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Rancho Notorious (1952)
In Fritz Lang's third (and last) western, a quirky,
dream-like, Technicolored frontier revenge western for RKO Pictures,
with a distinctive, stylized (set-bound) story with perverse Freudian
overtones; following Destry Rides Again (1939),
this was the second Western specifically written for star Marlene
Dietrich:
- the film's opening thematic ballad and recurring
song during the opening credits: "Legend of Chuck-a-Luck"
- emphasizing the refrain of "Hate, Murder, and Revenge" -
the deadly forces of fate; some of the lyrics: "O, listen to
the Legend of Chuck-a-Luck, Chuck-a-Luck, Listen to the Wheel of
Fate As round and round with a whisperin' sound It spins, it spins
The old, old story of Hate, Murder and Revenge!"
[Note: Chuck-a-Luck referred to a roulette-style gambling game, both
a gambler's vertical wheel and the Wheel of Fate.]
- the introduction of an engaged couple to be married
in eight days in the year 1873; they were in the town of Whitmore,
Wyoming in the Assayer's Office (part of the General Store): cattle
ranch-hand Vern Haskell (Arthur Kennedy) and his sweetheart Beth
Forbes (Gloria Henry) - who worked in her father's store; before
Vern left, he presented her with a beautiful, jewel-studded brooch
("Came from Paris in France"); outside, he jump-hopped
up with his left leg into his horse's stirrup, just as two other
riders passed behind him
- shortly later, the shocking rape and murder (off-screen)
of Beth by one of the two riders (deadly outlaw Kinch (Lloyd Gough)),
after Beth was forced to open the Assayer's office safe to bags of
money; Vern was told the horrible news when alerted: "Vern,
I don't know how to tell you this. She wasn't spared anything";
the scene ended on a close-up of Beth's bloody hand, clawlike in
death
The Opening Robbery-Murder Sequence
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Beth Opening Assayer's Office Safe
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Thief/Rapist/Murderer Kinch
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Rape-Murder of Beth Forbes, Vern's Fiancee
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- the scene of Vern in pursuit of the two culprits
with a sheriff's posse and then proceeding on his own; he found
a mortally-wounded Whitey (John Doucette), the long, white-haired
partner of the murderer, who had been shot in the back after a
quarrel over the stolen money by his double-crossing partner Kinch;
when asked: "Where did he head?", the dying Whitey provided
Vern with a single "Rosebud"-type clue to the guilty
man's destination: the word 'Chuck-a-Luck' (referring to a casino
gambling game) - but Vern needed more information to make sense
of the clue
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Vern Learned Whitey's Clue to the Destination
of Beth's Killer
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Vern's Killing of Wanted Outlaw Ace Maguire
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Vern's Befriending of Frenchy Fairmont in Jail
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- during his relentless search for Beth's surviving
outlaw killer, he inquired about the name 'Chuck-a-Luck' in a barber
shop - he ended up in a brutal fist-fight with a wanted outlaw
named Ace Maguire (Frank Graham), and was briefly apprehended after
killing the man; after a quick release, he needed to make the connection
from 'Chuck-a-Luck' to a name he had heard during the fist-fight
with the outlaw: Altar Keane; a flashbacked memory from the Deputy
Sheriff revealed that Altar Keane was a notorious saloon belle
of the West, who competed with other floozies as they rode piggy-back
on men's backs across a barroom floor
- in his continuing quest, in Virginia City, Vern also
learned from Altar's ex-friend Maxine (Lisa Ferraday) that Altar
was a singer who loved horses - and she was a "glory girl" who
had an eye for men; shortly later, in Tascosa, Vern also heard from
ex-saloon owner Baldy Gunder (William Frawley) that seven years earlier,
Altar was fired from her Baldy's Palace saloon job and left with
an infamous and handsome gunslinger-sharpshooter named Frenchy Fairmont
(Mel Ferrer) ("Faster on the draw than a Mexican jack rabbit")
after he had helped her win big at the 'Chuck-a-Luck' roulette wheel;
she proceeded on a stage south to Silver City the next day
- to learn more about Altar from Frenchy, Vern deliberately
had himself jailed on election day (by shooting up a saloon to get
a prohibited drink) in order to befriend Frenchy who was incarcerated
in the town of Gunsight; afterwards, he helped to orchestrate their
escape and the two proceeded to a secluded horse ranch near the Mexican
border - it was named 'Chuck-a-Luck'
- there, Frenchy was close friends with ex-saloon singer
and dance hall queen Altar Keane (Marlene Dietrich) who was the proprietor/manager
of Chuck-a-Luck, a known safe haven for outlaws located close to
the Mexican border; she explained the rules if he agreed:
"Any friend of Frenchy's is welcome at Chuck-a-Luck, if he agrees
to the rules....We don't do any fighting here, we don't ask any questions,
and everybody does his share of work"; she harbored thieves, cattle
rustlers and killers in exchange for 10% of the proceeds of their crimes;
one of the outlaws who Vern was immediately suspicious of was womanizing
Wilson (George Reeves, TV's Superman), with a scar on his left
cheek
- the startling moment that Vern noticed that Keane
