kijii This is part of the 20th Century Fox's Tyron Power swashbuckler boxed set. There was not a lot of swashbuckling in this movie, but the story and its stars still make it a fairly entertaining experience. The movie is based on Edison Marshall's novel about a young boy, Ben, who was the rightful heir of a large estate in Bristol England. However, he has to earn his way to what rightfully belongs to him. In the movie, Roddy McDowell plays Ben as a boy while Tyron Power plays him after he grows into manhood. As the movie opens, Ben is living and working with his grandfather, Amos Kidder (Harry Davenport). However, when Sir Arthur Blake (George Sanders), discovers that Ben is his dead brother's son, he gets a legal writ making him Ben's guardian so that he can keep a close eye on him. Arthur then makes Ben his indentured stable boy. As Ben grows up, he and Arthur's daughter, Isabel (Frances Farmer) fall in love but can do nothing about it because of their stations in life. Even Arthur's wife, Helena (Kay Johnson)--who had once been in love with Ben's father-- quietly takes Ben's side, hoping that he can someday prove his legitimate claim to the estate. After Ben assaults his master and runs away from the estate to earn money for his cause, Ben's grandfather is jailed. But, Ben and his grandfather are able to communicate to each other through a prostitute, Bristol Isabel (Elsa Lanchester), who knows how to get in and out of jail without drawing undue suspicion. Ben's grandfather relates (through Bristol Isabel) that he should make his fortune in the Indies and THEN try to make his case for the estate, with money in his pocket. Ben stows away on a ship headed for the Indies. Aboard this cruelly run ship, he meets another stowaway, Caleb Green (John Carradine). Green's crime is that he is a debtor. They both plan and execute an escape from the ship to a South Pacific island. Caleb had heard, from a 'Spanisher,' that the island atoll is loaded with valuable oyster pearls. His information proves to be correct, and they soon harvest a fortune in pearls to free themselves from their past stations.However, while on the island, Ben meets and falls in love with one of the island natives, whom he calls 'Eve' (Gene Tierney). He also becomes a great hero to the natives by teaching them how to make crud tools and improve their lives. Even though Eve loves Ben, she knows that he is waiting for some European ship to someday come along and take him back to England for revenge and to makes his rightful claim. She helps him watch for such a ship. When a Dutch ship eventually DOES land near the island, Ben departs on the ship, but Caleb decides to stay on the island for life. When Ben returns to England with his fortune in oyster pearls, he is capable of buying himself into respectability through an agent there, Bartholomew Pratt (Dudley Digges). Pratt takes some of his pearls and promises to use his influence to research and uncover the truth about Ben's parents. However, when Ben is put on trial for his past crimes, Pratt doesn't meet his promise and it looks as though Ben may face the ultimate penalty... As the movie draws towards its ending, it fills in the lack of swashbuckling with some dramatic moments and surprises. There are some interesting variations to the actors' usual character types. For example, Tyron Power is never very physical and when he physically fights someone, he always loses. It is not his physical gymnastics that wins the day here. It is, instead, his steadfastness about revenge and his rights. Furthermore, this is not the George Sanders that we are used to either: While we are used to seeing him as a powerfully-connected courtier, a dandy, a fop, or a cleverly smug Addison DeWitt-type character, here he is a physically brutal pugilist who would rather live by his fists and his whip than his wit, wordplay and cryptic charm.

