Based on the novel An American Tragedy by Theodore Dreiser and its adapted play by playwright Patrick Kearney, A Place in the Sun is the story of a young man who is love with two women including a socialite while the other is a woman whose uncle he works for as it leads to trouble. Directed by George Stevens and screenplay by Michael Wilson and Harry Brown, the film is inspired on a real-life story of love gone wrong that lead to murder as it plays into a young man caught up in a torrid love triangle. Starring Montgomery Clift, Elizabeth Taylor, Shelley Winters, Anne Revere, and Raymond Burr. A Place in the Sun is an evocative and haunting film from George Stevens.
The film is the simple story of a young man who is given a job at his uncle’s factory where he dates a co-worker, despite rules against dating co-workers at the factory, while finds himself falling for a heiress where the love triangle leads to trouble. It’s a film that explores a man who arrives into a small town where his uncle is rich and gives him a job in the hope he can stay out of trouble and work hard. Yet, he befriends a co-worker as they start to date but he would fall for this heiress who represents a life that he might want with all of the splendors that it offers. The film’s screenplay by Michael Wilson and Harry Brown opens with George Eastman’s arrival into this small town where his uncle Charles (Herbert Hayes) is a rich industrialist who met George back in Chicago when George was a bellhop as he decide to give him a job working at his factory.
While he meets his posh relatives, George is aware that he’s an outsider to the family as he’s more concerned with just wanting to do good for his uncle. Upon working at the factory, he meets Alice Tripp (Shelley Winters) whom he would date despite a rule in the factory for co-workers to not date each other. Yet, Alice intrigues George due to the fact that they both come from similar backgrounds with George not really wanting to be part of his relatives’ world of luxury and parties. That is until he formally meets the society girl Angela Vickers (Elizabeth Taylor) whom he had seen at his uncle’s home and much earlier when he was hitchhiking. Vickers is a completely different person from the more introverted Alice as she’s lively and often enjoying party while she finds George intriguing as the two fall in love but George cares for Alice as things become complicated when she becomes pregnant. Even as she confides in a shrink about what to do just as she learns that George is with Vickers leading to a lot of trouble all in the film’s first half.
George Stevens’ direction is largely straightforward in terms of the compositions he creates yet he does manage to play into some of the dramatic tension that occurs throughout the film. Shot on various locations around Lake Tahoe, Echo Lake, and Cascade Lake in California as well as interiors at Paramount Studios, Stevens showcased a world that has this air of social divide where George lived in a small apartment while his uncle and Vickers lived in spacious homes. Stevens would create some unique wide shots to play into the spacious homes but also in some of the locations including the lakes where some of the characters go to. Stevens’ direction is also intimate in its approach to close-ups and medium shots in the way he would shoot certain scenes that include some gazing shots that goes on for a few minutes to play into a conversation. Especially during a moment where George meets Alice at his apartment for a dinner as he arrived late as it is about the lack of space and where the camera is placed as he shoots them from behind.
Much of the its first act has Stevens establishing the characters and setting while its second act is where the drama intensifies as it relates to this love triangle between George, Alice, and Vickers as both Alice and Vickers would never meet each other during the course of the film. It is also where George deals with his own internal conflicts as it relates to what he wants as it leads to this eerie third act in relation to the aftermath of what he got himself involved in. Stevens’ direction definitely intensify not just this air of anguish and guilt but also this social divide as it relates to George being somewhat in the middle. Even as it relates to this tragedy where there are sides yet not everyone is willing to hear George’s story despite his involvement in what happened. Overall, Stevens crafts a rapturous and mesmerizing film about a young man caught in a love triangle that leads to trouble and tragedy.
Cinematographer William C. Mellor does amazing work with the film’s black-and-white cinematography at it helps set a mood for some of the film’s dramatic scenes with its usage of available light and shadows for scenes set at night as well as the way some of the daytime interiors/exteriors are presented as it helps heighten the world of Vickers and her friends. Editor William Hornbeck does excellent work with the editing with its stylish usage of dissolves and transition wipes as well as some rhythmic cutting to help play into some of the dramatic tension that occurs in the film. Art directors Hans Dreier and Walter H. Tyler, with set decorator Emile Kuri, do brilliant work with the look of the mansions George’s uncle and the Vickers family lived in as well as the small and cramped apartment he lives in.
