Duel in the Sun

I had a hard time coming up with a rating for this film ... it did entertain me, but not because of its superior filmmaking. A lot of money obviously went into this overproduced spectacle. If only a less heavy-handed touch had been used as well!

Jennifer Jones is the panting half-breed girl torn between two brothers, the very good Joseph Cotten and the very bad Gregory Peck. Their mother, the saintly Lillian Gish looks on with concern, while their father, the not-so saintly Lionel Barrymore opposes the girl and pretty much everything in general. What ensues is over two hours of lust, bickering, bellowing, and more lust.

Jones swings her hips and shoulders to convey her characters urges, but does little else with what little character she has been given to develop. Peck is fun as the brother lacking pretty much any morals, while Cotten is one note and boring. Gish looks stunned throughout most of the film, but manages a couple of effective moments (and lets ignore her straight-from-the-silents deathbed scene!!). Barrymore blusters and blusters in a role tailor made for his hamminess. Others in the cast, including Charles Bickford, Walter Huston, Herbert Marshall, and Butterfly McQueen deliver what you would expect of them.

The script is full of laughable lines and characters, and there's more than a few moments when you'll be holding your head wondering what they were thinking!?!? The music score is dramatic, although sometimes overpowering, and the colour cinematography is outstanding.

There are the bones of a good film here, but pretty much everything is overheated and overproduced. The movie is entertaining, albeit not always for the reasons is should be. And it certainly isn't boring. It's one of those classic films that should be seen ... if only for a few good laughs.

I absolutley LOVE this movie. Directed by David O. Selznick of "Gone With The Wind" fame, and starring his wife, Jennifer Jones, "Duel In The Sun" was an attempt to repeat or out-do the success of "Gone With The Wind". The results is a lavishly filmed, beautifully scored, over-acted, melodramtic sex western, that was banned in many cities when it opened in 1946, but by todays standards, could be a script for Saturday Night Live.

With the beautiful Jennifer Jones working so hard to portray "Pearl Chevez", the half-breed Indian girl that can't quit figure out WHO to sleep with, she comes across as humorously psychotic most of the time, although I'm sure that at the time they thought they were being serious. "Lewt" (Gregory Peck), has agressive sex with her a couple of times, "Pearl" pretending at first, to not want or like his advances. But each time she begs him not to leave. In one scene, she's on the floor, her arms wrapped around his leg, as he drags her across the floor, and all the while she's begging him not to leave...Wonderful! And, it's not just Jones who has the over-the-top scenes. Lionel Barrymore(Senator McCanles) and Lilian Gish(Laura Belle) have a few moments of their own, the best one being in the bedroom when she's dying. The whole overacting cast is wonderful. The only one you can take seriously is Joseph Cotton as "Jesse". It was also nice to see Butterfly McQueen as "Vashti".

The grand finale of the movie is the beautifully scored, and out-of-this-world surprise ending. The stunts in the ending scenes were all done by Miss Jones herself, and according to her biography, the blood on her hands is real!

Jennifer Jones has made many great movies. "Madame Bovary", "Love Letters", "Good Morning Miss Dove", "The Song Of Bernadette", and many more. "Duel" is one of her most memorable, even if it was over-acted. (Her most outlandish movie was a mistake titled "Angel Angel Down We Go".)

"Duel In The Sun" is a must for video collectors, as are most of Jennifer Jone's movies.

Duel in the Sun was supposed to be the next Gone with the Wind for David O. Selznick. The hyped film boasts an all star cast: Jennifer Jones, Gregory Peck, Joseph Cotton, Lionel Barrymore, and Lillian Gish. The acting is over the top, especially Jennifer Jones' sultry Pearl. Gregory Peck seemed to enjoy his change of pace role as Lewt and enacts the role with gusto. It was a change from his heroic characters that he played in his earlier films. Joseph Cotton is the virtuous brother, Jesse, who does not choose to "forget" that he catches Lewt with Pearl, much to Pearl's hearbreak.

The ending of the book had Jesse and Pearl vanquishing the evil Lewt and riding off into the sunset. Looking at the over the top finale of this movie, I wish the producer had stayed with the ending of the book. The lines are laughable ("You know I had to shoot you," cries Pearl. "Yes, dear, I know you did," answers Lewt.)

There are many cliches: Lewt catching Pearl swimming in the nude and not allowing her to leave the water and get her clothes. Pearl throwing herself at another man to make Lewt jealous. Pearl's transformation, where she decides to become a wanton, her facial expression changing to reflect this.

I understand the "dance of the sump" was left out of the film, where Pearl dances for Lewt. It was supposed to be "indecent" but in retrospect might have been a source of amusement to contemporary audiences.

