Pursued
| Pursued | |
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Theatrical release poster
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| Directed by | Raoul Walsh |
| Produced by | Milton Sperling |
| Screenplay by | Niven Busch |
| Starring |
Teresa Wright Robert Mitchum Judith Anderson Dean Jagger |
| Music by | Max Steiner |
| Cinematography | James Wong Howe |
| Edited by | Christian Nyby |
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Production
company |
United States Pictures
Warner Bros. |
| Distributed by | Warner Bros. |
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Release date
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Running time
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101 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | £610,000 |
| Box office | $2.9 million (US rentals) |
Pursued is a 1947 film that combines western film noir and psychological melodrama. The picture was directed by Raoul Walsh and features Teresa Wright, Robert Mitchum, Judith Anderson and Dean Jagger.
Set in New Mexico around the turn of the 20th century and told in flashback, the film tells the story of Jeb Rand (Mitchum), whose entire family was slaughtered when he was a child. In the aftermath of the massacre, Jeb is found by Mrs. Callum, a widow, who raises him in her family. Traumatized by the killings, Jeb does not recall anything of that night, except for vague images that he sees in a frequent nightmare. Mrs. Callum raises him as her own son, together with her daughter Thorley and her son Adam. Years later, Jeb is shot at while riding a colt, but the shooter misses him; although Mrs. Callum blames the incident on deer hunters, she knows that it was an attempted murder by her brother-in-law Grant. Mrs. Callum confronts Grant and it is revealed that Jebs father took the life of Mrs. Callum's husband and Grant was the one who killed Jeb's parents in an act of revenge and swore to kill Jeb when he was old enough. Mrs Callum pleads with Grant to leave Jeb alone, reasoning that he is not a threat to anyone. Grant agrees to let Jeb live but only to prove that when he is old enough, he will turn on Callum.
Years later, Jeb, Adam and Thorley are adults and one day law officials arrive to recruit volunteers to join the US Army to battle the Spaniards, Jeb and Adam are told that one of them must join and after agreeing on a coin toss, Jeb loses and signs up. Jeb is injured in battle and while recuperating in hospital experiences his flashbacks to the night of his family's murder once again. Due to his injuries he is honorably discharged from the army and sent home and awarded the Medal of Honor.
Although adoptive brother and sister, Jed and Thorley have long been in love and after his homecoming celebration Jeb tried to convince Thorley to run away with him and get married as soon as possible as he suspects that someone, or something is following him. Thorley refuses stating she wants to get married on her own terms and not out of fear. Jed goes for a long horse ride in order to clear his head and stumbles upon an abandoned ranch which he suspects he has seen before. His mother confirms that the ranch is indeed where he and his real parents lived when Jed was a child and the same ranch where they were murdered. In order to earn money so he can provide for himself and Thorley, Jeb plans to take his share of his inheritance and gamble at a casino. Adam expresses anger at the fact that Jed is listed in their mother's will to receive the same amount of money as he and Thorley will upon her death, despite Jeb leaving the ranch to fight in the war and Adam continuing to work solidly on the ranch.
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