Costume designer Edith Head does fantastic work with the costumes from the design of the dresses that Alice wears to the stylish gowns that Vickers wears. Sound recordists Gene Garvin and Gene Merritt do terrific work with the sound in the atmosphere of the parties as well as some quiet scenes in the film including scenes that involve a bird that would frighten George. The film’s music by Franz Waxman, with un-credited work by Daniele Amfitheatrof, is wonderful for its usage of lush orchestral textures in the strings as well as the usage of bombastic percussions to help maintain a tense atmosphere in the suspense.
The film’s superb cast feature some notable small roles and appearances from Kathleen Freeman as a factory worker who testified in court, Ian Wolfe as the psychiatrist Dr. Wolfe, Sheppard Strudwick and Frieda Inescort as Vickers’ parents, Kathryn Givney as George’s aunt Louise, Keefe Brasselle as George’s cousin Earl, Walter Sande as George’s attorney, Fred Clark as a defense attorney, and Herbert Heyes as George’s uncle Charles Eastman who gives George the chance to make something of himself. Anne Revere is superb as George’s mother who lives in the Midwest as she hopes that her son would succeed and stay away from trouble. Raymond Burr is fantastic as District Attorney R. Frank Marlowe as a man who investigates the aftermath of the tragedy as he believes that George did create trouble and is guilty.
Shelley Winters is amazing as Alice Tripp as a poor factory worker that George befriends and would date despite rules from the factory as she is fascinated by George but questions about the validity of their relationship as she becomes pregnant and learns about his time with Vickers. Elizabeth Taylor is brilliant as Angela Vickers as a young heiress who is often the center of attention as she is always at parties where she takes an interest in George whom she sees as someone different but also a man who has a lot of value in introducing her to the world outside of her posh existence. Finally, there’s Montgomery Clift in a phenomenal performance as George Eastman as a man trying to not to get into trouble by working at his uncle’s factory and make something of himself only to be involved in a love triangle as well as two different lifestyles that offer a lot as he becomes tormented by his world as it is a haunting yet intense performance from Clift.
A Place in the Sun is a tremendous film from George Stevens that features great performances from Montgomery Clift, Elizabeth Taylor, and Shelley Winters. Along with its supporting cast, gorgeous visuals, evocative music score, and its study of love and desire. It is a film that explore a man’s own torment and anguish that lead to tragedy due to not just the love triangle he involved himself in but also two different world that play into the social divide and their respective lifestyles. In the end, A Place in the Sun is a spectacular film from George Stevens.
George Stevens Films: (The Cohens and the Kellys in Trouble) – (Kentucky Kernals) – (Bachelor Bait) – (Laddie) – (The Nitwits) – (Alice Adams) – (Annie Oakley) - Swing Time - (Quality Street) – (A Damsel in Distress (1937 film)) – (Vivacious Lady) – (Gunga Din) – (Vigil in the Night) – (Penny Serenade) – (Woman of the Year) – (The Talk of the Town (1942 film)) – (The More the Merrier) – (That Justice Be Done) – (On Our Merry Way) – (I Remember Mama) – (Something to Live for) – Shane - Giant (1956 film) - (The Diary of Anne Frank) – (The Greatest Story Ever Told) – (The Only Game in Town)
© thevoid99 2020
Based on the novel by Edna Farber, Giant is the story of a ranching family in Texas who endure changing times to protect their land while dealing with an ambitious ranch hand who strikes it rich with oil. Directed by George Stevens and screenplay by Fred Guiol and Ivan Moffat, the film is a sprawling tale of the life of a family who endure many different things including social, racial, and personal issues that would shape their fortune. Starring Rock Hudson, Elizabeth Taylor, James Dean, Carroll Baker, Jane Withers, Chill Wills, Mercedes McCambridge, Dennis Hopper, Sal Mineo, Rod Taylor, Elsa Cardenas, and Earl Holliman. Giant is a grand yet evocative film from George Stevens.
The film follows the life a family of ranchers in Texas from the early 1920s to the mid-1950s where a rancher marries a woman from Maryland and brings her home where she copes with her new life and her own ideals while they both deal with an ambitious ranch hand who inherits land that is filled with oil. It’s a film that is about not just ambition but also the definition of success and how a rancher is trying to maintain his own ideas and morals for many years as he also contend with changing times and fortunes. The film’s screenplay by Fred Guiol and Ivan Moffat is definitely sprawling in terms of the way the times are set as it begins around the early 20th Century in Maryland where Bick Benedict (Rock Hudson) goes to the state to buy a new horse. He ends up returning to Texas with a new wife in Leslie (Elizabeth Taylor) who falls for Bick in their initial meeting as she adjust to her new environment as well as try to fit in with the new world.
