Roseanna McCoy (1949)

Director:

Irving Reis

Writers:

John Collier (writer)
Alberta Hannum (novel)

Release Date:

12 October 1949 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

Plot Keywords:

Based On Novel | Character Name In Title

Cast

Farley Granger	...	Johnse Hatfield
Joan Evans	...	Roseanna McCoy
Charles Bickford	...	Devil Anse Hatfield
Raymond Massey	...	Old Randall McCoy
Richard Basehart	...	Mounts Hatfield
Gigi Perreau	...	Allifair McCoy
Aline MacMahon	...	Sarie McCoy
Marshall Thompson	...	Tolbert McCoy
Lloyd Gough	...	Phamer McCoy
Peter Miles	...	Little Randall McCoy
Arthur Franz	...	Thad Wilkins
Frank Ferguson	...	Ellison Hatfield
Elisabeth Fraser	...	Bess McCoy
Hope Emerson	...	Levisa Hatfield
Dan White	...	Abel Hatfield

Runtime:

100 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15

Filming Locations:

California, USA

Company:

Samuel Goldwyn Company, The

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Let Him Have It (1991)

Soundtrack:

Roseanna

Romeo and Juliet in the Ozarks: interesting but unconvincing

For this big, classy production, Sam Goldwyn transposed the Capulet/Montague conflict to the Hatfield/McCoy story. John Collier concocted a quirky screenplay with eccentric details of mountain magic, as well as some droll humor at the expense of the rustics ["Don't talk with your knife in your mouth!"] These efforts sink under the ploddingly literal direction of Irving Reis and the disastrous casting of Joan Evans in the title role [only marginally competent even as an ingenue]. Farley Granger has the appropriate dash for Romeo, but seems too squeaky clean for the squalid Hatfield family. It's still interesting for the exceptionally fine supporting cast and the graceful location camerawork of old master Lee Garmes.