classicsoncall Moral ambiguity would never have been a problem for Atticus Finch, which is why it was so disconcerting to see Gregory Peck get entwined with a hillbilly moonshiner's daughter portrayed here by Tuesday Weld. I wouldn't say that the story lacked credibility entirely, but can you just imagine something like this occurring for real with an otherwise upstanding citizen/sheriff and a gal who could pass for his daughter? I suppose it's happened before, but man, how would one look in the mirror in the morning? The soundtrack, mostly performed by Johnny Cash, lends particular resonance to the story. Being a fan, I was somewhat surprised that the only song I'd heard before was the title tune; all the rest complemented the story well but don't appear on any of Cash's big hits albums. The one that really clicked for the conflicted Sheriff Tawes (Peck) was 'Face a New Day Dawning', one of it's lines described his angst in relation to his marriage to Ellen Haney (Estelle Parsons) - "She knows that something's wrong and I don't care". You could feel the palpable tension in the sheriff who didn't even try to sort out his feelings once the young temptress made her move.The one scene that creeped me out though was the tease that occurred by Alma's (Weld) bedside when her father Carl (Ralph Meeker) sidled up along side her to offer comfort. If he'd have kissed her I think I would have jumped out of my chair. There was this feeling I had throughout the picture that some form of incest might have been going on, but it was more provocative to offer it up as a possibility rather than a fact. Could you just imagine the sheriff if that had been the case? With the character of the Federal man Bascomb (Lonny Chapman), I had to chuckle a bit as it brought me back to my childhood days reading the L'il Abner comic strip. Exposing moonshiners for unpaid taxes was always a favorite theme, and would have been that much more comical here if someone had called Bascomb a 'revenooer'. Why didn't someone think of that?

Noirdame79 Not to be confused with the 2005 Johnny Cash biopic "Walk The Line", this 1970 film directed by John Frankenheimer tells the story of a middle-aged, small-town sheriff, Henry Tawes (Gregory Peck) , who finds himself becoming increasingly disillusioned with his life as a husband and father, and coming to resent his humdrum existence. It could also be argued that he is entering a mid-life crisis, and one day, he stops the daughter of a local moonshiner (played by Ralph Meeker), pretty Alma McCain (Tuesday Weld) and her younger brother for driving without a permit. Captivated by her beauty, he begins a secret affair with her, all the while turning a blind eye to her family's illegal activities. Things become increasingly out of hand as inspectors begin to investigate the goings on in town and Henry's devious deputy (Charles Durning) discovers the liaison and the McCain family's profession. Henry also finds his distraught wife (Estelle Parsons) has also discovered the affair, and he decides to throw all caution to the wind and run away with Alma. Torn between her affection for Henry and her loyalty to her family, Alma's choice and Henry's recklessness result in tragedy and heartbreak.This movie was very much overlooked when it was first released, but it is a good flick and the performances are superb. The production was shot mainly on location in Tennessee and Johnny Cash provides the soundtrack. This role was a very different one for Gregory Peck, especially at this stage of his career, but he embodies the tightly-wound sheriff expertly. Tuesday Weld is convincing and captivating as a young woman caught in a way of life that not only limits her opportunities but also her choices. Used by her father to keep Henry smitten in order to keep the family business secret, she makes the only choice she feels she can make, but not without cost to Henry.Columbia released the movie on DVD a few years back, and it is unforgivably very bare-bones (there isn't even a menu), but it is in widescreen and the transfer looks wonderful, capturing the bleak yet lush countryside.If you're a fan of Gregory Peck and Tuesday Weld, this is a film that must be viewed.

graham clarke It may have seemed at the time a novel idea to pair Gregory Peck slightly past his prime, with Tuesday Weld on the brink of womanhood. The assumption being that there would be an intriguing chemistry between these polar characters, who both in life and on screen symbolize solid upright morals versus the wild spirit of youth.The film could only have worked had this assumption be proved true. Unfortunately this totally backfired entirely due to Gregory Peck whose tendency towards wooden acting has never been more evident. He is simply hopeless in the role. Director John Frankenheimer amongst his many misses in the latter part of his patchy career has been known to elicit some truly memorable performances from his actors. He is at a total loss with Peck, who makes what should have been a conflicted interested character, a hollow, vacuous entity. Tuesday Weld, never more beautiful, is as always, terrific. Whereas she gives herself completely in each scene, Peck is less than half hearted about the whole thing. No matter how convincing a performance, it needs the interaction of the other players to be fully realized. You cannot go it alone. Weld does her best, but Peck is an unwilling or incapable partner. He simply should have turned down this one. In an interview Weld mentions that in what was supposed to be an erotic love scene, Peck insisted on keeping his shoes on in bed; need one say more? There are what seem to be pointless and endless shots of the rural south to the songs of Johnny Cash, which serve as "fillers" for the directionless narrative. There's good support from Estelle Parsons and Ralph Meeker, but the boring (and probably bored) Peck deflates everything, leaving a film of missed opportunities.

azignon I happened upon the film on French television. It was very well done. Gregory Peck gave a wonderful performance. The changes in his character and his anguish were felt. I was impressed that in 1970 there was a nude bedroom scene. I did compare it to Damage with Jeremy Irons and what they visibly display nowadays. G.P. and Tuesday Weld did a great job without that display. Ralph Meeker was a charmer as always. It does not require an R rating. The incest was suggested in a subtle fashion. Albeit an eerie moment. The photography was very interesting. I am not a Johnny Cash fan but his music was fitting. Loved the film. Azignon