The script does have a simple three-act structure as the first act is about Leslie in her new environment where she has to contend with Bick’s sister Luz (Mercedes McCambridge), the way things are in Texas as well as the role of women, and the racial divide between the rich, white ranchers and the poor Mexican-Americans who live near by in near-poverty. The second act is about the growth of Bick and Leslie’s family but also what Bick’s former ranch hand in Jett Rink (James Dean) would discover from land he inherits from Luz as he would become rich and later overwhelm the Benedicts with his oil empire. It’s around the same time that Bick’s morals and his ideas of what he wants would come to ahead in changes as his son Jordan II (Dennis Hopper) doesn’t want to take over the family business. The third act is about the decisions that Bick and Leslie’s children would take such as daughters Judy (Fran Bennett) and the youngest in Luz II (Carroll Baker) would take but also tragedy relating to the family and the decision Jordan II would make in marrying a Mexican-American in Juana (Elsa Cardenas).
George Stevens’ direction is definitely vast in not just the setting of the locations in Marfa, Texas but also for the length of the story that spans nearly four decades. With the scenes in Maryland shot in Virginia, the house interiors and the airport/parade scenes near Burbank, California, the film explores a world that starts off as simple with old ideas and old morals as they work no matter how imperfect they are. Stevens’ usage of wide shots are gorgeous in capturing vast depth of field that is the Benedict land with its horde of cattle which represents this old kind of empire that was the source of income for Texas. There is an intimacy in some of the close-ups and medium shots but also in how Leslie would encounter the new world she’s in as it’s very different the quaint and more colorful world of Maryland. There are moments that would foreshadow certain things including moments of tragedy and sadness but also little things that Leslie does that would shape the fortunes of the less fortunate as it showcases her grace. It is in sharp contrast to the old order that Bick stands for where he doesn’t want Leslie to be involved in conversations he’s having with other men including Uncle Bawley (Chill Wills) who adores Leslie.
The moments of foreshadowing would be prevalent towards its second act once Bick and Leslie become parents as they cope with the fact that Bick’s ideas and plans for his children don’t go as planned. Adding to the trouble is Jett and his emerging oil empire where it play into this sense of change that Bick has trouble adjusting to but also refusing to have Jett drill oil in his land. Stevens’ direction would play into these changes as the scenes of the oil wells and emergence of modern transport play into the falling fortunes of Bick and his reluctance to be part of the oil industry just to survive. Yet, it would all climax in an event that would celebrate Jett’s success as Stevens gives it a grand presentation that is quite large but there’s something about it that is off. Especially as it relates to Jett and what he’s achieved but there’s a sadness to it. Notably as it would also involve something that Bick is forced to see and come to terms with in who he is and be forced to accept. Overall, Stevens creates a riveting and enthralling film about the life of a rancher, his wife, and a ranch hand through many years in Texas.
Cinematographer William C. Mellor does brilliant work with the film‘s cinematography in capturing the yellow and sunny desert look of the locations around the Benedict ranch and some of the locations in Texas well as some unique lighting in the interior scenes including the climatic scenes at the Jett hotel. Editors Phil Anderson, Fred Bohanan, and William Hornbeck do excellent work with the editing as its usage of transitional dissolves and fade-outs help play into structure of the film as well as rhythmic cuts to help intensify some of the dramatic moments. Production designer Boris Levin and set decorator Ralph S. Hurst do amazing work with the design of the Benedict home and its interiors as well as the design of the shantytowns that Benedict‘s Mexican workers live in and the hotel that Jett would open including its lavish dining hall. Costume designers Moss Mabry and Marjorie Best do fantastic work with the costumes with the design of the clothes the men wear as well as the dresses with Mabry designing the many clothes that Leslie would wear.
Makeup supervisor Gordon Bau does some fine work with some of the aging makeup in some of the characters though the way Jett looks when he‘s older is just bad as is some of the look of the Mexicans where it looks ridiculously bad. Special visual effects by Jack Cosgrove does some fine work with the minimal visual effects which are just some rear projection shots for a few scenes in the film. The sound work of Earl Crain Sr. is superb for the way some of the parties are held including some of the quieter moments at the Benedict home and the scenes during the work at the ranch and in the oil wells. The film’s music by Dimitri Timokin is wonderful for its soaring orchestral score that play into the drama with some elements of country-western music to play into the world of Texas that also include some traditional songs.
