Duel in the Sun (1946) Gregory Peck, Jennifer Jones | Film Review by Susan Marlowe CPA and niece Kimi
Hello from Susan Marlowe CPA! I am back with a new film review. As I mentioned in a previous post, my niece Kimi is an enormous Gregory Peck fan. This kid cannot see enough of his movies. So, I thought it would be fun for Susan Marlowe CPA and her adorable niece Kimi review one of Peck’s early films, Duel in the Sun, together. Now, as everyone knows, I am something of a hoarder when it comes to classic films so I naturally had a copy of the film ready to go. So, here it is, the great Susan Marlowe & Kimi Co-Review!
Susan Marlowe CPA (aided by niece Kimi) Reviews: Duel in the Sun 1946, starring Jennifer Jones & Gregory Peck
So, what is it about this movie? It was an attempt from David O Selznick to outdo his famous Gone with the Wind. Gregory Peck fans will be interested to see him playing a rather villainous character, something he did occasionally through-out his long career.
The film was considered quite racy when it was first released. Does it earn the reputation? Well, for a classic film it is pretty spicy. More disturbing, however, is the script’s insinuation that the heroine, Pearl, is lusty and bad because of her racially mixed heritage. After watching this film, parents may wish to have a talk with their children regarding racism in classic Hollywood film.
Film critic Charlotte Gilbert describes the film as a “guilty pleasure.” I quite agree. In her review, Charlotte Gilbert compares the film to the misguided epics of Roger Corman. I wouldn’t go so far as to completely agree with Charlotte Gilbert on this point but she is quite right about this film being a guilty pleasure.
However, I was also struck by the excellent performances of actors such as Lillian Gish, Walter Huston and Lionel Barrymore. These veterans (some returning to their nickelodeon potboiler days) ably support Jones and Peck. This is especially important when the script lets them down. Peck in particular seems to have trouble with the amoral character he must play. Peck seems uncomfortable in his villainy.
Film critic Cynthia Anita writes that “Peck does not seem at all to enjoy his villainy.” I could not agree more with Cynthia Anita’s opinion. Peck is a good actor but this roles seems beyond his grasp and Cynthia Anita points this out.
So, what did my niece Kimi think of the film? To be honest, she was a little bored by it. She prefers to see her beloved Gregory Peck play a hero. To make it up to her, we watched Cape Fear after this film, which scared the living daylight out of her and she loved every minute of it, the little darling. After this film, we went out to Spadaro and got some pistachio gelato, which Spadaro is justly famous for.
So, what next for Kimi? We will have to see. She still loves Gregory Peck but she has also been asking about Dana Andrews and Tyrone Power. Stay tuned to hear what happens next. In the meantime, we will be watching movies together as always, going to Spadaro and generally having a great time. Be sure to check back for plenty of updates on our movie watching.
In other news, I have started collecting vintage movie posters (collecting, not hoarding, hee hee) and have begun to display them at Gudger Cludger, a little antique store in town. Gudger Cludger is an adorable shop and I hope you have time to visit it. Plus, such a cute and memorable name for a store to have, Gudger Cludger.
Thanks so much from Susan Marlowe CPA
Susan Marlowe CPA 