The Furies (1950 film)
| The Furies | |
|---|---|
 French theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Anthony Mann |
| Produced by | Hal Wallis |
| Screenplay by | Charles Schnee |
| Based on |
the novel by Niven Busch |
| Starring |
Barbara Stanwyck Wendell Corey Walter Huston |
| Music by | Franz Waxman |
| Cinematography | Victor Milner |
| Edited by | Archie Marshek |
Production company |
Hal Wallis Productions |
| Distributed by | Paramount Pictures |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 109 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language |
English Spanish |
The Furies is a 1950 American Western film directed by Anthony Mann and starring Barbara Stanwyck, Wendell Corey, and Walter Huston in his last film performance.[1][2] In 2008, the film was released on DVD in the United States by The Criterion Collection.[3]
Plot
T. C. Jeffords (Walter Huston) is a wealthy cattle baron who feels the Herrera family is squatting illegally on his property, The Furies. T.C.'s beloved daughter, Vance (Barbara Stanwyck), who is as obsessed with wealth and every bit as ruthless as her father, has a close bond with Juan Herrera (Gilbert Roland) in secret. What she wants more is a proper husband who can run the giant ranch with her once T.C. is gone. She falls in love with Rip Darrow (Wendell Corey), who holds a grudge against T.C., believing a portion of The Furies land to be rightfully his. Vance is shocked when Rip accepts a $50,000 bribe from T.C. to permanently get out of her life. Rip opens a bank in town near a saloon he owns called "The Legal Tender".
T.C. is so self-possessed, he pays bills with "T.C." notes rather than actual dollars. One day, he brings home to The Furies a woman, Flo Burnett (Judith Anderson), who wants to marry T.C. for his money. Vance comes to resent this intruder so much, she attacks Flo with a pair of scissors, disfiguring Burnett in a fit of rage. Now that he hates the daughter he once cherished, T.C. cuts off all contact with her. He decides to run off her friends, the Herreras, who engage T.C.'s men in a violent gunfight. When they surrender, T.C. cruelly has Juan Herrera hanged.
Swearing vengeance, Vance travels about the west buying up "T.C." notes. Her father's wealth is eroding, to the point that he even goes to Flo in a vain attempt to borrow $50,000 he needs to save The Furies. Vance conspires with her old lover Rip to deceive T.C., even giving him false hope that a wealthy investor is lending him the money. Upon discovering what his daughter has done, T.C. congratulates her on her cunning. He declares it's not too late for him to "start from scratch", but before he can, the bereaved mother (Blancha Yurka) of Juan Herrera guns him down.
Cast
- Barbara Stanwyck as Vance Jeffords
- Wendell Corey as Rip Darrow
- Walter Huston as T. C. Jeffords
- Judith Anderson as Flo Burnett
- Gilbert Roland as Juan Herrera
- Thomas Gomez as El Tigre
- Beulah Bondi as Mrs. Anaheim
- Pepe Hern as Félix Herre
- Albert Dekker as Mr. Reynolds
- John Bromfield as Clay Jeffords
- Wallace Ford as Scotty Hyslip
- Louis Jean Heydt as Bailey
- Frank Ferguson as Dr. Grieve
- Myrna Dell as Dallas Hart
Production
Filming locations
- Arizona, United States
- Paramount Studios, 5555 Melrose Avenue, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA (studio)
References
- ↑ "The Furies". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved March 20, 2012.
- ↑ Horton, Andrew (2003). Henry Bumstead and the world of Hollywood art direction. Austin: University of Texas Press. p. 37.
- ↑ "The Furies". The Criterion Collection. Retrieved March 20, 2012.
External links
- The Furies at the Internet Movie Database
- The Furies at AllMovie