Desert Fury

1947
Approved
1h 36m

IMDb RATING

6.5/10

2.2K

YOUR RATING

Burt Lancaster, John Hodiak, and Lizabeth Scott in Desert Fury (1947)

The daughter of a Nevada casino owner gets involved with a racketeer, despite everyone's efforts to separate them.

Play trailer1:42

1 Video

63 Photos

Film Noir Crime Drama Romance Thriller

The daughter of a Nevada casino owner gets involved with a racketeer, despite everyone's efforts to separate them.The daughter of a Nevada casino owner gets involved with a racketeer, despite everyone's efforts to separate them.The daughter of a Nevada casino owner gets involved with a racketeer, despite everyone's efforts to separate them.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

6.5/10

2.2K

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Videos1

Trailer 1:42

Trailer

Photos63

Top cast19

Edit

John Hodiak

Eddie Bendix

Lizabeth Scott

Paula Haller

Burt Lancaster

Tom Hanson

Wendell Corey

Johnny Ryan

Mary Astor

Fritzi Haller

Kristine Miller

Claire Lindquist

William Harrigan

Judge Berle Lindquist

James Flavin

Sheriff Pat Johnson

Jane Novak

Mrs. Lindquist

Anna Camargo

Rosa

John Farrell

Drunk in Jail
(uncredited)

Lew Harvey

Doorman
(uncredited)

Milton Kibbee

Mike - Bartender
(uncredited)

Mike Lally

Dealer
(uncredited)

Ralph Peters

Pete - Cafe Owner
(uncredited)

Ed Randolph

Dealer
(uncredited)

Tom Schamp

Dan - Deputy
(uncredited)

Ray Teal

Bus Driver
(uncredited)

Director
- Lewis Allen
Writers
All cast & crew
Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

More like this

3.6

Naked and Afraid: Uncensored

6.7

25 Words or Less

3.4

Pinoy Big Brother

8.0

The Big Fat Quiz of Everything

7.3

5.0

7.0

5.7

5.1

Chestnut vs. Kobayashi: Unfinished Beef

5.6

The Weakest Link

7.1

Family Feud

7.2

Pointless

Storyline

Edit

Did you know

Edit

Trivia
The wood paneled burgundy convertible driven by Paula in the film is a 1946 Chrysler New Yorker Town and Country. These cruisers weighed over two tons, and were 218 inches long, 15 inches longer than the longest sedans produced today. The Town & Country cars were virtually coachbuilt inside and out, and their prices reflected this slow method of production. Despite prices that rivaled Cadillac-a base of $2,725 in 1946, some 8,368 New Yorker Town & Country convertibles found willing buyers during those three years.

Goofs
At 40 minutes in, when Tom Hanson (Burt Lancaster) pulls up to where Paula Haller (Lizabeth Scott) is and parks, the car is at an angle to the walk, but then all of a sudden it is parallel with the walk.

Quotes
Paula Haller: What did you tell her, Judge? That there's really no difference between us, that you're one of Fritzi's partners? That you make your money the same way Fritzi does except you get paid off in back alleys so that you can stay respectable?
Fritzi Haller: Oh don't talk like that! The Judge...
Paula Haller: Judge! Even the title's phony.
Fritzi Haller: He's trying to be nice, he said he'd talk to her.
Paula Haller: He's been talking to her ever since I was eight years ago.
Fritzi Haller: Well you're not eight years old anymore.
Paula Haller: No. I used to cry when I was eight.
Fritzi Haller: But you don't cry anymore?
Paula Haller: No, I'm like you now Fritzi. I'm getting more like you every day.
Judge Berle Lindquist: Like mother, like daughter, two very charming...
Fritzi Haller: Oh shut up!

Connections
Featured in Wealth of the World: Transport (1950)

User reviews36

Review

Featured review

6/10

Wendell Corey's first movie

Barbara Stanwyck must have been busy, so Hollywood asked Mary Astor to play the hardened "casino" owner trying to protect her daughter from her past mistakes in Desert Fury. Lizbeth Scott is the daughter with bad judgement and a rebellious nature, and she quickly falls for the one man her mother forbids: John Hodiak. John is a gangster and clearly bad news, but Lizbeth insists on ruining herself for him, even when the uniformed, young, handsome Burt Lancaster is in love with her.

The so-called romance between Lizbeth and John is far less interesting than what could be argued as a romance between John and his faithful sidekick, Wendell Corey. Wendell gets an introducing credit in the movie, and he gets an enormously meaty role for his first foray in front of the camera. A villain with many layers, some of which couldn't be discussed because of the Hays Code, he's very protective over his friend and doesn't approve of Lizbeth's moony eyes.

The best part of Desert Fury is Edith Head's costumes. Every single scene, Lizbeth and Mary are dressed in gorgeous dresses that will have you oo-ing and ahh-ing for the entire running length. Lizbeth is very pretty in this film, and dressing her up in such beautiful costumes only makes it more fun to watch her, even when she's exercising bad judgement.