Lure of the Wilderness

When I happened to come upon this film on TV, Constance Smith was on the screen. Immediately, I thought of Jean Peters because the resemblance was so great. I even thought she WAS Jean Peters, although the eye color and absence of the turned up tip of the nose gave me reason to doubt my initial impression. Lo and behold, who did I find was also in the film - Jean Peters! I did not see any reference in the film to the resemblance between the two, but I wonder if they were cast together because of this resemblance (admittedly, a subjective impression on my part). Perhaps there was an unstated implication that Jeffrey Hunter was attracted to Jean because of her resemblance to his "fiancee", played by Constance. In any event, a very good, if relatively unknown film, even as a remake of the generally more highly rated film it's derived from (with Walther Brennan in both!).

Here is an unusual story about a girl and her father, who take refuge in the Georgia swamps as they try to evade a linching mob. The father (excellently played by Walter Brennan) had been wrongly accused of murder in a small neighboring town. The girl (who turns out to be the beautiful -and quite athletic - Jean Peters)grows up in the swamps, away from civilization, until a man (handsome Jeff Hunter) arrives at their campsite looking for his stray dog. Of course the two young actors eventually fall in love, but even this is believable and interwined into the action and adventure of this highly intersting film. Director Jean Negulesco offers us a well balanced and magnificently edited film that deals with prejudices and lies - which can be abundant in any small town. Very well acted by Peters, Hunter, et all...who award us with quite authentic southern accents, for a change.

excellent movie,wonderful cast,and very enjoyable to watch,so i'm wondering why it was never released to video,I know that there has to be a copy somewhere because it was shown on Disney channel years ago,when satellites first came out,I have a copy from back then,still watchable but would love to own a new copy of it.just can't understand why this version was never released,and swamp water was,Lure of the wilderness is a remake of swamp water,and is a much better movie.,SO if one of these ever becomes available,I would sure love to purchase one.So you guys find me one. Thanks for the chance to express my opinion. Louise

Do not confound this film with LURE OF THE SWAMP, made by Hubert Cornfield five years later. Or even with Joseph Lewis' CRY OF THE HUNTED, made for MGM, starring Barry Sullivan and Vittorio Gassman. This movie from director Jean Negulesco, a pure Twentieth Century Fox film maker, is a pale remake of the original, but agreeable to watch, full of charm and pulled by convincing actors' performances. I did not remind that Walter Brennan played in both, and I don't remember if he has the same character. I am not sure that color helpd much the atmosphere of this kind of story, but the swamp, bayou settings, maybe justified this decision for the producers.

This film was based on the earlier "Swamp Water" - both great films. The earlier film also starred Dana Andrews and John Carradine. I loved all the Walter Brennan movies as well as his character, Grandpa Amos, in the TV series "The Real McCoys", which starred another late and great actor, Richard Crenna, as Luke.