The casting by Hoyt Bowers is incredible as it feature some notable small roles from Mickey Simpson as a racist diner owner, Noreen Nash as a film star, Paul Fix and Judith Evelyn as Leslie’s parents, Carolyn Craig as Leslie’s sister Lacy, Rod Taylor as Leslie’s then-beau Sir David Karfey, Maurice Jara as Dr. Guerra, Charles Watts as family friend Judge Whiteside, Earl Holliman as Judy’s husband Bob who wants a life of his own like his wife, and Sal Mineo as Angel Obregon II as a ranch hand son who is a childhood friend of the Benedict children as well as someone that Leslie is fond of as she helped him get better when he was a baby. Elsa Cardenas is wonderful as Jordy’s wife Juana who is a Mexican-American that Jordy loves as Bick would eventually become fond of late in the film. Jane Withers and Robert Nichols are terrific as Bick’s neighbors in Vashti and Pinky, respectively, as family friends who help the Benedicts cope with changes as well as try to maintain some old ideas.
Chill Wills is fantastic as Uncle Bawley as Bick’s uncle who is the family advisor as well as someone that is willing to hear what Leslie thinks as well as display a tenderness that isn’t seen very often. Fran Bennett is superb as Bick and Leslie’s eldest daughter Judy as a woman who is determined to find her own life as well as go for something that is more down-home rather than what Leslie wants from her. Mercedes McCambridge is brilliant as Bick’s sister Luz as a headstrong woman who finds herself butting heads with Leslie on who should run the house while being the business manager who is fond of Jett. Carroll Baker is excellent as Luz II as the youngest daughter of Bick and Leslie who is a typical young woman that would have a crush on Jett as she becomes confused in her loyalty towards her family. Dennis Hopper is amazing as Jordan “Jordy” Benedict II as Bick and Leslie’s son who is trying to find his own path as a doctor as well as marry a Mexican-American where he faces some prejudice as he tries to stand up for himself and defend his wife’s honor against Jett.
In his final performance, James Dean is incredible as Jett Rink as a ranch hand who would inherit land from Luz that would prove to be prosperous with his discovery of oil where Dean explores someone that was to make something of himself but there’s an emptiness that is quite sad as it show the fallacy of success. Rock Hudson is great as Jordan “Bick” Benedict II as a rancher that meets and falls for a woman from Maryland as he brings her home to Texas where he tries to show her the world that he lives in as he copes with changes of ideals and other things as well as his own immorality that he’s been carrying for so many years. Finally, there’s Elizabeth Taylor in a phenomenal performance as Leslie Benedict as Bick’s new wife who is trying to adjust to her new surroundings while maintaining her own sense of being in a world where women don’t have much say in things as it is Taylor that has this sense of command and grace into her performance while having great rapport with both Hudson and Dean.
Giant is a sensational film from George Stevens. Featuring a great ensemble cast, gorgeous visuals, a soaring music score, and a captivating story of changing times, ambition, and ideals. It’s a film that definitely lives up to its definition of the epic while also containing a few flaws. In the end, Giant is an incredible film from George Stevens.
George Stevens Films: (The Cohens and the Kellys in Trouble) - (Kentucky Kernals) - (Bachelor Bait) - (Laddie) - (The Nitwits) - (Alice Adams) - (Annie Oakley) - Swing Time - (Quality Street) - (A Damsel in Distress (1937 film)) - (Vivacious Lady) - (Gunga Din) - (Vigil in the Night) - (Penny Serenade) - (Woman of the Year) - (The Talk of the Town (1942 film)) - (The More the Merrier) - (That Justice Be Done) - (On Our Merry Way) - (I Remember Mama) - A Place in the Sun - (Something to Live For) - Shane - (The Diary of Anne Frank) - (The Greatest Story Ever Told) - (The Only Game in Town)
© thevoid99 2017
Based on the story Portrait of John Garnett by Erwin S. Gelsey, Swing Time is the story of a gambler who tries to win over his fiancée’s father by making it as a dancer when he finds himself falling for his own dance partner. Directed by George Stevens and screenplay by Howard Lindsay and Allan Scott, the film is a musical that explores a man trying to prove his worth as well as get caught up into his own ideas of romance. Starring Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, Helen Broderick, Victor Moore, Eric Blore, and Georges Metaxa. Swing Time is an enchanting and evocative film from George Stevens.
