Although it is supposed to take place in Texas, the film was actually made in Kanab, Utah, which accounts for the fact that it doesn't look a whole lot like west Texas to me.
Cordelia and King Cameron (Gardner & Keel) locate to Texas after the Civil War and buy land in order to build a cattle ranch. Mexican bandit Esqueda (Quinn) along with his adopted white brother Rio (Taylor) burns down their house to send a message to other whites from moving into what he considers an intrusion of his territory.
This oater is also notable for being one of the few non-singing roles Howard Keel did for MGM. He almost reminds me of a more cultured Joe Don Baker even right down to his western drawl. Gardner is being her usual dignified self and doesn't really add much here to the whole thing other than butting into the men's business.
In fact, this film almost starts off as another repeat for Ava Gardner since she was in a similar love triangle with Clark Gable in LONE STAR (1952), except in this one, Taylor refuses her advances and pushes her away, not following the typical Hollywood convention of the time. Good twist on the part of director John Farrow. It adds a darker psychological dimension to the Taylor character.
I also enjoyed Anthony Quinn's performance as the drunken Mexican bandit Esqueda, who cowers and sulks in his bedroom when things don't go his way. He comes across as a bitter, drunken buffoon who's obsession reaches a climax when Taylor defects to over to Keel's side, helping him build up their ranch.
Quinn then takes over the town of Brownsville in order to force Taylor out into the open. It ends when Quinn & Taylor shoot and kill each other in the saloon while the wounded Keel lies nearby, no match for Quinn's earlier fast draw.
Given Quinn's slightly hammy performance along with the darker psychological aspect Farrow's script gives to the Rio/Taylor character, I'm gonna give this one a 6 out of 10. It's not a keeper but it does hold my interest.
Cordelia and King Cameron (Gardner & Keel) locate to Texas after the Civil War and buy land in order to build a cattle ranch. Mexican bandit Esqueda (Quinn) along with his adopted white brother Rio (Taylor) burns down their house to send a message to other whites from moving into what he considers an intrusion of his territory.
This oater is also notable for being one of the few non-singing roles Howard Keel did for MGM. He almost reminds me of a more cultured Joe Don Baker even right down to his western drawl. Gardner is being her usual dignified self and doesn't really add much here to the whole thing other than butting into the men's business.
In fact, this film almost starts off as another repeat for Ava Gardner since she was in a similar love triangle with Clark Gable in LONE STAR (1952), except in this one, Taylor refuses her advances and pushes her away, not following the typical Hollywood convention of the time. Good twist on the part of director John Farrow. It adds a darker psychological dimension to the Taylor character.
I also enjoyed Anthony Quinn's performance as the drunken Mexican bandit Esqueda, who cowers and sulks in his bedroom when things don't go his way. He comes across as a bitter, drunken buffoon who's obsession reaches a climax when Taylor defects to over to Keel's side, helping him build up their ranch.
Quinn then takes over the town of Brownsville in order to force Taylor out into the open. It ends when Quinn & Taylor shoot and kill each other in the saloon while the wounded Keel lies nearby, no match for Quinn's earlier fast draw.
Given Quinn's slightly hammy performance along with the darker psychological aspect Farrow's script gives to the Rio/Taylor character, I'm gonna give this one a 6 out of 10. It's not a keeper but it does hold my interest.