Ordeal

A fairly good remake of the 1953 original starring Robert Ryan and Rhonda Fleming.Arthur Hill is OK but,in my opinion,his characterization of the betrayed husband pales in comparison to the intensity given the role by the wonderful(and vastly underrated)character actor,Robert Ryan.My only other criticism is the relatively weak acting by James Stacy.His character is too indifferent in this movie and by comparison,William Lundigan's portrayal is significantly better.The desolate desert locations are striking in their sparsity.I'not sure where this movie was filmed but the locale closely resembles the Antelope Valley region of Kern Co. in California.In summation,this movie is pretty well done but try to view the original(Inferno),made in 1953, for a real treat.

...but alas Richard Damian never had any as he was born with a silver spoon in his mouth and once he pulled it out has been using that mouth to insult and push people around ever since. Damian is out on a desert expedition to investigate some land that may have some mineral value. He is accompanied by his wife Kay and the prospector, Andy Folsom. He has an accident and falls down an embankment, breaking his leg in the process. He barks out orders to the other two to get help. His wife asks Damian if he wants her to stay with him while the other goes for help. In an unfortunate choice of last words to her he asks why would he need the company of someone stupid.

Thus his wife leaves, and suddenly realizes the beauty of her situation. Richard, who has a reputation as being impulsive and taking off without telling anybody, is in a place that only she and Andy know about. She convinces Andy that the two should go back to town and tell the authorities that Richard is missing, but that he just disappeared into the desert. Plus, they point the authorities in the entirely wrong part of the desert as to where they were. A few days in the rugged elements with no food or water should do the trick. Murder without the mess of actually doing it. Kay will be rid of the bullying Richard and still have his money, Andy will have Kay.

Richard, not exactly being full of love and trust for his fellow man, quickly realizes what the two have done. In spite of the fact that every necessity has always been obtained with a credit card up to this point, he swears he'll walk out of this desert alive. Kay and Andy have a couple of problems on their hands too. For one, the sheriff of the desert town is a sharp cop, not a hick, and Andy and Kay fear he may be on to them. Secondly, when they take a private plane over the place in the desert where they left Richard three weeks before "just to make sure" they can find no body. Did Richard make it out powered on pure revenge? Did the sheriff find the body, hide it, and is just playing Kay and Andy to tip their hand? In their anxiety and growing panic are they simply looking in the wrong part of the desert? I'll let you have the fun of discovering what happens.

This film has little action and is mainly a character study mixed with a bit of mystery as you really get to know the three people involved. In the end, you can't help but have both a little bit of disgust and empathy towards all three. Highly recommended.

"Ordeal" is a quality television film from 1973 with a very good cast and great production values. The story of a somewhat shallow rich man who literally wanders the desert and in the process discovers his deeper self. The bright ,arrid Arizona desert is used to great effect and I was really impressed by the film's stately score. Seemingly all the main characters in the movie are unlikeable ,but Arthur Hill lets us see the subtle transformation from a man on a mission of hateful revenge(against a fed-up wife and the shifty trail guide who left him to die with a broken leg in the merciless desert)to a man who, in overcoming incredible obstacles(almost too incredible), he finds his place-connection in this stark natural world and an inner peace.The scene where he finds a water hole is beautifully done.This film is certainly a worth a look.

You find out a lot about yourself, when you're lost in the desert. I'm sure Arthur Hill's survivalist techniques in "Ordeal" are open to challenge, but that is not the point of this excellent TV movie. It's all about a life changing experience, that transforms a pompous ass of a husband, into a person who realizes that perhaps he should share the blame for his attempted murder. Arthur Hill is the husband, and Diana Muldaur the wife who leaves him to die. James Stacy is along for the ride as Muldaur's accomplice and lover. The desert photography is outstanding, and dozens of animal species show up on screen. The entire film is character driven, however all of the main characters are unpleasant. ...... - MERK

Cold-as-ice Diana Muldaur schemes with young lover James Stacy to leave her overbearing husband stranded in the middle of the Mojave desert with a broken leg. Who of us cannot wonder: Could I survive if this happened to me? Arthur Hill is the perfect chap for this rigorous acting workout: he's an Everyman, a survivor. As for Muldaur, one of the busiest actresses of the decade, she plays this unlikable woman straight, with no camp or melodramatic overtones; intelligent, glamorous, stylish with scarves in her red hair, Muldaur never gave an unconvincing performance. ABC movie-of-the-week, directed by Lee H. Katzin and written by Francis M. Cockrell and Leon Tokatyanis, is a well-done tale of suspense. **1/2 from ****