Desert Fury is a colorful bore of a story featuring a major league cast in various stages of their career. Under the passive direction of Lewis Allen it fails to turn the heat up barely past room temperature.
Pro gambler Eddie Bendix (John Hodiak) rolls back into Chuckawalla, Nevada with his love-struck sidekick Johnny Ryan (Wendell Corey). Having left earlier under dark circumstances he strikes up a romantic relationship with a casino owner's (Mary Astor) mercurial daughter (Liz Scott), much to Johnny's dismay as well as mom. Also in the mix is the town law officer (Burt Lancaster) who has a thing for Scott.
Director Allen leaves the noir environ of big cities and dark shadows behind and heads for the wide open spaces of the west where the film colorfully and dully loses impact. Setting is not the major problem however with the leads both wooden, Astor inconsistent and Lancaster just getting his feet wet. Corey's gay misogynist turn is interesting but mostly one note rage. Miklos Rosza's score perhaps to match the panorama is over the top most of the time. More a Western than the noir it claims to be Desert Fury would have been better to stay back at home under comfortable fitting B&W. A dud .
Pro gambler Eddie Bendix (John Hodiak) rolls back into Chuckawalla, Nevada with his love-struck sidekick Johnny Ryan (Wendell Corey). Having left earlier under dark circumstances he strikes up a romantic relationship with a casino owner's (Mary Astor) mercurial daughter (Liz Scott), much to Johnny's dismay as well as mom. Also in the mix is the town law officer (Burt Lancaster) who has a thing for Scott.
Director Allen leaves the noir environ of big cities and dark shadows behind and heads for the wide open spaces of the west where the film colorfully and dully loses impact. Setting is not the major problem however with the leads both wooden, Astor inconsistent and Lancaster just getting his feet wet. Corey's gay misogynist turn is interesting but mostly one note rage. Miklos Rosza's score perhaps to match the panorama is over the top most of the time. More a Western than the noir it claims to be Desert Fury would have been better to stay back at home under comfortable fitting B&W. A dud .