The film is a simple story of a man whose gambling problem forces him to travel to New York City to settle his debts and prove himself worthy of marrying his fiancée where he works as part of a dance duo with another dancer whom he would fall for. It’s a film that play into a man who has done a lot to ruin himself as he always gets roped into one thing yet has the love and talent to do something else. Upon taking the one thing he’s really good at to use, he would realize he has something to offer but also someone to share it with. The film’s screenplay doesn’t just play into the plight that John “Lucky” Garnett (Fred Astaire) endures but also what he has to do to succeed in order to pay off his debts and marry his fiancee. Yet, he would have to flee his small hometown in order to do that where he’s joined by friend Pop Cardetti (Victor Moore) to New York City where they bump into a dancer/dance instructor in Penelope “Penny” Carroll (Ginger Rogers).
She is desperate to make it but needs the right partner as she is also linked to a renowned band leader in Ricardo Romero (Georges Metaxa). While the script does follow conventional aspects of romance and comedy, it does have something that is quite playful but also not wanting to take itself so seriously. Notably as the characters of Cardetti and Penny’s friend Mabel Anderson (Helen Broderick) provide some funny commentary as they deal with the chaos that is around them. Even as they become aware of the attraction between Lucky and Penny yet they would also deal with the fact that Lucky is engaged to someone else and they have a chance together to make it big.
George Stevens’ direction is definitely stylish for not just the musical numbers but also for the approach to comedy and drama. Though it is mostly shot on soundstages, the film does have moments outside of the soundstages as it play into bits of adventure where Stevens’ usage of wide and medium shots doesn’t just capture the scope of a location but also in some of the dance numbers. Aided by choreographer Hermes Pan, Stevens approach to staging the musical numbers doesn’t just have something that is intimate but also be presented to establish the movement and rhythm of the dance. Many of the numbers are presented in one entire take with crane and dolly-tracking shots as it shows the sense of gracefulness and beauty into the dancing which definitely help drive the story. The non-musical moments are just as potent as Stevens’ direction where he uses some nice medium shots and close-ups to capture the growing relationship between Lucky and Penny as it play into some of the dramatic conflict as find ways to use music to help express these emotions without needing to do too much. Overall, Stevens creates a majestic and intoxicating film about a man who teams up with a woman to pay off his debts through dance.
Cinematographer David Abel does excellent work with the film‘s black-and-white photography for the way some of the daytime exteriors are shot with some unique lighting for some of the interiors including in the dance numbers. Editor Henry Berman does brilliant work with the editing as it help play into the rhythm of the dancing as well as some of the comedic moments. Art director Van Nest Polglase, with set/costume designer John W. Harkrider and gown designer Bernard Newman, does amazing work with the design of the dance studio Penny works at as well as the dance halls with Harkrider designing the sets for the film‘s climax with Newman creating the gorgeous gowns that Penny wears.
Sound recordist Hugh McDowell Jr. and sound editor George Marsh do superb work with the sound in the way some of the sound effects is presented as well as some of the comical moments in the film. The film’s music by Jerome Kern with songs co-written with lyricist Dorothy Fields is definitely a highlight of the film with Kern’s music presented with such lush and playful orchestration in the string arrangements while the songs definitely help tell the story with the big standout being The Way You Look Tonight as it is truly some of the finest music ever recorded.
The film’s marvelous cast feature some notable small roles from Betty Furness as Lucky’s fiancee Margaret, Landers Stevens as Margaret’s father who doesn’t like Lucky, Eric Blore as Penny’s old boss Mr. Gordon, and Georges Metaxa in a superb as bandleader Ricardo Romero as this vain man who adores Penny yet is kind of full of himself. Helen Broderick is fantastic as Mabel Anderson as this secretary/friend of Penny who helps Penny and Lucky while being this witty observer who has good rapport with Pops. Victor Moore is excellent as Pop Cardetti as a friend of Lucky who tries to handle every aspect of business while being a great card cheat who can help Lucky win.
