Main Cast: Robert Mitchum, Teresa Wright, Diana Lynn, Tab Hunter, Beulah Bondi
Release Year: 1954
Country: US
Run Time: 103 minutes
Plot
In this experimental 1954 Western, director William Wellman uses black-and-white backgrounds with occasional splatches of color on certain characters' bodies and clothes. On a snowbound ranch in northern California, the Bridges family is trapped by winter weather and its own internal conflicts. It is run by a stern matriarch, Ma Bridges (Beulah Bondi), who lords it over her weak, alcoholic husband (Philip Tonge) and her bitter, unmarried daughter, Grace (Teresa Wright). The three sons squabble constantly. Staying at the ranch is a young neighbor, Gwen Williams (Diana Lynn), who is smitten with one of the sons, Harold (Tab Hunter). But the arrogant Curt (Robert Mitchum) wants to take control of the ranch and take possession of Gwen too. During the winter, a black panther has been killing the cattle on the ranch. Curt and the third brother, the quiet Arthur (William Hopper), set out to kill the panther, but when Curt leaves to get more food, the cat kills Arthur. The grief-stricken family blames Curt, who then sets out on his own to kill the beast. ~ Michael Betzold, All Movie Guide
Review
Whatever one feels about it, and it's a film that tends to evoke strong reactions both pro and con, there's no other film quite like Track of the Cat. Cat grew out of director William Wellman's desire to shoot a color movie but to design it in such a way that there was an almost absolute absence of color. Thus, aside from Robert Mitchum's red coat and Diana Lynn's yellow shirt (and, of course, the skin tones of the cast members), just about everything else in the film is in black, white or some shade of gray. It's a stunning design decision, and it adds an unsettling, ethereal undertone to the proceedings that is remarkably effective. As captured by William H. Clothier's startling yet nuanced cinematography, it is both beautiful and disturbing. For many who prize Cat, its visual allure is more than enough to justify it. However, there are likewise many who believe that Cat's style alone is not enough, and who find the story attached to the film to be clunkily symbolic, unconvincing dramatically and quite boring, and peopled with characters who are types rather than human beings and who therefore wear out their welcome early on. This criticism is hard to argue with, and even the fine performances from Mitchum and Beulah Bondi may not be enough to convince some people to stay with Cat. Perhaps the best assessment is merely that Cat is a unique and personal film, with enormous highs and lows, and that one's response to it is likely to be equally personal. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide
Andrew V. McLaglen - Art Director, Alfred Ybarra - Art Director, Gwen Wakeling - Costume Designer, William Wellman - Director, Fred MacDowell - Editor, Roy Webb - Composer (Music Score), Gordon Bau - Makeup, William H. Clothier - Cinematographer, Robert M. Fellows - Producer, John Wayne - Producer, Ralph S. Hurst - Set Designer, A.I. Bezzerides - Screenwriter, Warner Brothers - Presented by, Walter van Tilburg Clark - Book Author
The outdoor scenes were filmed on Mount Rainier and Mitchum regarded shooting in the deep snow and cold as the worst filming conditions he had ever experienced.[1]
The photography of William Clothier was designed to highlight black and white and downplay colors. Only key elements like the blue matches, the fire and Mitchum's red coat stand out.
References
^ Lee Server, Robert Mitchum: "Baby, I Don't Care", St. Martin's Press, 2001, page 259.
