Duel in the Sun (1946)

'Duel in the Sun' is Western movie made in 1946, directed by King Vidor and with a strong cast including Jennifer Jones, Joseph Cotten, Gregory Peck, Lillian Gish and Lionel Barrymore. The film received poor critical reviews although its box-office takings were high.

Producer, David O. Selznick had hopes that the film would equal or surpass his previous blockbuster, 'Gone With the Wind' but it received just two Academy Awards nominations (without winning), a Best Actress nomination for Jennifer Jones and Lillian Gish was nominated for Best Supporting Actress.

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Plot

The story is set in Texas in the 1880's. Jennifer Jones plays Pearl Chavez, a beautiful half Indian girl who goes to live with relatives in Texas after the death of her father. She joins a dysfunctional family headed by the irascible, racist Senator Jackson McCanles, played by Lionel Barrymore and his wife, the ladylike Laura Belle McCanles, played by Lillian Gish. Pearl's presence intensifies tensions already present in the family, particularly between the two sons of the house, Lewt, played by Gregory Peck and Jesse, played by Joseph Cotten.

Production

Screenplay
The movie is an adaptation of a 1944 novel of the same name by Niven Busch, the then husband of Theresa Wright. RKO purchased the film rights from Busch in 1944, planning to have John Wayne and Hedy Lamarr in the lead roles. Later in the same year RKO sold the rights on to David O. Selznick. The script was adapted for the screen by Oliver H.P. Garrett and the screenplay written by Ben Hecht and Selznick himself. It was Selznick who created the lurid ending in which the lovers shoot each other and die in each other's arms.
Casting
Busch wrote the role of Pearl originally for his wife, Teresa Wright, as a means of changing her sweet, girl-next-door image. However, pregnancy forced her to drop out. When Selznick took control he miscast his own mistress and future wife, Jennifer Jones in the role of Pearl. The movie never really recovers from this huge, initial mistake.
Director
The credited director of the movie is King Vidor, although several other directors were used by Selznick who cannot have been an easy man to work for. He had a habit of insisting on rewriting scenes which had already been shot and his constant meddling caused Vidor to quit shortly before the end of the shoot. He was replaced by William Dieterle who completed the picture. At different times during the shoot, other directors were used, uncredited, including Josef von Sternberg, and Sidney Franklin. Selznick still gave sole directing credit to Vidor.