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RKO Radio Pictures

Wald/Krasna Productions

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The Lusty Men

Name: The Lusty Men
Released: 1952-10-24T00:00:00.000000Z
Rating: 6.7

A Fast Buck... A Fast Bronc... A Fast Thrill!

1952 • 113 min • ★ 6.7 (96) • Released

Drama Western

Retired rodeo champion Jeff McCloud agrees to mentor novice rodeo contestant Wes Merritt against the wishes of Merritt's wife who fears the dangers of this rough sport.

IMDb ↗

Original title: The Lusty Men
Language: EN
Country: US
Budget: —
Revenue: —

Reviews & Ratings 1

John Chard

Jul 11, 2020 · via TMDB

★ 8.0

There never was a bronc that couldn't be rode, there never a cowboy that couldn't be throwed. Guys like me last forever. The Lusty Men is directed by Nicholas Ray and co-written by Horace McCoy and David Dortort from a suggested story by Claude Stanush. It stars Robert Mitchum, Susan Hayward, Arthur Kennedy, Arthur Hunnicutt, Frank Faylen and Carol Nugent. Music is by Roy Webb and cinematography by Lee Garmes. Retired rodeo champion Jeff McCloud (Mitchum) agrees to mentor novice rodeo contestant Wes Merritt (Kennedy) against the wishes of Merritt's wife, Louise (Hayward), who fears the dangers of this rough sport. All that and affairs of the heart start to become just as rough. Nicholas Ray picks up a love triangle core and sets it to the backdrop of the ferocious world of Rodeo. Pic is in turn touching and realistic, bringing strong human drama and splicing it with real life rodeo action - with the bull sequences quite something to behold. Ace cinematographer Garmes ("Shanghai Express/Nightmare Alley") photographs the rodeo sequences with a beauty that still manages to exude the harsh hum-drum life of the main protagonists out on the circuit. In reality we are following three characters on the road to destiny, actually lyrically so, this is no soap opera tale infused with action sequences. In fact location filming went out on the road to film real Rodeos (with genuine Rodeo stars strutting their stuff). This is three characters in search of an exit, a meaning in life, but naturally harsh lessons are to be learned before the day of reckoning can come. Super perfs, direction and photography, if it wasn't for the irritatingly repetitious use of the same music each time a "contestant" leapt out the stalls, then it would be a point higher. 8/10

User reviews courtesy of TMDB.

Keywords 10

ambitious husband bull riding fearful wife husband wife relationship injury marital conflict rise to the top rodeo rodeo cowboy student mentor relationship

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Cast 31

Susan Hayward

Louise Merritt

Robert Mitchum

Jeff McCloud

Arthur Kennedy

Wes Merritt

Arthur Hunnicutt

Booker Davis

Frank Faylen

Al Dawson

Walter Coy

Buster Burgess

Carol Nugent

Rusty Davis

Maria Hart

Rosemary Maddox

Lorna Thayer

Grace Burgess

Burt Mustin

Jeremiah Watrus

Karen Randle

Ginny Logan

Jimmie Dodd

Red Logan

Robert Bray

Fritz (uncredited)

Lane Chandler

4th Rodeo Announcer (voice) (uncredited)

Dennis Moore

Cashier (uncredited)

Marshall Reed

Jim-Bob Tyler (uncredited)

Chuck Roberson

Cowboy

Glenn Strange

Rig Ferris - Foreman (uncredited)

Chili Williams

Bit Part (uncredited)

Sheb Wooley

Gambler with Buster (uncredited)

Sam Flint

—

Roy Glenn

—

Riley Hill

—

Mike Lally

—

John Mitchum

—

Joe Phillips

—

Bob Reeves

—

Rocky Shahan

—

Jack Tornek

—

Ralph Volkie

—

Dan White

—

Crew 12

Albert S. D'Agostino

Art Direction

Michael Woulfe

Wardrobe Master

Carol Henry

Stunts

Chuck Roberson

Stunts

Richard Farnsworth

Stunts

Rocky Shahan

Stunts

Nicholas Ray

Director

Tom Gries

Associate Producer

Jerry Wald

Producer

C. Bakaleinikoff

Music Director

Roy Webb

Original Music Composer

Jerry Wald

Writer

Gallery

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US Release Dates 1

Oct 24, 1952

NR Theatrical