tomsview This film stars two of the most stunning women ever to step before a camera, and two of the most troubled ones: Gene Tierney and Francis Farmer.Set in Georgian era England, this is an absorbing film. It's the story of Benjamin Blake (played as a child by Roddy McDowell and later by Tyrone Power) who after being orphaned at an early age, is cheated out of his title and inheritance by Sir Arthur Blake (George Sanders), his sadistic uncle who keeps him as a bonded servant.Ben escapes and stows away to a remote island in the South Pacific at a time when travel was a lot more difficult than dropping into Harvey World Travel or hitting the Trivago App on your iPhone. Years later he returns to England to put things right.Along the way he falls in love with two women. The first is Sir Arthur's daughter, Isabel Blake (Francis Farmer). Not much of it is made in the film, but this surely would have to be a non-starter as she was his first cousin. Nevertheless, Francis Farmer was never photographed to better advantage than in "Son of Fury", dazzling is a fair description. This was her last movie before her life fell apart.The second is Eve, the native girl Ben meets on the island played by Gene Tierney. The camera loved her and those amazing cheekbones that allowed her to play a wide range of ethnicities from Ancient Egypt to Polynesia - nearly always as a princess. It's sad knowing that this was about the time she too was overwhelmed by personal problems.Tyrone Power made every movie he was in seem important. Not just darkly handsome, you felt there was depth to his characters, and he could wear a Regency top hat and coattails as though he was born to the era.For anyone who loves movies of the golden age, the fact that the film stars George Sanders is reason enough to see it. Along with his trademark disdain he projects a powerful physical presence. He was a big dude and in the boxing scenes he looks surprisingly fit, and as though he knew some moves. It would be best to smile when calling him a fop.The whole production is polished with plenty of glass shots and moody sets; the slightly unreal quality gives it a touch of movie magic. The film features brilliant characterisations right down the cast list, and Alfred Newman contributed a vibrant score drenched in salt air and the aroma of the South Seas.You don't have to be a film buff to enjoy "Son of Fury", but it adds to the enjoyment if you know something of the stars and the filmmakers. They have all gone now, but this film is a lasting testimony to their talents.

Robert J. Maxwell An entertaining tale of Tyrone Power, cheated out of his birthright by the villainous George Sanders. Power becomes Sanders' ward, and Sanders beats and humiliates him. Power assaults him -- a grave offense, a commoner knocking a rich aristocrat around -- and barely escapes hanging by stowing aboard a sailing ship that brings him to a Polynesian island like Tahiti. There he meets the delicious Gene Tierney in a flowery two-piece sarong. Who could resist? When he's collected enough pearls to ransom a king, he returns to England, hires a lawyer who deposes Sanders, and assumes his rightful place as lord of the manor. Sanders is now a commoner himself, though still capable of a sly trick or two in his attempt to continue in the life style to which he's become accustomed. There is a brutal fist fight. Sanders fights dirty. All villains fight dirty in these scuffles. But Power wins, gives the manor to the servants and to his kindly grandfather. Then he takes off again, trading the corruption of civilization for the simple life among the noble savages, the sheltering palms, not to mention the sheltering arms of Gene Tierney. Jean-Jacques Rousseau can be heard faintly, applauding from just off camera.It's one of those tales we don't see much anymore, based on a sprawling, epic, now-forgotten novel. Nobody seems to have patience enough to read these long tales of adventure and romance. Maybe James Michener was the last of the breed.Tyrone Power is a passable adventurer, Twentieth-Century Fox's answer to Warner's Errol Flynn. He's aided considerably by Alfred Newman's heroic score, Twentieth-Century Fox's answer to Warner's Eric Wolfgang Korngold. Gene Tierney had little range as an actress, even though, as here, she was forced to be a sexy and naive native girl or, elsewhere, a dumb and hungry redneck. She's out of her depth. She needs to be in sleek clothes in New York, as she was in "Laura" and "Leave Her To Heaven." Best performance award goes to -- envelope, please -- yes, George Sanders as Sir Arthur Blake, snooty and sadistic aristocrat. He's never been a better cad. Oh, to see him sit at court, while Tyrone Power is humiliated and about to be sent to the gallows, and Sanders lolls back in his seat, looking down his nose like William F. Buckley, and rolling his eyes heavenward. The guy was great.

vosamis-1 Why is Frances Farmer referred to as "the late. Are the other cast members all still living? What is the difference between heal and heel?On another subject, does anybody know who is the man coming out of the screen door of Selznick Interntional movie studio? You just catch a glimpse of him during the introduction before the picture fades out. Maybe it is Mr. Selznick himself?In the cast is says that Dennis Hooey was in it, but could not find him? He played Inspector LeStrade in the Sherlock Holmes movies. Any help on this also appreciated.One day would like to make a visit to the former Selznick Studio. Actually, this movie was made by the Fox Co., wasn't it? Sorry about that. I once spoke with a top public information officer of 20th Century Fox sorry again, and when I asked her why FOX was all big letters in the e-mail I had received, she said she didn't know. I asked "Isn't that a person's name?" and she replied, "I don't know, is it?" I found that an interesting comment on the current education system in the United States.