- on the night of her birthday celebration - was wearing the jewel-studded
brooch (on her fancy gown) that he had given to Beth moments before
her death - therefore, Beth's murderer was presumably someone at
the ranch who had given Keane the brooch - the camera took Vern's
POV as he looked at all the outlaws as suspects
Vern Spotting the Brooch Worn by Altar Keane
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- in private with Keane, Vern asked about how she
had obtained her jewelry, and she reprimanded him for asking questions
at the hideaway: "I guess things have to be explained double
to you! There are no questions here. None! You don't ask people
who they are or where they came from or where they're going, or
if the sand is dry, or the moon is yellow! And you blame well don't
ask me where I get my jewelry! It's not of your business. The rules
of Chuck-a-Luck are meant to be kept. And if you don't intend to
keep them, you can clear out right now"
- the love triangle that developed between Frenchy,
Vern, and Keane - Vern attempted to get close to Keane in order to
discover who killed Beth
- the sudden revelation by Kinch (to Wilson) that Vern
was the same rider he had seen with an unusual horse mounting technique
that he had observed outside Beth's Assayer's Office in Wyoming just
before her robbery/murder at the film's start: ("That's who
he is! I knew I'd seen him before! The way he climbs up on a horse!...(in)
a little town up in Wyoming") - he made a threat: "Take
my word for something. The sooner he gets a bullet through his head,
the better"
- the semi-romantic scene when Keane, after Vern asked
more questions about her past (and her jewelry), told him to leave
her life for good: "I wish you'd go away and come back ten years
ago. Go, Vern. I don't want you any more. I mean it. Get off my ranch
and leave me alone"
- after being forced to participate in a disastrous
bank robbery attempt in Clay Springs, Vern returned to 'Chuck-a-Luck'
to romance Keane - he impertinently brought up his continued desire
to see her dressed up like she was on her birthday: ("I aim
to get slapped again, if I can...I like a woman who's sometimes cold
like ice, sometimes burning like the sun. A pipe dream in blue jeans
or in a birthday dress. Now give me one wish, and I'd wish to see
a rig like that again - a shawl and jewels and all. Just like that
night. What are you gonna do about it?") - they kissed, and
then she obliged by wearing her gown and brooch
- Vern's persistent questioning of Keane about who gave
her the brooch - and she finally divulged Kinch was the hideout's
murderer: "Kinch gave it to me" - he became incensed: "Kinch?
It was Kinch"; it was clear to her what had been festering in
his mind as he explained: "Now the game is over and I can tell
you what's been chokin' me every minute since I chased after ya,
and tell ya who wore that brooch before you did? It was a girl. A
girl that I was gonna marry! A girl the last time I saw was lying
on the floor, outraged and butchered by the man who took that from
her, and gave it to you for ten per cent of her life!...She's right
there on the floor right in front of ya. And she's got blue, blue
eyes. Do you feel 'em starin' at ya, do you see the blood on the
floor, do you hear her screaming?"; he was angered by her complicity: "You
think a dance-hall girl was a dirty life? You oughta be proud of
that compared to what you are now!"; he snatched the brooch
from her dress
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Keane Honoring Vern's Request to Wear Dress and
Brooch
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Vern's Intense Anger at Learning from Keane That
Kinch Had Killed His Fiancee
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Vern's Stand-Off Against Kinch
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- in a bar, Vern slid the brooch down the length of
the counter to where Kinch was seated; the killer was saved from
being gunned down during a stand-off against Vern when he was jailed
by the local sheriff
- after a jailbreak, a climactic showdown followed at
'Chuck-a-Luck' between Frenchy and Keane (joined by Vern) against
Kinch and all the other outlaws including Wilson; the outlaws ganged
up when they feared that Keane was going to betray all of them; in
the concluding gunfight, Kinch was killed (by Frenchy), Wilson was
shot dead (by Vern), and Keane was mortally wounded when she shielded
Frenchy and took a bullet for him in the chest - she died on her
bed between Vern and Frenchy; now alone, Frenchy rode off with Vern
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Showdown: Resulting in Death of Keane
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Vern (Arthur Kennedy) with Fiancee Beth (Gloria Henry)
Brooch Presented by Vern to Beth
Vern's Unusual Horse Mounting Technique (a Left Foot Hop-Up
to the Stirrup) - Ultimately an Important Tip-Off
Vern's Vengeful Quest
Flashback: Memories of Altar Keane (Marlene Dietrich)
Flashback: Frenchy Fairmont at Baldy's Palace in Front
of 'Chuck-a-Luck' Game
At 'Chuck-a-Luck', Frenchy was Reunited with Its Boss
Altar Keane
Outlaw Wilson (George Reeves)
Vern Was Seated Next to Kinch - Not Knowing He was
Beth's Killer
Vern Reprimanded After Asking About Keane's Jewelry
Love Triangle: Vern, Keane, and Frenchy
Kinch's Revelation That He Had Seen Vern Before
"Go, Vern. I don't want you anymore"
Ending Image - Two Riders
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