• A solid melodrama—I believe both the most expensive film of 1947 and the highest grossing box office film— condemned by Catholics
  • One of new 40’s Fox films in color- great to see Linda Darnell’s red hair—certainly resembles Maureen O’Hara in some ways
  • Darnell is perfectly cast and this is part of her strong run during the 40’s going from The Mark of Zorro in 1940  to A Letter to Three Wives in 49’— Darnell has an edge- perfect for the plotting climber here—Cornel Wilde—the male lead- is  stiff- not good here
  • A woman “in love with her ambitions”
  • It’s the same story as Gone with the Wind– a pesky beauty pines for one man the entire running time (this isn’t quite as long but it’s a long one- 140 mins)—she’s a survivor– we even have a town going up in a fire here
  • Tragic and repetitive—chance and circumstance
  • George Sanders is great as he always is as an arrogant cad King
  • Recommend but not near the top 10