Starring: Teresa Wright, Robert Mitchum, Judith Anderson, Dean Jagger, Alan Hale Directed By: Raoul Walsh Average Rating: Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated) Binding: VHS Tape Format: Black & White, Closed-captioned, NTSC Label: Republic Pictures Number of Items: 1 Release Date: April 04, 1995 Running Time: 101 minutes Theatrical Release Date: March 02, 1947
Amazon.com: Hollywood's first "psychological Western" and one of Robert Mitchum's best early films, Pursued boasts a dark scenario--by Niven (Duel in the Sun) Busch--about a man psychically scarred by a tragedy his mind refuses to recall. Modern-day audiences will have no trouble decoding the mystery, but that doesn't undercut the movie's dramatic power, or the rugged beauty of what's been put on screen by two master filmmakers, director Raoul Walsh and cameraman James Wong Howe. With seasoned professionalism, they accommodate all the newfangled Freudianism and smoothly integrate the bedrock Western with the inky film noir. The rest of the cast includes Teresa Wright (then Mrs. Busch) as Mitchum's adoptive sister, who may become his lover and/or his killer; Dean Jagger, smilingly sinister as a weasely in-law; and that grande dame of the Gothic, Judith Anderson, as a frontier matriarch. --Richard T. Jameson
A Western parable. I saw this film when it first came out, nearly fifty years ago, playing as usual in the neighborhood movie,in a double feature. The memory still lingers, so I got the DVD. The untypical script must be taken as a symbolic parable, for otherwise it would be somewhat unbelievable. What the parable was supposed to mean, if anything other than the obvious final suggestion, was probably lost in the cutting room floor. One's interest, however, is kept throughout. The actors all perform as expected, even if they maybe a replay of their other customary roles. Only Dean Jagger fails to come up with a credible performance, any one could do what little he does here. The photography is absolutely gorgeous black and white, and it has sent me on a search for other James Wong Howe pictures. In spite of minor reservations, it is worth seeing this high class film.
Dark Westerns Here is Robert Mitchum right before he made his break thorugh film 'Out of the past' Co starring Kirk Douaglas. Mitchum is known to be an underated American actor who was mostly typecast in Film Noirs, normally as the fall guy who couldnt give a damn. His presence and charisma presents a certain dark electrcity, yet during his film career he was able to prove he was more then just an actor in Noir.
Pursued is a dark western filmed by Raoul Walsh who had also directed High Sierra with Bogart. Not much of a typical western, where this one has a darker side to it. Judith Anderson is also another underated actress who again boldley stands out with so much potential.
Excellent thriller... I wanted to watch this movie for one reason--Teresa Wright. I think she's one of the more pleasant actresses from the 40's, and when I saw she was in a thriller I was, well, thrilled!
I guess this would be classified as a western but only because it takes place in the west. It lacks all of the other markers of a traditional western. While I do like westerns, a break from the norm is very refreshing to me.
The premise is that Robert Mitchum is being "pursued" by a man out to kill him for revenge. WHY he is being pursued is the bigger question, though, and a question I will not answer lest I spoil the film. Just resign yourself to the fact that there is action and suspense throughout.
While I liked this film, it was not overwhelming to me, and that is why I am rating it only 4 stars. Wright is her typical pleasant self, Mitchum is a good hero, and Dean Jagger rounds out the stars as the sleazy bad guy. Had the cast been less with the same story this probably would have bombed. Fortunately for us, they picked the right folks!
If you like suspense, westerns or Teresa Wright you will like this film!
Pursued A unique hybrid of film noir and western, Walsh's masterful "Pursued" boasts one of the darkest scenarios in Hollywood history (thanks to scriptwriter Niven Busch), as it portrays a man victimized by forces he doesn't understand. Walsh, normally a director of action features, handles the ominous mood and Freudian psychological elements with unerring calculation, wrenching a dynamic, tour-de-force performance from Mitchum. With James Wong Howe's lustrous black-and-white cinematography, and high-caliber support from Wright, Anderson, and a sinister Dean Jagger, "Pursued" is one of Walsh's best, and certainly worth hunting down.
THE FORGOTTEN PAST. What a amazing picture this is. I was up on the edge of my seat,not for climax but all the time.it starts with a beautiful music given by one of the famous musician "MAX STEINER" and the photography in black and white is haunting in itself.The Director raoul Walsh who himself is so famous directed this movie making it a thriller with closeups of handsom Robert Mitchum as Jeb Rand a man of few words was adopted into the family of The beautiful Teresa Wright who also was his step sister and her brother adam when the tragidy befalls and he did not remember ut had flashes of memories of the past.Instead of giving much of the plot it would be nice to find out watching this movie and where Robert Mitchum says to Alan Hale "YOU KNOW I FLIPPED THIS DOLLAR TWICE-AND I LOST BOTH TIMES-LAST TIME I LEFT FOR WAR -THIS TIME I LEFT THE RANCH".Pursued is a good story written by Niven Busch.I did not find anything negative about this movie,it is a stunning movie.
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