Review of Desert Fury

Desert Fury, 1947, Director, Lewis Allen Viewed at Noir City festival, Seattle, 2007. In "Desert Fury" which is shot in spectacular Paramount technicolor in a desert town somewhere near Las Vegas and introduces Burt Lancaster as the lantern jawed no-nonsense town sheriff, Liz Scott, the duchess of noir, is, well - sumthin' else! First of all she lives with her mother (Mary Astor of Maltese Falcon fame) but is this really her mother ? (it turns out not, if you actually concentrate on the plot) - or her older Butch lover? We'll never quite know except for that kiss on the mouth at the end as Mary gives Liz and Burt her blessing on the bridge where Liz's real mother was killed somewhere in the dark lurid past. Then there's this odd couple, notorious big time gambler John Hodiak (very hoaky, to say the least) for whom Liz falls at first bite much to mother's discontent, and his long-term live-in side-kick, Wendell Corey (film debut), who is so possessive about Hodiak that we might just begin to wonder what's been keeping them together all these years - other than partnership in crime. Eddie Muller, the Czar of Noir, calls this the "gayest film noir ever" and he may have something there, but sexual preferences, implied or expressed, aside, this is one helluvan enjoyable ride through the desert, in a real wood sided four-door Chrysler Town-and-Country convertible yet! A shaky plot is no great hindrance as the primo colorful cast and kinky characters are so much fun to watch. As for the debut of Lancaster, most 'reliable sources' list "The Killers" (1947) as his first film, but Muller points out that "Desert Fury" was actually shot earlier, although it was, for whatever reasons, released later. Thus, this is really the first film Burt ever acted in, and, no doubt about it, immediately demonstrated star quality. However, since he was already an overnight star from "Killers", when "Fury" was released soon afterwards he received top billing, his name appearing in the opening credits on the same screen with Mary Astor, Liz Scot and John, Hodiak. Amazing that Liz Scott with her platinum blonde mane, dazzling good looks, and sizzling personality never quite became a top star, but in her numerous noirs, like this one, she blazes with nothing but star quality. Enough to light up the darkest of scenes.

Liz Scott glows in a lurid all star desert noir with less than subtle streaks of gay.Q