NR | 1h 23m | Drama, Western | 1951
A few Westerns show how a ranch actually runs. “Vengeance Valley” shows not the polished, postcard version but the kind where work comes first and everything else follows. It shows the daily routines and the small frictions that emerge when men spend too much time under the sun together and in the same dust.
Viewers watch the way cattle are handled and how cowhands interact. If someone has never stepped on a ranch, “Vengeance Valley” shows how ranch culture is laid out.
In his first Western, Burt Lancaster plays Owen Daybright, and brings the physical presence of a man who can handle a restless steer or deal with trouble in a bunkhouse without needing to say much. Lee Strobie, played by Robert Walker, is a character who’s initially decent and likable. He soon shows a less desirable quality.
Secrets Under the Surface
Own and Lee ride back into town after months working the vast Colorado winter range, expecting a bit of relaxation. While settling in with a couple of whiskeys at the local saloon, they hear some disturbing gossip. Lily Fasken (Sally Forrest), a local waitress with a past connection to Lee, has just had a baby. There’s no husband, no explanation, and people are already talking.
Owen visits the house where she’s recovering with her newborn. Jen Strobie (Joanne Dru), married to Lee, is there helping care for her. Owen brings food and money, keeps things calm, and says very little about what he knows.
A Western Worth Watching
Director Richard Thorpe keeps the story moving and focused. The material comes from the imagination of Luke Short, a Western novelist known for writing about ranch life and frontier conflicts. It cleverly utilizes Hewie (Carleton Carpenter), a younger ranch hand with a fondness for Lily, to give a ground-level view of what’s happening through tidbits of narration.
Walker plays Lee in a way that kept me watching him even when he wasn’t the focus of a scene. He smiled at the wrong moments, dodged responsibilities, and let things pile up until someone else had to deal with them. This is the opposite of what I remembered of him in previous roles. His transformation was so complete that I didn’t even recognize him at first.
This was Walker’s first time playing an antagonist, followed by his next film, Hitchcock’s “Strangers on a Train.” Knowing this was one of his last films before he tragically passed away adds something strange when looking back, especially since he’d built a decent, clean-cut reputation in films.
Sally Forrest does an admirable job as Lily, which matters given everything tied to her character. Portraying an unwed mother wasn’t exactly a popular draw back in the 1950s. John Ireland brings a harder presence once he arrives on the scene. He’s a powerful actor who is heavy, even in smaller roles like this.
“Vengeance Valley” doesn’t try to be a flashy Western. It sticks to the ranch, the people, and the problems they create for each other. That focus is what holds the film together. If you like Westerns that show what life actually looked like, this one delivers.
