Pursued
Pursued | |
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File:Pursued.jpg
Theatrical release poster
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Directed by | Raoul Walsh |
Produced by | Milton Sperling |
Screenplay by | Niven Busch |
Starring | Teresa Wright Robert Mitchum Judith Anderson Dean Jagger |
Music by | Max Steiner |
Cinematography | James Wong Howe |
Edited by | Christian Nyby |
Production
company |
United States Pictures
Warner Bros. |
Distributed by | Warner Bros. |
Release dates
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Running time
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101 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Budget | £610,000[1] |
Pursued is a 1947 film that combines western film noir and psychological melodrama. The picture was directed by Raoul Walsh and features Teresa Wright, Robert Mitchum, Judith Anderson and Dean Jagger.[2]
Contents
Plot
Set in New Mexico around the turn of the 20th Century and told in flashback, the film tells the story of Jeb (Mitchum), whose entire family was slaughtered when he was a child. In the aftermath of the massacre, Jeb is found by Mrs. Callum, a widow, who will raise him in her family. Traumatized by the killings, Jeb doesn't recall anything of that night, except for vague images that he sees in a frequent nightmare. Mrs. Callum raises him as her own son, together with her daughter Thorley and her son Adam. Years later, Jeb is shot at while riding a colt, but the shooter misses him; although Mrs. Callum blames the incident on deer hunters, she knows that it was an attempted murder by her brother-in-law Grant, who, for vague reasons, is determined to kill Jeb.
Cast
- Teresa Wright as Thor
- Robert Mitchum as Jeb
- Judith Anderson as Mrs. Callum
- Dean Jagger as Grant
- Alan Hale Sr. as Jake Dingle
- John Rodney as Adam
- Harry Carey, Jr. as Prentice
- Bobby "Bonedust" Young as The Sergeant
- Ernest Severn as Jeb, age 11
- Charles Bates as Adam, age 11
- Peggy Miller as Thor, age 10
- Norman Jolley as A Callum
- Lane Chandler as A Callum
- Elmer Ellingwood as A Callum
- Jack Montgomery as A Callum
Production
It was shot on location in Gallup, New Mexico.[3]
Reception
Critical response
Film critic Bosley Crowther wrote a mixed review, "... the strange and angry actions which occur through the tortuous wanderings of this drama seem decidedly bewildering and absurd. What's so significant about a fellow—even though he may be a foster-child—finding life slightly oppressive on a primitive New Mexican ranch? ... As we say, without the revelation which comes rather patly at the end, the urgency of these weighty questions is hard to grasp as the picture drones along. And it is likewise hard to work up any sympathy for the hero, who seems bored by all his woes. That may be because Robert Mitchum, who plays the latter, is a very rigid gent and gives off no more animation than a Frigidaire turned to 'Defrost'"[4]
Variety magazine, on the other hand, praised the film. The Variety staff wrote, "Pursued is potent frontier days western film fare. Standout in picture is suspense generated by the original script and Raoul Walsh's direction. It builds the western gunman's death walk to high moments of thrill and action. Strong casting also is a decided factor in selling the action wares. Production makes use of natural outdoor backgrounds supplied by New Mexico scenery, lending air of authenticity that is fully captured by the camera."[5]
Trivia
According to the documentary Jim Morrison – the last 24 hours, Morrison took Pamela Courson to this movie on July 2, 1971 in Paris just hours before he died.
References
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Pursued at the American Film Institute Catalog.
- ↑ AFI. Ibid.
- ↑ Crowther, Bosley film review. The New York Times, March 8, 1947. Accessed July 25, 2013.
- ↑ Staff film review. Variety. 1947. July 25, 2013.
External links
- Pursued at the American Film Institute Catalog
- Lua error in Module:WikidataCheck at line 28: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). Pursued at IMDb
- Pursued at AllMovie
- Pursued at the TCM Movie Database
- Pursued information site and DVD review at DVD Beaver (includes images)
- Pursued film scene on YouTube