Inferno (1953 film)
| Inferno | |
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| Directed by | Roy Ward Baker |
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| Produced by | William Bloom |
| Written by | Francis M. Cockrell |
| Starring | Robert Ryan Rhonda Fleming William Lundigan |
| Music by | Paul Sawtell |
| Cinematography | Lucien Ballard |
| Editing by | Robert L. Simpson |
| Distributed by | Twentieth Century-Fox |
| Release date(s) | August 12, 1953 |
| Running time | 83 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Inferno (1953) is a film noir drama/thriller directed by Roy Ward Baker, shot in Technicolor and shown in 3-D Dimension and stereophonic sound on prints for the few theaters equipped for that sound system in 1953.[1]
A wife and her lover abandon the rich husband with a broken leg in the desert so he can die.
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Plot
The drama tells the story of spoiled and alcoholic millionaire Carson (Robert Ryan). During a trip to the Mojave Desert Carson breaks his leg after falling off his horse and is abandoned and left to die by Geraldine (Rhonda Fleming), his adulterous femme fatale wife, and his deceitful business partner Joseph Duncan (William Lundigan).
After the accident, Geraldine and Duncan supposedly drive off to seek medical aid for Carson. But, when Carson realizes the truth of his dilemma, he vows to live long enough to exact revenge against his wife and partner.
Background
Inferno is 20th Century Fox's first, yet belated, foray into the world of 3-D film, a prevalent cinema fad in the 1950s.[2]
Cast
- Robert Ryan as Donald Whitley Carson III
- Rhonda Fleming as Geraldine Carson
- William Lundigan as Joseph Duncan
- Larry Keating as Dave Emory
- Henry Hull as Sam Elby
- Carl Betz as Lt. Mike Platt
- Robert Burton as Sheriff
- Robert Adler as Ken, Ranch Hand
- Harry Carter as Deputy Fred Parks
- Everett Glass as Mason, Carson's Butler
- Adrienne Marden as Emory's Secretary
- Barbara Pepper as Waitress
- Charles Tannen as voice of police radio broadcaster
- Dan White as Lee, Ranch Hand
Critical reception
When the film was released, The New York Times gave the film a positive review and lauded the direction of the picture and the acting, writing, "[A]s fragmentary realism the picture rings true and persuasive. Mr. Ryan's portrayal of the gritty, determined protagonist is, of course, a natural. Miss Fleming, one of Hollywood's coolest, prettiest villainesses, knows how to handle literate dialogue, which, in this case, she shares."[3]
In a positive review, Time Out Film Guide called the film, "A tight and involving essay in suspense which works on the ingenious idea of leaving the audience alone in the desert with an unsympathetic and selfish character," and noted the finer aspects of the 3-Dimension film, writing, "Inferno was one of the best and last movies to be made in 3-D during the boom in the early '50s. Certainly its use of space emphasized the dramatic possibilities of 3-D and reveals, as more than one person has observed, that the device had largely been squandered in other films made at the time."[4]
Adaptation
Inferno was remade for television in 1973 as Ordeal, with Arthur Hill in the Robert Ryan part and Diana Muldaur and James Stacy as his would-be murderers.[5]
See also
References
- ^ Inferno at the Internet Movie Database.
- ^ World 3-D Film Expo II web site, September 13, 2006. Last accessed: December 12, 2007.
- ^ The New York Times. Film review, August 12, 1953. Last accessed: December 12, 2007.
- ^ Time Out Film Guide. Time Out-New York, film review, 2006. Last accessed: December 12, 2007.
- ^ Ordeal (1973 television film) at the Internet Movie Database.
External links
- Inferno at the Internet Movie Database
- Inferno at Allmovie
- Inferno at the TCM Movie Database
- Inferno trailer at World 3-D Film Expo II
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