Product Details

• Actors: Burt Lancaster, Lizabeth Scott, John Hodiak, Wendell Corey
• Directors: Lewis Allen
• Format: Import, NTSC, Full Screen, Color
• Subtitles: Portuguese
• Region: All Regions
• Rated: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Studio: Universal/Classicline
• Run Time: 95 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B001CSWW46
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #35,430 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Fritzi Haller is a powerful casino owner in Chuckawalla, Nevada. Her daughter Paula (having quit school) returns at the same time as racketeer Eddie Bendix, who left under suspicion of murdering his wife. Paula and Eddie become involved; each for their own reasons, Fritzi, Paula's old beau Tom, and Eddie's pal Johnny try to break up the relationship. Then Eddie's past catches up with him in an unexpected way.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Stunning print of a rare color film noir, January 18, 2009

By 

Niel Rishoi (Livonia, MI USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Desert Fury [Import] (DVD)

At long last, this 1940s potboiler has been released on a video format, albeit in a foreign edition. No worries; you can turn the Portuguese subtitles off. And it's playable on all regions.

This isn't a great movie, but it's engrossing entertainment. Lizabeth Scott plays the daughter of Mary Astor, owner of a Chuckawalla, Nevada casino. Scott gets involved with a shady hoodlum, played by John Hodiak, and Astor and Burt Lancaster (in one of his first film roles) - here playing a sheriff - do everything they can to thwart the romance. Complications ensue, with a predictably overheated, melodramatic ending.

Lizabeth Scott, smoky-voiced and drop-dead beautiful, is wonderful to watch and a sympathetic heroine; Hodiak is stiff and uncharismatic (he never became a big star); not very convincing as an actor, he looks suave enough. Lancaster is wasted in his role: he might have been more effective as Hodiak's character. The movie is dominated, though, and practically swiped away from under everyone's noses, by Mary Astor. Though she has supporting billing, her authority and edgy, formidable swankiness has the viewer drawn to her: she fairly seethes with charged charisma.

One of the best reasons to see this, though, is the stunning Technicolor photography. And, as I understand it, one of the very few film noir movies to be shot in color. And this is one of the best processing jobs (at the time) in evidence: the colors are radiant, natural, hues pleasing, more subdued than many of the hideously garish processing jobs that marred so many of the movies of the 40s.

I hope Universal (which owns Paramount's older libary) puts out an official America release soon.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Love Triangle with a Twist, August 16, 2009

By 

Timothy F. Holland "Noir Fan" (Boston Burb) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Desert Fury [Import] (DVD)

Can you follow this?
Johnny loves Eddie.
Eddie is getting tired of Johnny.
Eddie wants Paula.
Paula wants Sheriff Tom.
Sheriff Tom annoys Paula.
Paula wants Eddie.
Johnny hates Paula.
Somebody has a gun.
And, then the fun begins!
Lizabeth Scott makes it work. Burt Lancaster is restrained and doesn't overplay it as the sheriff.
Mary Astor steals every scene she is in as Paula's mother.
This is a odd film that can still find its audience after more than 60 years, and it is very entertaining!

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Desert Fury, May 4, 2009

By 

Judy Beaman (Decatur, Il.) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Desert Fury [Import] (DVD)

I love this movie and it isn't because of plot, direction, or even the story. This is film noir at its strangest and I am a big fan of this genre. The color is so gorgeous, and Mary Astor is so good that this is
a treat for anyone who likes film noir. I recommend this highly for the
true fan, and the print is perfect.