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+---- Thread: Lure of the Wilderness (1952) by Jean Negulesco (/showthread.php?tid=7107)
Lure of the Wilderness (1952) by Jean Negulesco - cranefly - 07-09-2022
Against the advice of all, a young local named Ben goes in search of his hunting dog in the Okefenokee Swamp. He gets hopelessly lost, but is saved by a fugitive from the law named Tom Keefer (played by a 55-ish Walter Brennan) hiding out there.
Yes, this is a Technicolor remake of Swamp Water, with Brennan reprising his role as Tom Keefer. In this one, Tom's daughter Laurie lives with him in the swamp, and she's very distrusting of Ben. While Tom is tired of the swamp and dreams of getting a fair trial and returning to civilization, which Ben promises to help make happen, Laurie is against risking it.
All in all, this is much less satisfactory version. The original had Brennan appreciating the wild beauty of the swamp, where this one has him disliking it. Also, this sensationalizes too many things. Brennan armed with just a knife fighting a huge gator under water? A cape buffalo appearing out of nowhere in the swamp? Cottonmouths draped threateningly everywhere only they're really harmless boa constrictors? Laurie's hair too neat for living in the swamp? And she learns to dance instantly? Lots of little glitches that kept prying me out of the tale.
Ben is played by Jeffrey Hunter. Laurie is Jean Peters. Jack Elam has a small role previously filled by John Carradine.
All in all, a somewhat entertaining but inferior tributary off the tributary of the original.
RE: Lure of the Wilderness (1952) by Jean Negulesco - Greg - 07-09-2022
I live about 7 miles from the Elam ranch. Not sure if there is a connection, but there is a local restaurant with a lot of pictures of Jack Elam and a patio dedicated to him. Also, Slim Pickens used to do rodeos in my area.
Happy Non Sequitur day!
RE: Lure of the Wilderness (1952) by Jean Negulesco - cranefly - 07-09-2022
(07-09-2022, 04:56 AM)Greg Wrote: I live about 7 miles from the Elam ranch. Not sure if there is a connection, but there is a local restaurant with a lot of pictures of Jack Elam and a patio dedicated to him. Also, Slim Pickens used to do rodeos in my area.I am not anti non sequitur (if you can't sort through all the negatives, I approve).
Happy Non Sequitur day!
On a similar note, the movie opened with a 15-20 second voiceover introducing the Okefenokee Swamp.
It was voiced by Dale Robertson.
I suppose I'm dating myself at this point. But Dale Robertson was huge in my TV-watching hay days. Prominent appearances were as host of Death Valley Days and Tales of Wells Fargo and he starred in a succession of western series.