IMDb > Duel in the Sun (1946)
Duel in the Sun
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Duel in the Sun (1946) More at IMDbPro »

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Overview

User Rating:
7.0/10   2,592 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 18% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
King Vidor
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Writers:
Niven Busch (novel)
Oliver H.P. Garrett (adaptation)
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Contact:
View company contact information for Duel in the Sun on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
8 December 1948 (Sweden) more
Genre:
Drama | Romance | Western more
Tagline:
Emotions . . . As Violent As The Wind-Swept Prairie ! more
Plot:
Beautiful half-breed Pearl Chavez becomes the ward of her dead father's first love and finds herself torn between her sons, one good and the other bad. full summary | full synopsis
Plot Keywords:
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Awards:
Nominated for 2 Oscars. more
NewsDesk:
Ten Directors Share Fond Memories of the Lacma
 (From Cinematical. 3 September 2009, 9:03 AM, PDT)

User Comments:
Loud, boisterous, silly but hugely enjoyable sex Western more (71 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)
Jennifer Jones ... Pearl Chavez
Joseph Cotten ... Jesse McCanles

Gregory Peck ... Lewton 'Lewt' McCanles

Lionel Barrymore ... Sen. Jackson McCanles
Herbert Marshall ... Scott Chavez

Lillian Gish ... Laura Belle McCanles

Walter Huston ... The Sinkiller
Charles Bickford ... Sam Pierce
Harry Carey ... Lem Smoot
Joan Tetzel ... Helen Langford
Tilly Losch ... Mrs. Chavez
Butterfly McQueen ... Vashti
Scott McKay ... Sid

Otto Kruger ... Mr. Langford
Sidney Blackmer ... The Lover
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Additional Details

Also Known As:
King Vidor's Duel in the Sun (UK) (complete title) (USA) (complete title)
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Runtime:
USA:144 min (roadshow version) | USA:129 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Colour:
Colour (Technicolor)
Aspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono (Western Electric Recording)
Certification:
Australia:PG | Iceland:12 | USA:Approved (PCA #11649) | West Germany:16 (nf) | Finland:K-16 | Spain:13 | Sweden:15 | UK:PG (video rating) (1986) | UK:A (original rating)
Filming Locations:
Arizona, USA more
Company:
Vanguard Films more

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
David O. Selznick reportedly spent $2,000,000.00, an unheard of sum in 1946, on the promotion of this film. more
Quotes:
The Sinkiller: I don't really know much about Sam Pierce, oh Lord, but from what I hear, he'd be needing no introduction to you. Seeing how Sam was snatched from his loved ones' arms before they even had time to get a good grip on hm, I'm counting on you to give him a better break up yonder. more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in O ziliarogatos (1956) more
Soundtrack:
Cowboy's Dream (My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean) more

FAQ

Is "Duel in the Sun" based on a book?
A Note Regarding Spoilers
Why was Jesse banished from Spanish Bit?
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35 out of 52 people found the following comment useful.
Loud, boisterous, silly but hugely enjoyable sex Western, 12 November 2002
8/10
Author: Wayne Malin (wwaayynnee51@hotmail.com) from United States

A half-breed named Pearl (Jennifer Jones) is sent off to live with her second cousins after her parents are killed. She disrupts the household causing problems between two brothers--one named Lewt (Gregory Peck) who's bad and Jesse (Joseph Cotten) who's good. She also is hated by the father (Lionel Barrymore) and protected by the mother (Lillian Gish).

Beautifully filmed in Technicolor this is a fun movie. The dialogue is full of howlers and, for it's time, this was pretty strong stuff. The emphasis is on sex and that bothered audiences in the late 40s. An entire dance by Jones was cut out and the release of the film was delayed because of the content! Today it's very tame and pretty funny.

Jones is horribly miscast as Pearl. She's very beautiful and wears tight, revealing clothing all through the film, but her acting is terrible. She sneers and glares her way through all her scenes and seems incapable of saying any line believably. Peck is surprisingly very good playing an evil man. Cotten and Gish are stuck with thankless good person roles. Barrymore REALLY chews the scenery. And the opening narration is by Orson Welles!

This movie was made by David O. Selznick to showcase his then girlfriend (and future wife) Jones. Purportedly he made this with serious intentions. It was a big hit but most critics dismissed it as trash. Today it's just a true camp classic. Hysterically bad but beautifully filmed and loads of fun. The climax especially is a howler. A great party flick.

In it's own way, this is a definite must-see.

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Awful Movie jakeceo
So Bad I Wasted A Seperate Thread meldrone
If It Was ReMade Today Who... micomidnight
Nice use of the Rubayait of Omar Khayam..... BoomerMovieFan
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Song during spanish dance scene? yah870
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