If you are looking for representative films from the Selznick studio, consider the following instead: Gone with the Wind, A Star is Born, Portrait of Jennie, and The Prisoner of Zenda. For MGM, Selznick produced such standout films as David Copperfield and Anna Karenina. For better films pairing Jones and Cotton, look for the films Love Letters and Portrait of Jennie. The two are at their best in those.

This 1946 western boasts spectacular, technicolor cinematography and a script that is sometimes laughable. Directed by Hollywood notable, King Vidor, one wonders whether he was under pressure by the producer, David O. Selznick, and was more of a puppet rather than a director. That can be the only explanation for this directorial faux pas. It is so over the top in its excesses that in the first five minutes one sees some wild, almost hysterical dancing, the cuckolding of a husband, and two murders arising out of that nasty domestic situation.

The storyline is simple. A Spanish Grandee, Scott Chavez (Herbert Marshall), married the wrong woman, a wild and passionate Indian, instead of his true love, Laura Belle. Together they have a child whom they named Pearl. Known as a half breed, Pearl Chavez (Jennifer Jones), wants to be a lady, a "good girl". Given who her mother was, however, no one wants to give her a chance to prove herself. When her father knows he is to die, he packs her off to his first love, Laura Belle (Lillian Gish), who lives in Texas and is married to Senator McCanles (Lionel Barrymore). They have two sons, Jesse (Joseph Cotten) and Lewt (Gregory Peck). Jesse is the good son and his mother's favorite, while Lewt is a spoiled rake and his father's favorite.

When Pearl arrives at the McCanles ranch, Lillian greets her warmly, as does Jesse. Senator McCanles, her overbearing husband, however, treats Pearl to some racist, politically incorrect invective, while Lewt eyes her lasciviously. Needless to say, a love triangle of sorts develops. Ultimately, both sons want her, but they both can't have her. Jesse treats Pearl like a lady, while Lewt treats her like a wanton. When a breach with his father arises, Jesse leaves the ranch, leaving Pearl to the mercy of Lewt who will stop at nothing, not even murder, to ensure his claim over Pearl. In the end, Lewt appears to be the one to get Pearl, but what he gets may be more than that for which bargained. Moreover, Pearl may also be prone to self-sacrifice.

Herbert Marshall, as the Spanish Grandee with regrets, gives an effective performance, although he is somewhat miscast. Lillian Gish gives an excellent portrayal of the put upon Laura Belle, though her death scene is so melodramatic that it is hard to keep a straight face. Lionel Barrymore is also excellent, though a little over the top in his performance. I have to say, I loved Gregory Peck as the bad guy. He gives a truly terrific performance. The viewer gets a sense that Peck really seemed to be enjoying himself. Joseph Cotten oozes integrity in the role of the saintly Jesse. Butterfly McQueen, as Vashti the maid, is, well, Butterfly McQueen, with her distinctive, high pitched voice, holding sway over the viewer. Charles Bickford, as the ranch straw boss, Sam Pierce, gives a restrained and moving performance as the man who truly loves and wants to marry Pearl, a desire that Lewt will do everything to thwart.

Jennifer Jones, quite frankly, is utterly laughable as Pearl. If she had not been the producer's main squeeze at the time, I doubt that she would ever have been cast for the part of Pearl. So over the top is her performance, so filled with pouty grimaces, histrionics, and sultry poses, that her portrayal of Pearl rises to the level of high camp. The scene where she grabs Lewt's leg in a histrionic fit, declaring her undying love as he walks away, dragging her across the floor, is a bit much. I suspect that the director's handling of Ms. Jones' portrayal of Pearl was the director's way of getting back at the producer. If so, the director succeeded in giving it to the producer in spades.

Notwithstanding this, the film is still a moderately enjoyable western. For those who object to its political incorrectness, remember to keep in mind the social context out of which it arose. The times, they are a changing.

Bad, big bad...bad beyond all words.
But a total kick in the unintentional ... when it comes to seeing a movie self distruct before your eyes. The movie Cecil B. De Mille probably watched just before filming the 10 Commandments....(Oh Moses, Moses, Moses!)
Lionel Barrymore's cantakerous attitude....
Gregory Peck chuffing up his crop to be as freakin nasty as he can be....NOT!
Jennifer Jones......how many words can summon the idea of MISCAST! Actually its not her fault. A benzedrine addled Selznick was convinced he could carry her as a Mexican Scarlet O'Hara. Can you see the puppet strings? Hello....Eliza Dolittle!
Lillian Gish who is the ONLY remotely sympathetic character. Her death scene will ellicit chuckles if not guffaws! HELLO....MR VIDOR what where you thinking???!!!!
Like I said...bad, bad, bad, but a guilty pleasure none the less.
Watch it with a good eye for Selznick's ironfisted promotion of JJ....also remembering that this production team brought you Gone With The Wind. One of my all time favorite movies.
Can you say MAJOR STUMBLE!