The story of a strong-willed cattle baron named T.C. Jeffords (Walter Huston) and his equally strong-willed daughter (Barbara Stanwyck as Vance).
But T.C. is aging and now less interested in running his ranch than delighting in his power, regaling visitors with tales of his past deeds and living off The Furies.
Vance, on the other hand, is itching to get her turn to run the cattle empire her father built, eager to prove she’s up to the task, that she’s his equal.
She also has a rebellious streak. Her childhood friend is Juan Herrera (Gilbert Roland), whose family is squatting on The Furies. Juan’s in love with Vance; Vance forbids her father from chasing the Herreras from the land.
But when she goes looking for a man, her eyes settle on Rip Darrow (Wendell Corey), who runs a saloon and gambling hall but has much bigger aspirations as a businessman.
His family once owned the Darrow Strip, one of the prime pieces of land on The Furies. That was before T.C. Jeffords killed his father in a gunfight over the property.
More trouble is brewing. T.C. Jeffords is rich in land and cattle, but poor in cash. He makes up the difference by issuing his own currency, with nothing but his good name and reputation to back it.
For Vance, the trouble comes in the form of T.C.’s new mistress, Flo Burnett (Judith Anderson). She has her own plans for The Furies; they include bringing in a professional manager and sending Vance off on a tour of Europe.
And that’s what finally drives a wedge between the cattle king and the cattle princess.
Barbara Stanwyck as Vance Jeffords, imagining herself running the Furies in The Furies (1950)
Walter Huston as T.C. Jeffords, the king of The Furies, bored with running his ranch in The Furies (1950)
Review:
A delightful Western in which Mann invests lots of time in character development. It pays off handsomely, thanks to standout performances from our two leads.
The most memorable scene is the one in which Vance hurls scissors at Flo’s face, leaving her disfigured for life. But there are all sorts of small touches that add to the film’s appeal.
For instance, Vance has always scratched a special spot on her father’s back. When he turns to Flo to scratch that itch, it’s a sign of the control Vance is losing over her father and the ranch.
An excellent supporting cast and a unique ending help too. That ending, however, could have been even more powerful if Mann had omitted a couple of quick scenes that foreshadow what’s about to transpire.
Wendell Corey as Rip Darrow, eager to get back at T.C. Jeffords and in love with his daughter in The Furies (1950)
Gilbert Roland as Juan Herrera, the ‘squatter’ who’s long loved Vance Jeffords in The Furies (1950)
Directed by:
Anthony Mann
Cast
Barbara Stanwyck … Vance Jeffords
Walter Huston … T.C. Jeffords
Wendell Corey … Rip Darrow
Judith Anderson … Flo Burnett
Gilbert Roland … Juan Herrera
Thomas Gomez … El Tigre
John Bromfield … Clay Jeffords
Wallace Ford … Scotty Hyslip
Beulah Bondi … Mrs. Anaheim
Albert Dekker … Mr. Reynolds
Blanche Yurka … Herrara’s mother
Louis Jean Heydt … Bailey
Frank Ferguson … Dr. Grieve
Charles Evans … Mr. Anaheim
Movita … Chiquita
Craig Kelly … Anaheim’s son
Myrna Dell …. Dallas Hart
Runtime: 109 min.
Judith Anderson as Flo Burnett, T.C. Jeffords’ new lady love, causing problems in The Furies (1950)
Thomas Gomez as El Tigre, range boss on the Furies with banker Reynolds (Albert Dekker) in The Furies (1950)
Memorable lines:
Clay Jeffords, watching T.C. head to his late wife’s bedroom: “An hour in her room whenever he comes back to the Furies, an hour whenever he leaves. And yet when she was dying and sent for him, he wouldn’t come. He couldn’t stand to see anything that belonged to him slip away from him.”
Vance Jeffords: “You think you’re top man on God’s green earth, don’t you?”
T.C. Jeffords: “Know anyone better?”
Vance: “No, but I’ll keep looking. And when I find him, I’ll marry him. And I won’t care if it does put you off your feet.”
Rip Darrow to T.C. Jeffords: “I’ll make you a deal. You stop telling lies about me and I’ll stop telling the truth about you.”
T.C. Jeffords: “I’ve heard that before. Now get. I killed your father in a fair fight and I’ll be pleased to do as much for you.”
Vance Jeffords to Rip Darrow: “I don’t think I like being in love. It puts a bit in my mouth.”
Vance Jeffords of Flo Burnette: “I just don’t know how to fight her. It’s like hitting the wind. It freezes me.”
Scotty Hyslip of Vance: “Mr. Jeffords, she’s your own flesh and blood.”
T.C. Jeffords: “She’s a cancer to be cut out.”
Vance Jeffords to T.C.: “You’re old and you’re getting foolish and you’ve made a mistake. It’s me you should have hung. Because now I hate you in a way I didn’t know someone could hate. Take a good long look at me, T.C. You won’t see me again until the day I take your world away from you.”
John Bromfield as Clay Jeffords with his sister Vance Jeffords (Barbara Stanwyck), discussing their father in The Furies (1950)
Wallace Ford as Scotty Hyslip, T.C.’s longtime assistant and bookkeeper for the ranch in The Furies (1950)
Albert Dekker as Mr. Reynolds, negotiating a loan for T.C. Jeffords and the Furies in The Furies (1950)
Walter Huston as T.C. Jeffords with El Tigre (Thomas Gomez), his range boss and enforcer in The Furies (1950)
Belah Bondi as Mrs. Anaheim, agreeing to help get T.C. a loan extension in The Furies (1950)
Barbara Stanwyck as Vance Jeffords, reacting to Flo Burnett’s suggestion that she leave the Furies for a tour of Europe in The Furies (1950)
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