Desert Fury (1947)

User Rating:

6.9/10   

Director:

Lewis Allen

Writers:

A.I. Bezzerides (writer)
Robert Rossen (screenplay)
(more)

Release Date:

15 August 1947 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Film-Noir

Plot:

The daughter of a Nevada casino owner gets involved with a racketeer, despite everyone's efforts to separate them.

Plot Keywords:

Avant Garde | Melodrama | Based On Novel

Cast

John Hodiak	...	Eddie Bendix
Lizabeth Scott	...	Paula Haller
Burt Lancaster	...	Tom Hanson
Wendell Corey	...	Johnny Ryan
Mary Astor	...	Fritzi Haller
Kristine Miller	...	Claire Lindquist
William Harrigan	...	Judge Berle Lindquist
James Flavin	...	Sheriff Pat Johnson
Jane Novak	...	Mrs. Lindquist
Anna Camargo	...	Rosa
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
John Farrell	...	Drunk in jail (uncredited)
Lew Harvey	...	Doorman (uncredited)
Milton Kibbee	...	Mike (bartender) (uncredited)
Mike Lally	...	Dealer (uncredited)
Ralph Peters	...	Pete (cafe owner) (uncredited)
Ed Randolph	...	Dealer (uncredited)
Tom Schamp	...	Dan (deputy) (uncredited)
Ray Teal	...	Bus driver (uncredited)
Harland Tucker	...	Chuck (craps dealer) (uncredited)

Directed by
Lewis Allen

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
A.I. Bezzerides		writer
Robert Rossen		screenplay
Ramona Stewart		novel "Desert Town"

Produced by
Hal B. Wallis	....	producer

Original Music by
Miklós Rózsa

Cinematography by
Edward Cronjager
Charles Lang

Film Editing by
Warren Low

Art Direction by
Perry Ferguson

Set Decoration by
Sam Comer
Sydney Moore		(as Syd Moore)

Costume Design by
Edith Head

Makeup Department
Wally Westmore	....	makeup artist

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Richard McWhorter	....	assistant director (as Dick McWhorter)
Gerd Oswald	....	assistant director

Art Department
Gene Lauritzen	....	construction coordinator

Sound Department
Harry Lindgren	....	sound recordist
Walter Oberst	....	sound recordist

Special Effects by
Gordon Jennings	....	special effects

Camera and Electrical Department
Farciot Edouart	....	process photographer

Music Department
Eugene Zador	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Other crew
Francis Cugat	....	associate technicolor color director
Natalie Kalmus	....	technicolor color director

Production Companies

• Paramount Pictures

Distributors

• Paramount Pictures (1947) (USA) (theatrical)
• Paramount Pictures (1958) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• MCA/Universal Pictures (1958) (USA) (TV)

Also Known As:

Desert Town (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

96 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)

Certification:

Norway:16 | Australia:M (DVD rating) | Australia:PG | Finland:K-16 | USA:Approved (PCA #12025)

Filming Locations:

Clarkdale, Arizona, USA

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

In Feb. 1958, a reissue of this film was in wide release by Paramount on a double bill with another western, California (1947).

Lizabeth Scott's lips and Burt Lancaster's hair along with the stunning California desert are among the highlights of this classic "Technicolor" film noir.

This is one of the only examples of film noir in color. Burt Lancaster and luscious Lizabeth Scott headline a stellar cast in this twisted romance/thriller. John Hodiak and Wendell Corey's "special" is sorely tested when Hodiak falls hard for bombshell Scott. Scott's mother Fritzi (played by hard as nails Mary Astor) tries to protect her "baby" from falling into the wrong hands (namely Hodiak's) while good guy Lancaster valiantly attempts to rid the town of no-goodniks like Hodiak, Corey and sometimes Astor. It's a two-fisted Technicolor knockout of a film and a classic example of late 40's "adult" fare. See it with somebody you lust after.