Rachel and the Stranger
| Rachel and the Stranger | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Norman Foster |
| Produced by |
Richard H. Berger Jack J. Gross |
| Written by |
Howard Fast (story) Waldo Salt |
| Starring |
Loretta Young William Holden Robert Mitchum |
| Music by | Roy Webb |
| Cinematography | Maury Gertsman |
| Edited by |
Les Millbrook Harry Marker |
| Distributed by | RKO |
Release dates | |
Running time | 80 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $2.4 million (US rentals)[2] |
Rachel and the Stranger is a black-and-white 1948 western film starring Loretta Young, William Holden, and Robert Mitchum. The Norman Foster-directed film was one of the few to address the role of women in the pioneer west, as well as portray early America's indentured servant trade. It was based on the Howard Fast short story "Rachel".
While the film had a low budget, it was RKO's most successful film that year, making $395,000.
Plot
In colonial America, David Harvey (William Holden), a recent widower living in the wilderness, decides that his young boy Davey (Gary Gray) needs a woman around to help raise him. He goes to the nearest settlement and consults Parson Jackson (Tom Tully). David gets talked into buying the contract of an indentured servant named Rachel (Loretta Young) and marrying her.
Their marriage, however, is in name alone. Rachel serves more as a servant than a wife and Davey resents what he sees as an attempt to replace his dead mother Susan. Jim Fairways (Robert Mitchum), a family friend (and former suitor of Susan's), visits and falls in love with Rachel. When he offers to buy her, David must fight to keep her and discovers his love in the process.
Cast
- Loretta Young as Rachel Harvey
- William Holden as David Harvey
- Robert Mitchum as Jim Fairways
- Gary Gray as Davey
- Tom Tully as Parson Jackson
- Sara Haden as Mrs. Jackson
- Frank Ferguson as Mr. Green
- Walter Baldwin as Gallus
- Regina Wallace as Mrs. Green
Reception
The film recorded a profit of $395,000.[3][4]
After Mitchum was arrested for possessing marijuana, RKO rushed to release the film to take advantage of the news of Mitchum's arrest.[5]
References
- 1 2 "Rachel and the Stranger: Detail View". American Film Institute. Retrieved May 10, 2014.
- ↑ "Top Grossers of 1948", Variety 5 January 1949 p 46
- ↑ Richard Jewell & Vernon Harbin, The RKO Story. New Rochelle, New York: Arlington House, 1982. p. 231
- ↑ Richard B. Jewell, Slow Fade to Black: The Decline of RKO Radio Pictures, Uni of California, 2016
- ↑ Rachel and the Stranger at the American Film Institute Catalog
External links
- Rachel and the Stranger at the Internet Movie Database
- Rachel and the Stranger at the TCM Movie Database
- Rachel and the Stranger at AllMovie
- Rachel and the Stranger @ Rotten Tomatoes