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The Lusty Men (1952)

Rate: 9
Viewed: 7/26

LustyM
7/26: The Lusty Men.

I don't care what anyone says, but the title fits. A precursor to Junior Bonner, it's about men who are addicted to the thrilling lifestyle of a rodeo cowboy. Riding bucking horses and bulls and wrestling calves to the ground, danger is the main attraction, but there's a price to pay that grinds them into ground beef.

A former all-around world champion, Jeff McCloud has been mostly retired by the sport while Wes Merritt wants to be taught by him in order to make easy money to buy a ranch but is sucked into the highs. The trouble is the pious woman: the former secretly desires her while the latter is married to her. Shadowy at first, Jeff McCloud turns out to be a honorable man, setting up for a nice but sad ending.

It's a terrific rodeo picture that belongs in the top ten of Robert Mitchum's career. Susan Hayward gives a powerful performance to show why her character matters in the grand scheme of things. There are unforgettable others supplied by Arthur Kennedy, Arthur Hunnicutt, Maria Hart, Lorna Thayer, and so on.

At first, I felt disappointed by the stock footage of rodeo contests because obviously Robert Mitchum, Arthur Kennedy, and so on didn't do the stuff for real. But the more it's shown, the better the movie became, adding to the excitement of the story. Therefore, it's been skillful editing. Not to be discounted is the well-written screenplay.

All in all, The Lusty Men is a must-see Western picture.