Finally, there’s the duo of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers in incredible performances in their respective roles as John “Lucky” Garnett and Penelope “Penny” Carroll. Astaire has that sense of charm and comic timing in playing the hapless Astaire while Rogers is more straightforward yet is also funny as she is someone that is more determined. Astaire and Rogers together just have this electrifying chemistry that is just insatiable to watch as well as the way both sing and dance together as they both put on a clinic that makes them so fun to watch.
Swing Time is a spectacular and dazzling film from George Stevens that features sensational performances from Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. Along with great supporting performances from Victor Moore and Helen Broderick as well as top-notch dancing, amazing direction, and a phenomenal music soundtrack. The film is truly a musical that doesn’t just capture a sense of joy but it’s backed by an engaging story with characters that audiences can root for. In the end, Swing Time is a tremendous film from George Stevens.
George Stevens Films: (The Cohens and the Kellys in Trouble) - (Kentucky Kernals) - (Bachelor Bait) - (Laddie) - (The Nitwits) - (Alice Adams) - (Annie Oakley) - (Quality Street) - (A Damsel in Distress (1937 film)) - (Vivacious Lady) - (Gunga Din) - (Vigil in the Night) - (Penny Serenade) - (Woman of the Year) - (The Talk of the Town (1942 film)) - (The More the Merrier) - (That Justice Be Done) - (On Our Merry Way) - (I Remember Mama) - A Place in the Sun - (Something to Live For) - Shane - Giant (1956 film) - (The Diary of Anne Frank) - (The Greatest Story Ever Told) - (The Only Game in Town)
© thevoid99 2017
Based on the novel by Jack Schaefer, Shane is the story of a man who comes to the aid of a farming family to deal with a gunman who is threatening their lives. Directed by George Stevens and screenplay by A.B. Guthrie Jr., the film is the story of a man just trying to help a family as he also tries to move away from his violent past. Starring Alan Ladd, Jean Arthur, Van Heflin, Brandon deWilde, Emile Meyer, Elisha Cook Jr., Ben Johnson, and Jack Palance. Shane is a rapturous and evocative film from George Stevens.
Set in the mid-1800s years after the American Civil War, the film revolves a farming family who take in a mysterious gunslinger who helps them deal with cattle barons wanting their land. It’s a film with a simple story that plays into a baron trying to drive homesteaders away from their land yet it is more about this man who would stand up to this baron and his men where a farmer’s son would idolize this man. The film’s screenplay by A.B. Guthrie Jr., with additional dialogue written by Jack Sher, doesn’t just explore a family trying to maintain their homestead but also in taking in this mysterious man who is trying to move away from his violent past. The titular character (Alan Ladd) is just a man wanting to do something other than go into gunplay where he would help out this family and do some farming.
He understands the struggle the homesteaders are dealing with against this baron under the Homestead Act as he would also spark some ire on the baron Rufus Ryker (Emile Meyer). Shane would also deal with the attention of a farmer’s son in Joey (Brandon deWilde) who sees him as some iconic figure as he’s reluctant to show him how to draw a gun much to the dismay of the boy’s mother Marian Starrett (Jean Arthur). Shane would help Joe Starrett (Van Heflin) in not just deal with Ryker but also bring some hope to other homesteaders who are being driven by Ryker’s men as it would include the infamous gunslinger Jack Wilson (Jack Palance) who would kill someone during a confrontation. That confrontation would be key in the third act where Starrett tries to make a stand against Ryker but Shane realizes what is at stake where he would have to make a decision for himself and the Starrett family.
George Stevens’ direction is truly stunning not just for the gorgeous visuals and setting of the film but also in playing something that is a bit larger-than-life but also grounded in realism. Shot on location in Jackson, Wyoming with some shooting on sets in Hollywood, the film plays into this growing emergence of the American West where people are trying to make a home in open land growing crops and work hard for themselves and the community. Much of Stevens’ direction uses a lot of wide and medium shots to capture the scope of the locations where the Rocky Mountains are always present in the background as it help display some of the beauty of the West. Even in the way life was in the West as it was hard but at least it’s better than working for someone yet not everything is great as it relates to Ryker and his rule.
Stevens also uses some close-ups in scenes set at home along with a few medium shots for the intimacy as it would include a barroom brawl involving Ryker’s men against Shane and Joe Starrett. When the character of Jack Wilson emerges, there is something that is chilling as the scene where he kills a man is one of the most startling moments in the film and the way the man is killed just shows the dark reality that is emerging. There are some little moments Stevens would put in the film as it would help say a lot by doing so little as it eventually play into what is to come. All of which has Shane not only be back down to Earth but reveal a lot of who he is and what he needs to do to help this family. Overall, Stevens creates an intoxicating and touching film about a gunslinger trying to help a family deal with a cattle baron.
