hate, jealousy and mistrust.  One thing is clear... she will inherit The Furies when her father passes or there will be hell to pay.  If left to their own devices, the pair gets along fine because they generally see eye-to-eye and each has a keen understanding of the other's ruthlessness.  But when others enter the picture, their relationship gets very bumpy.

Their ongoing war centers on a family of squatters living on a mountain retreat on The Furies.  T.C. can't stand them living there despite the fact that the family has been there longer than T.C. has owned the property.  He got rid of the others but this one family remains because of Vance's interference.  She has been life-long friends with one of the adult sons, Juan (Roland), and they are probable lovers.  Whenever she and T.C. get into it, she mounts her palomino and climbs the mountain to Juan which infuriates her father.

He is also furious when she takes up with gambler Rip Darrow (Corey) whom he also hates.  The feeling is mutual because T.C. killed Corey's father in a fair fight.  There is also a dispute over a strip of land that T.C. has finagled away from Corey's family.  Partly to rile up her father, Vance decides she wants to marry Rip.  When the three of them are together, T.C. offers Rip $50,000 to walk away from the marriage and Vance.  She is stunned when Rip accepts the offer and he moves to the top of her hate list.  Briefly.

 T.C. returns from a trip to San Francisco with a girlfriend Flo (Anderson) in tow.  They plan to marry, send Vance off to Europe and hire someone new to run the ranch.  Flo admits that she and T.C. don't love one another yet but both have loneliness issues and she wants financial security.  In the movie's most memorable scene, Vance throws a pair of scissors at Flo and disfigures her face.  T.C. is livid.  As retaliation he hangs Juan.

Now it's war between father and daughter.  I have never regarded the film's third act as being as good as the first two.  It's confusing and a bit far-fetched that Vance hooks back up with Rip to wrest control of The Furies which they succeed in doing.  As the trio faces off, T.C. admits that he's fond of his daughter's cunning.  Out on the dusty street, Juan's mother shoots and kills T.C.  

There's a final scene with Corey in a buckboard with talk of marriage and babies and everyone forgives everyone.  Well, not quite everyone,  I don't forgive any of them for this insipid, unbelievable ending.  Why ruin a basically good film with something so unsatisfying?

Unfortunately, it wasn't the only thing that caused me to scratch my head.  Juan's hanging is equally unbelievable in that not a single soul besides Stanwyck did anything to stop it.  Why didn't someone in Juan's family shoot T.C.?

On par with the ending was the acting, if not the very presence, of  Corey.  If someone said he hated the entire film because of him I would understand.  He's boring, not a good actor and not attractive.  At one point, the firebrand Vance snarls at her father that she's going to marry someone who is all man and fire and someone who can stand up to T.C.  And Corey was the choice for that?!?!  

Corey aside, the acting is what sold The Furies for me years ago.  I regard this as one of Stanwyck's best acting jobs... at least it's among the most fun.  It is one of her great ball-busting flicks and no woman did it better.  Nobody.  With the exception of Roland's character, no one is a hero here but that, of course, is what makes the film such a good time.  She and Huston match one another word for word, facial expression for facial expression, scene by scene.  Watching two polished actors play off one another is a great treat for me.

Some may claim both are a bit over the top but I think over the top is exactly what everyone had in mind.  Everything is big and loud and bold.  T.C.'s office is manly and overpowering, the music is thundering and the great outdoors is vast in its rugged splendor. 

Acting kudos must be extended to Anderson as well... Flo is a curiosity... unctuous, strong, unwavering... but always sweet with a whatever-you-think-is-best, Temple.  T.C.'s real first name is Temple.  Roland is not given a lot to do except look sexy and inviting.  He's the only one who can seemingly tame Vance so Stanwyck's tenderest moments are with him.

Stanwyck was thrilled when producer Hal Wallis called her and asked if she would like to make a western with Huston.  Having seen him on the stage when she was quite young and mesmerized by his larger-than-life performance, she gave a quick yes.  They spent much of their spare time together on the set and loved sparring with one another.  He thought she was quite a dame.  Unfortunately Huston died a few months before the film's release.  His performance was certainly a most fitting farewell gig.

Victor Milner's dark and foreboding black and white photography certainly lends itself to that film noir look but it's still a curiosity why producer Wallis nixed color photography for such a big outdoor production.  Milner was the cinematographer on seven other Stanwyck movies so the skill set was firmly in place.   Franz Waxman's musical score dominates the film as perhaps it should since all else is dramatic.

Director Mann had been known for his B and C film noirs, most of which I liked when I saw them later on.  But in 1950 he switched to westerns.  He made a series of them with James Stewart that redefined the western, making it more adult, angry and hard-boiled.  Mann liked the morally-ambiguous character who is tested by harsh circumstances and nearly becomes undone trying to work his way out.  Mann usually introduced some sadism into his lead characters along with revenge, obsession and rage.

He made three good westerns in 1950 alone.  First was Winchester 73, followed closely by The Furies.  His third entry, Devil's Doorway, starred Stanwyck's soon-to-be ex-husband, Robert Taylor.

Exterior filming took place in and around Tucson, Arizona.

Ok, saddle up for the trailer:

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