Duel in the Sun

Pearl, you're curved in the flesh of temptation.

Duel in the Sun is predominantly directed by King Vidor and is produced and written by David O. Selznick who adapts (with help from H.P. Garrett & Ben Hecht) from Niven Busch's novel. It stars Jennifer Jones, Joseph Cotten, Gregory Peck, Lillian Gish and Lionel Barrymore; with a huge support cast list that contains the likes of Herbert Marshall, Walter Huston, Charles Bickford & Harry Carey. The plot centres around Pearl Chavez (Jones), a half Indian girl who is orphaned after her father kills her mother and her lover. Pearl is sent to live with an old sweetheart and friend of her fathers, Laura Belle McCanles (Gish), here she becomes involved in prejudice and forbidden love that turns the...

The story here - a sort of Cain and Abel style topic that causes no end of pain for Jennifer Jones ("Pearl") is gorgeous to look at, gritty and very well put together. It is also, however, far too long and for the most part devoid of much pace. Joseph Cotton ("Jesse") and Gregory Peck ("Lewt") are both the sons of ruthless senator "McCanles" (Lionel Barrymore) the former a decent, if rather weak sort of character, the latter much more of a lethal loose cannon - but both vie for the love of the beautiful, sultry "Pearl". When the railroad arrives, wanting to cross the old man's land, "Jesse" sides with them alienating his father and his brother, and so is soon isolated as the young woman vacillates between him and his much more visceral and ...