''Lure of the Wilderness'' is a 1952

romantic Romantic may refer to: Genres and eras * The Romantic era, an artistic, literary, musical and intellectual movement of the 18th and 19th centuries ** Romantic music, of that era ** Romantic poetry, of that era ** Romanticism in science, of that e ...

adventure Technicolor film directed by

Jean Negulesco Jean Negulesco (born Ioan Negulescu; – 18 July 1993) was a Romanian-American film director and screenwriter.Oliver, Myrna"Jean Negulesco 1900–1993 ''The Los Angeles Times'', 22 July 1993. He first gained notice for his film noirs and later ...

and based on the 1941 novel ''Swamp Water'' by Vereen Bell. The film is a remake of

Jean Renoir Jean Renoir (; 15 September 1894 – 12 February 1979) was a French film director, screenwriter, actor, producer and author. As a film director and actor, he made more than forty films from the silent film, silent era to the end of the 1960s. ...

's 1941 adaption of the novel. Walter Brennan appears in both films, although in a smaller version of his leading role in the earlier version.

Plot

In the 1910s in

Fargo, Georgia Fargo is a city in Clinch County, Georgia, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 250. Formerly a town, it was incorporated by the Georgia state legislature in 1992, effective on April 1 of that year. Fargo is l ...

near a dangerous

swamp A swamp is a forested wetland.Keddy, P.A. 2010. Wetland Ecology: Principles and Conservation (2nd edition). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. 497 p. Swamps are considered to be transition zones because both land and water play a role in ...

, Ben Tyler and his father Zack enter the swamp to search for two lost

trappers Animal trapping, or simply trapping or gin, is the use of a device to remotely catch an animal. Animals may be trapped for a variety of purposes, including food, the fur trade, hunting, pest control, and wildlife management. History Neolithic ...

. During an unsuccessful journey, Ben's dog Careless disappears while running after a deer. While looking for Careless, Ben is hit in the head by someone, and when he awakens, he finds himself captured by two people living in the wilderness: old Jim Harper and his fierce, aggressive but beautiful daughter Laurie. Ben recognizes Jim, who has been accused of a murder committed eight years ago. Fearing

lynching Lynching is an extrajudicial killing by a group. It is most often used to characterize informal public executions by a mob in order to punish an alleged transgressor, punish a convicted transgressor, or intimidate people. It can also be an ex ...

, Jim and his daughter have since fled the nearby village to live in the wilderness. Jim admits to one killing, claiming it was committed in self-defense, but insists that the other murder was committed by the vicious Longden brothers. Despite Laurie's clear lack of trust in him, Ben believes Jim's story and tells them that he wants to return to civilization to receive a fair trial. Over the following days, Ben accompanies Jim and Laurie in their routine, which includes

hunting Hunting is the human activity, human practice of seeking, pursuing, capturing, or killing wildlife or feral animals. The most common reasons for humans to hunt are to harvest food (i.e. meat) and useful animal products (fur/hide (skin), hide, ...

. Laurie's hostility toward Ben softens and they share a mutual attraction. During a short return to home, Ben outrages his father and fiancée Noreen by announcing that he will soon return to the swamp. Noreen states that she does not plan to wait for him and that she will seek another beau. At a dance, Noreen provokes a fight between Ben and her date Jack Doran, and Ben eventually cancels the engagement. Noreen follows Ben to Laurie and discovers her identity. She falsely claims to Laurie that Ben has betrayed the Harpers and she then informs the Longdens about Ben's interference with Jim and Laurie. As revenge, the Longdens nearly drown Ben and later try to find the Harpers to kill them so the truth will not emerge. Ben also enters the swamp to warn Jim and Laurie, who do not initially believe his warnings until Ben becomes a target of the Longdens. After Jim is shot by one of them, Laurie sets a trap that kills one of the brothers and captures the other. In the end, the Harpers' name is cleared and they are finally able to return to civilization, accompanied by Ben.

Cast

* Jean Peters as Laurie Harper *

Jeffrey Hunter Jeffrey Hunter (born Henry Herman McKinnies Jr.; November 25, 1926 – May 27, 1969) was an American film and television actor and producer known for his roles in films such as ''The Searchers'' and ''King of Kings (1961 film), King of Kin ...

as Ben Tyler *

Constance Smith Constance Smith (7 February 1929 – 30 June 2003) was an Irish film actress, and contract player of 20th Century Fox in the 1950s. Early life Smith was born into a family as the first of 11 children.''The Oakland Tribune'', 18 March 1962, Oak ...

as Noreen McGowan * Walter Brennan as Jim Harper * Tom Tully as Zack Taylor * Harry Shannon as Pat McGowan * Will Wright as Sheriff Brink *

Jack Elam William Scott "Jack" Elam (November 13, 1920 – October 20, 2003) was an American film and television actor best known for his numerous roles as villains in Western films and, later in his career, comedies (sometimes spoofing his villainou ...

as Dave Longden *Harry Carter as Ned Tyler

Production

In September 1951,

Debra Paget Debra Paget (born Debralee Griffin; August 19, 1933) is an American actress and entertainer. She is perhaps best known for her performances in Cecil B. DeMille's epic ''The Ten Commandments'' (1956) and in Elvis Presley's film debut, '' Love Me ...

was set to star in the lead.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Lure Of The Wilderness 1952 films 1950s adventure drama films 1952 romantic drama films 20th Century Fox films American adventure films American adventure drama films American romantic drama films Films scored by Franz Waxman Films based on American novels Films directed by Jean Negulesco Remakes of American films Films set in the 1910s 1950s English-language films 1950s American films