Sue Marvin
Terrible movie.McCambridge was all but chewing on the curtains. She over acted just like she did in "Giant". Richard Todd looked good as usual but deserved a better script. Why was he up on a dangerous ledge supposedly hiding from the public after he had been found not guilty? Was he planning to camp up there? He had no tent, equipment or food for his horse. He did throw down a hot cigarette butt in the dry sage though. Luckily no fire was written into the script on that. Guess he wasn't a Boy Scout. Ruth Roman was pretty good but must have needed the paycheck badly. She drives off in an approaching thunder storm in a convertible with the top down. Not too bright, huh? Vidor made sure she showed us her boobs though. She goes to find Richard Todd and does a very poor job of acting like she is afraid of heights up on the cliff. All of a sudden she is in love with him. Give me a break! Zac Scott also over acts and is wearing. How come he is riding the same horse that Ruth was on at the dude ranch. Is it the county horse? He takes Ruth for a car ride acting very menacing, so of course we suspect he may be a killer. Not! He takes Ruth to see Todd and drives off. Later Todd takes Ruth home in the same car. Sadly Ruth marries Todd after knowing him for only a few days. I expect they divorced soon after.
miriamwebster
Another crazed logic-free over-acted melodrama in the same late Forties/early Fifties hothouse mode of Warners' Beyond The Forest, The Damned Don't Cry and This Woman Is Dangerous, this time sans the stellar fuel tank of Bette Davis or Joan Crawford. Judge this rating accordingly-- if you enjoyed aforementioned pictures, you'll get a kick out this; if not, take shelter. . .stormy weather indeed.No need to rehash plot revealed by earlier posters, a Texas-set dramatic chile con carne liberally laced with murder, unrequited love and dark secrets set in one of those those only-in-the-movies remote desert communities where people live miles apart in remote rancheros. . .but still show up in gowns and white dinner jackets at swank poolside barbecues that would put Manhattanites to shame.Although the smoldering-yet-vanilla Richard Todd, underused Ruth Roman and Zachery Scott(in a "hey-it's-a-paycheck" role that comes out of nowhere and getsthere fast) are ostensible stars, show is stolen by cactus-chomping Mercedes McCambridge in (apparently unintentional) schizophrenic role as a butch desert denizen (think of her role in Johnny Guitar, only less feminine) who not only has inexplicable crush on charmless Todd after he has allegedly killed his wife. . .but is nevertheless selected to serve on jury during his murder trial to boot! Things go off-cliff (as does at least one vehicle) from there.Whatever film lacks in reality, it more than makes up for in implausibility and psychological chaos that would baffle Freud. But rest assured, everyone gets their just deserts(sic). If you're in right frame of mind, a yucca minute.
dougdoepke
While staying at a deserted dude ranch, a woman (Roman) gets involved with a man (Todd) suspected of murderApparently, the movie was intended to showcase rising stars Roman, Todd, and Mc Cambridge. Trouble is they're undone by a screenplay that can't make up its mind. Is it a whodunit, a noir, a "woman in danger", or a soap opera. Actually, it's a little of all four that turns out more like an overloaded dish of stew than a tasty soufflé. Too bad because it's a waste of some fine performers like Conroy, Givney, and especially Scott.There is one ridiculous scene almost worth the overlong 90-minutes. That's where Todd and Roman decide to have a romantic interlude perched atop a narrow cliff. Now, why a woman would choose a drop-off as a trysting spot with a suspected wife killer remains the movie's biggest mystery. In fact, the scene is almost a parody of every poorly staged soap opera on film. As an old movie fan, I wondered why I'd never heard of this film. Now I know.
writers_reign
This is a bit of a rum do and no mistake. For a start we have the solid mahogany Richard Todd leaving a trail of sawdust in his wake whilst Zachary Scott who can and does act Todd off the screen doesn't even appear until about reel #6 and is woefully under extended. Ruth Roman might have done really well as the femme lead - if she wasn't in the same movie as Mercedes McCambridge - things are tough all over, it would seem. Plot-wise it's as hokey as they come; we open with Todd on Death Row on account of a little matter of murdering his wife then, with no groundwork/back-story to help us he is awarded first a stay of execution and then a re-trial which leaves him a free man. Enter Ruth Roman, actress on vacation/convalescence who falls instantly into fascination with Todd. This leads nicely to the 'doubting' scene, did he REALLY do it, will he do the same to Me, until all is resolved neatly with the real killer not only being unmasked but also paying the ultimate price. This is noir-lite with two excellent performances from Scott and McCambridge, a solid one from Roman and Todd having a laugh.
AD
