Pursued (1947)

100% of critics liked it
(5 reviews)
75% of users liked it
(1,127 ratings)

Chased by a posse to a remote cabin, Jeb (Robert Mitchum) is joined by his fearful wife Thorley (Teresa Wright), awaiting the arrival of the men tracking them, as they try to reason out what has gone wrong in their lives. Jeb can't remember anything about his early childhood except for a horrible… More Chased by a posse to a remote cabin, Jeb (Robert Mitchum) is joined by his fearful wife Thorley (Teresa Wright), awaiting the arrival of the men tracking them, as they try to reason out what has gone wrong in their lives. Jeb can't remember anything about his early childhood except for a horrible incident in which the people around him were killed by a mysterious stranger, whose flashing spurs were all the boy saw. He was raised by Ma Callum (Judith Anderson), alongside her two children, Thorley and Adam, as one of her own. But every time Jeb seemed poised to find peace, or even simple stability in his life, lurking nearby was Grant (Dean Jagger), a one-armed stranger who seemed bent on tormenting Jeb -- Jeb doesn't know who he really is, much less who Grant is, but Grant knows enough about him and is good enough at manipulating human nature to make Jeb a target for jealousy and murder. Making Jeb's life even more complicated is the fact that he and his adopted sister Thorley fell in love with each other, while Adam (John Rodney), his adopted brother, has come to hate him. The machinations around Jeb and Thorley come home to roost in multiple shootings and murder, a deadly chase and a long-planned lynching. ~ Bruce Eder, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 1 hr. 41 min.
Directed By: Raoul Walsch, Raoul Walsh
Written By: Niven Busch
Genres: Western, Drama, Classics

In Theaters: Jan 1, 1947 Wide
On DVD: Jan 21, 2003

Critic Reviews

Michael E. Grost, Classic Film and Television
Unusual combination of Western and film noir crime thriller.
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
A splendid turn of the century classic western.

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Featured Audience Ratings

Stephen M

A veteran of numerous decent films noirs and westerns (even by 1947), Robert Mitchum was the perfect choice of lead for a western utilising such typically noirish devices as flashbacks, a voiceover and moody, high contrast photography, courtesy of James Wong Howe.… More
A veteran of numerous decent films noirs and westerns (even by 1947), Robert Mitchum was the perfect choice of lead for a western utilising such typically noirish devices as flashbacks, a voiceover and moody, high contrast photography, courtesy of James Wong Howe. There's also a strong biblical flavour to the picture, with the Cain vs. Abel sparring of Mitchum and his adoptive brother, and a plotline concerning the sins of a father being visited on his son. Events do get a little repetitive in the middle and I enjoyed the first half better than the second, though there is a lovely late scene, beautifully acted by Teresa Wright, in which Mitchum calls round to court her and she invites him in and treats him like a stranger, even though they grew up together as brother and sister, under that very roof. Teresa even gets to practise her femme fatale chops for a moment or two, which is a sight I thought I'd never see!
xGary X

Robert Mitchum plays a rancher who has been stalked since childhood by a one armed man with a grudge, without ever knowing why.The themes of twisted psychology, sibling rivalry, jealousy and revenge presented by shadow steeped photography and narrated by Mitchum who is on top form as… More
Robert Mitchum plays a rancher who has been stalked since childhood by a one armed man with a grudge, without ever knowing why.The themes of twisted psychology, sibling rivalry, jealousy and revenge presented by shadow steeped photography and narrated by Mitchum who is on top form as the hapless anti-hero who is unwillingly forced to kill by circumstances beyond his control all point to the same thing; I don't care how many stetsons or six guns are on show, this IS Film Noir. The intelligent character driven plot is all very Freudian, which makes for a very unusual hybrid of genres. It looks fantastic and has a solid supporting cast, the pick of which is Judith Anderson as the matriarch whose guilty secret lies at the core of the events Mitchum finds himself caught up in. I'd never heard of this one before, and I'm glad I stumbled upon it. If you like Noir, westerns, or classic film in general, it's worth hunting down a copy.

Cast

            Teresa Wright as Thorley Callum

            Robert Mitchum as Jeb Rand

            Judith Anderson as Mrs. Medora "Ma" Callum

            Dean Jagger as Grant Callum

            Alan Hale as Jake Dingle

            Harry Carey Jr. as McComber's Apprentice

            John Rodney as Adam Callum

            Clifton Young as Sergeant

            Ernest Severn as Jeb (younger)

            Charley Bates as Adam (younger)

            Peggy Miller as Thorley at Age 8

            Norman Jolley as A Callums

            Lane Chandler as A Callums

            Jack Montgomery as A Callums

            Ian MacDonald as The Callums

            Virginia Brissac as Woman at wedding

            Lester Dorr
            
            Tom Fadden
            
            Harry Lamont
            
            Mickey Little
            
            Ray Teal as Army Captain

            Eddy Waller
            
            Crane Whitley
            
            Ian Wolfe as Coroner

            Russ Clark
            
See full cast