Cinematographer Loyal Griggs does amazing work with the film‘s beautiful Technicolor film stock to capture the beauty of the locations and that attention to detail in the skyline and the Rocky Mountains as well as some of the interiors with the usage of available and artificial light for those scenes. Editors William Hornbeck and Tom McAdoo do excellent work with the editing as it has some unique rhythmic cuts for the action and drama as well as some stylish usage of dissolves to create some superimposed images in the film. Art directors Hal Pereira and Walter H. Tyler, with set decorator Emile Kuri, do brilliant work with the look of the small town that the characters live nearby at as well as the home of the Starrett family.
Costume designer Edith Head does nice work with the costumes from the look of the dresses that the women wear as well as the clothes of the men including the different looks of Shane and Wilson. Sound recorders Gene Garvin and Harry Lindgren do terrific work with the sound to play into some of the chaos as well as the sound of gunfire to create something that is natural. The film’s music by Victor Young is fantastic for its orchestral-based score as it include elements of country-western music as well as some themes that play for certain characters as it is one of the film’s major highlights.
The film’s incredible cast include some notable small roles from Leonard Wright as a homesteader who would leave because of Ryker, Douglas Spencer and Edith Evanson as a couple of Swedish homesteaders who are friends of the Starretts, Paul McVey as the local trading post/bar owner in the town, John Miller as the bartender, Edgar Buchanan as the homesteader Fred Lewis, and John Dierkes as Ryker’s son who helps his father handle things. Elisha Cook Jr. is terrific as a former Confederate turned homesteader in Frank “Stonewall” Torrey who tries to confront Ryker and Wilson during a chilling scene at the bar only to later get into some serious trouble. Ben Johnson is superb as Chris Calloway as a member of Ryker’s gang who would get into a tussle with Shane as he tries to provoke him only to get a serious ass-kicking. Emile Meyer is excellent as Rufus Ryker as a cattle baron that is trying to maintain rule into the land he claims is his as he does whatever he can to get people to work for him or else kick them out of their home.
Brandon deWilde is wonderful as Joey Starrett as a young boy who sees Shane as some larger-than-life figure as he would idolize the man unaware of the realism and what Shane has to do to survive. Jean Arthur is brilliant as Marian Starrett as Joe Starrett’s wife as a woman who is trying to maintain some control as well as dealing with the danger of what is happening as she becomes concerned for her son’s fascination with guns. Jack Palance is phenomenal in his small but eerie role as the gunslinger Jack Wilson as this sadistic and scary man that brings fear and is also one of the fiercest killers in the West. Van Heflin is amazing as Joe Starrett as a farmer/homesteader trying to save his land as well as do whatever it takes to keep where he would also succumb to his own sense of pride. Finally, there’s Alan Ladd in a magnificent performance as the titular character as this laconic gunslinger that is trying to find a life away from violence as he does whatever he can to avoid conflict as it is this towering performance that is also grounded in reality as it is Ladd at his most iconic.
Shane is a tremendous film from George Stevens that features great performances from Alan Ladd, Van Heflin, Jean Arthur, and Jack Palance. Featuring a compelling script, gorgeous visuals, and a powerful music score, the film isn’t just one of the defining films of the western genre but it is also a film that is about a man trying to do what is right in a troubled world during the West. In the end, Shane is an outstanding film from George Stevens.
George Stevens Films: (The Cohens and the Kellys in Trouble) - (Kentucky Kernals) - (Bachelor Bait) - (Laddie) - (The Nitwits) - (Alice Adams) - (Annie Oakley) - Swing Time - (Quality Street) - (A Damsel in Distress (1937 film)) - (Vivacious Lady) - (Gunga Din) - (Vigil in the Night) - (Penny Serenade) - (Woman of the Year) - (The Talk of the Town (1942 film)) - (The More the Merrier) - (That Justice Be Done) - (On Our Merry Way) - (I Remember Mama) - A Place in the Sun - (Something to Live For) - Giant (1956 film) - (The Diary of Anne Frank) - (The Greatest Story Ever Told) - (The Only Game in Town)
© thevoid99 2016
