IMDb RATING
6.5/10
1.5K
YOUR RATING
Sent to a dude ranch in the west to recover her health, a New York actress falls in love with a ranch owner recently acquitted of the murder of his wife.Sent to a dude ranch in the west to recover her health, a New York actress falls in love with a ranch owner recently acquitted of the murder of his wife.Sent to a dude ranch in the west to recover her health, a New York actress falls in love with a ranch owner recently acquitted of the murder of his wife.
Marjorie Bennett
- Drug Store Customer
- (uncredited)
Arthur Berkeley
- Bus Passenger
- (uncredited)
Ralph Byrd
- Salesman
- (uncredited)
Frank Cady
- Gas Station Man
- (uncredited)
Irene Calvillo
- Raquel
- (uncredited)
Albert Cavens
- Lunch Counter Patron
- (uncredited)
Leo Cleary
- Editor
- (uncredited)
Eileen Coghlan
- Gossip
- (uncredited)
Byron Foulger
- Hotel Clerk
- (uncredited)
Nacho Galindo
- Pedro
- (uncredited)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaDirector King Vidor's own ranch in Paso Robles, California was used as a filming location for the Nolan Ranch.
- GoofsWhen Shelley gets her car stuck in the mud and first sees the house, the view is from some distance away from the house and the fence. However, in the next shot when she gets out of the car, the house is much closer, and the car is right next to the fence.
- Quotes
Richard Trevelyan: You can sleep in the den. There's a lock on the door.
Shelley Carnes: Do I need it?
Richard Trevelyan: I want you to feel that you're safe.
Shelley Carnes: From what?
Richard Trevelyan: From your thoughts.
Featured review
A noir-gothic-romance-murder mystery, berserk but worth a look
A film noir buff, I recently came across this film, which has all the hallmarks of a sharply focused Warner Brothers film noir, with an excellent cast and some scenic black-and-white cinematography somewhere in the southwestern desert.
A promising start features Ruth Roman as an actress seeking a dude ranch for her health (which appears unimpaired, by the way) who stumbles into an unresolved murder mystery involving Richard Todd (who appeared gorgeous even to this straight male) as a rancher acquitted of murdering his wife after two trials, the first ending in a conviction.
Roman and Todd "meet cute" and she becomes smitten with him before learning his identity. She becomes determined to establish his innocence once and for all to quiet area residents still harboring doubt.
At this point I was wondering why this film wasn't mentioned more among noir classics but then things started getting weird.
There are various subplots involving Todd's foster parents, from whom he is estranged, Mercedes McCambridge, both the owner of the now-shuttered dude ranch and juror responsible for Todd's acquittal, and Zachary Scott as an indolent playboy who seems a bit out of place in ranching territory.
Indeed there is an air of opulence, including a swank Beverly Hills-style dinner party at a ranch, that seems out of keeping with the setting. And Todd, is remarkably well dressed and groomed even when hiding out in the wilderness.
Eventually, with the plot and setting becoming progressively less realistic and various characters going into unexplained hysterics, the film seemed less noir than fantastic melodrama. However, it does resolve the murder mystery, if only via the indiscretion of the real culprit.
There's also a background story that eventually fades from the plot about a lovable priest with a Hispanic flock that perpetuates Hollywood stereotypes of childlike Mexicans speaking broken English and taking siestas against walls.
Despite my misgivings, I enjoyed the film on its own terms and wouldn't mind watching it again some time down the road. Good cast and cinematography and fast-paced enough to distract you from the anomalies.
A promising start features Ruth Roman as an actress seeking a dude ranch for her health (which appears unimpaired, by the way) who stumbles into an unresolved murder mystery involving Richard Todd (who appeared gorgeous even to this straight male) as a rancher acquitted of murdering his wife after two trials, the first ending in a conviction.
Roman and Todd "meet cute" and she becomes smitten with him before learning his identity. She becomes determined to establish his innocence once and for all to quiet area residents still harboring doubt.
At this point I was wondering why this film wasn't mentioned more among noir classics but then things started getting weird.
There are various subplots involving Todd's foster parents, from whom he is estranged, Mercedes McCambridge, both the owner of the now-shuttered dude ranch and juror responsible for Todd's acquittal, and Zachary Scott as an indolent playboy who seems a bit out of place in ranching territory.
Indeed there is an air of opulence, including a swank Beverly Hills-style dinner party at a ranch, that seems out of keeping with the setting. And Todd, is remarkably well dressed and groomed even when hiding out in the wilderness.
Eventually, with the plot and setting becoming progressively less realistic and various characters going into unexplained hysterics, the film seemed less noir than fantastic melodrama. However, it does resolve the murder mystery, if only via the indiscretion of the real culprit.
There's also a background story that eventually fades from the plot about a lovable priest with a Hispanic flock that perpetuates Hollywood stereotypes of childlike Mexicans speaking broken English and taking siestas against walls.
Despite my misgivings, I enjoyed the film on its own terms and wouldn't mind watching it again some time down the road. Good cast and cinematography and fast-paced enough to distract you from the anomalies.
helpful•122
- meaninglessname
- Apr 27, 2020
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Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Languages
- Also known as
- Branded Woman
- Filming locations
- Paso Robles, California, USA(The Nolan's house)
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $1,108,000 (estimated)
- Runtime1 hour 31 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.37 : 1
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By what name was Lightning Strikes Twice (1951) officially released in India in English?
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