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From: "Adam H. Kerman" <ahk@chinet.com>
Newsgroups: rec.arts.tv
Subject: Duel in the Sun (1946)
Date: Thu, 29 May 2025 01:28:36 -0000 (UTC)
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Massively expensive movie with an incredibly dumb script but TCM was
airing a gorgeous restoration from the three strip Technicolor b&w
negatives.

Pearl Chavez (Jennifer Jones) comes to Spanish Bit, an enormous ranch (a
million acres!) owned by Sen McCanles (Lionel Barrymore). It's supposed
to be told from Pearl's perspective and a build up of sexual tension
with both sons Lewt (Gregory Peck), an uneducated thug, and the more
learned Jesse (Joseph Cotten). But it really doesn't work despite its
"lust in the dust" reputation. Pearl is a poorly written character and
really cannot carry the movie's point of view as intended.

Lewt is sleazy and petty and a womanizer and jealous, plays with Pearl's
feelings, refuses to marry her, then kills Charles Bickford for wanting
to marry her.

At one point early in the movie, Jesse just announces he's in love with
her barely having had a scene with her, but he won't marry her either,
he'll just send for her in five years.

Lots of extras, but they are mostly horses.

There's one off-the-wall scene in which the Senator is trying to stop a
railroad from being built, 'cuz it'll bring "immigrant Northerners"
to Texas. He calls in everybody in a speech that you know was the
inspiration for

	Hedley Lamarr: I want rustlers, cut throats, murderers, bounty
	hunters, desperados, mugs, pugs, thugs, nitwits, halfwits,
	dimwits, vipers, snipers, con men, Indian agents, Mexican
	bandits, muggers, buggerers, bushwhackers, hornswogglers, horse
	thieves, bull dykes, train robbers, bank robbers, ass-kickers,
	shit-kickers and Methodists.

An absurd number of henchmen show up in answer to the Senator's call.
Remember, there aren't ANY nearby ranches because the Senator owns the
land. Where could they have come from? Just as the Senator is supposed
to order his men to murder the men in the railroad track gang, here
comes a U.S. Calvary troop to protect the railroad. Where did they all
come from?

For the duel between Lewt and Jesse, there's an entire (empty) western
town set we hadn't seen before, but it's not a duel at all. The title
duel is between Pearl and Lewt.

The cinematography was great. There are quite a few impressive horse
stunts. The movie looks good. The score by Dimitri Tiomkin is fantastic.

But as two critics said at the time they were given a preview, Why
didn't Jones and Peck shoot the screenwriter instead of each other?

With Lilian Gish and Butterfly McQueen playing a slightly toned down
character Vashti versus Prissy from Gone With the Wind. I know we are
required to despise Hollywood for stereotyped characters like these but
no one played 'em like her. She was a gifted comedienne and stole every
scene she was in.