Curapedi I cannot think of one single thing that I would change about this film. The acting is incomparable, the directing deft, and the writing poignantly brilliant.

Hadrina The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

Robert Joyner The plot isn't so bad, but the pace of storytelling is too slow which makes people bored. Certain moments are so obvious and unnecessary for the main plot. I would've fast-forwarded those moments if it was an online streaming. The ending looks like implying a sequel, not sure if this movie will get one

Nayan Gough A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.

ma-cortes Western adventure with Jim Bowie (Alan Ladd) a man with his name on a knife and two women (Virginia Mayo , Phyllis Kirk) with a weapon all their own . This is a mini-biography of the life of Jim Bowie in which he faces off bloody duels . It starts In 1825, Jim Bowie travels to New Orleans to sell the lumber output from the sawmill he runs with his brothers . He soon meets the gorgeous as well as manipulating Judalon De Bornay (Virginia Mayo) and falls in love for her . Jim attempts to wed Jedualon , but the woman has wed playboy Phillipe (Alf Kjellin) . Jim's business interests lead to violent fights where a lot of people are killed and there takes place a struggle with local saloon owner and nasty Black Jack (Anthony Caruso) . Then , Bowie is rescued by an attractive Mexican girl (Phyllis Kirk) , the daughter of the Vice-Governor of San Antonio . Barely historical presentation about the mythic character , Jim Bowie , who invented the famed frontier knife . This colorful as well as spotty picture contains action , thrills , soap opera , knife-fights , luxurious balls and results to be entertaining ; however , being also mediocre . Slightly interesting screenplay by James R. Webb , Western usual , being based on a novel by Paul Wellman . Passable acting by the main starring Alan Ladd , and gorgeous Virginia Mayo who subsequently reprised her film role in Lux Radio Theater broadcast , a 60 minute radio adaptation of the movie. Support cast is frankly well , such as Joseph Calleia as Juan Moreno , Phyllis Kirk as Ursula De Varamendi , Alf Kjellin as Phillipe De Cabanal , Douglas Dick as Narcisse de Bornay and special mention to Anthony Caruso playing as crook Black Jack . Atmospheric and thrilling musical score by the classic composer Max Steiner . Colorful as well as evocative cinematography by John F. Seitz , filmed on location in New Orleans and surrounds . The motion picture lavishly produced by Henry Blanke was regularly directed by Gordon Douglas . He was an expert on adventure genre as ¨Black arrow¨ , ¨Fortunes of Captain Blood¨ , both starred by Louis Hayward and Western , as he proved in the films starred by Clint Walker such as ¨Fort Dobbs¨, ¨Yellowstone Kelly¨ , ¨Gold of seven Saints¨ , Gregory Peck as ¨Only the valiant¨ , ¨Chuka¨ with Rod Taylor , ¨Rio Conchos¨ starred by Richard Boone , being considered his best Western , and about bandits legendary as ¨Doolins of Oklahoma¨ , ¨Great Missouri raid¨, among others .The real events about James Bowie's life are the followings : Texas hero and knife-fighter whose name was made world famous by the type of broad-bladed knife he used and is said to have originated . Born in Georgia , he made money by selling black slaves before going Texas , where he settle in San Antonio , legend tells us he searched for and found the lost Spanish silver mine in the San Saba region . In 1830, he became a Mexican citizen married the daughter of the Vice-Governor of San Antonio and became a wealthy landowner . He lost his wife and children in a cholera epidemic . When the Texans rebelled against Spanish rule he joined the rebels and was made captain , engaging in several victories over Mexicans . With the rank of colonel he held joint command of The Alamo fortress with Colonel Travis until stricken down with fever , he died fighting , from his sickbed , with the rest of the garrison while defending the Alamo against an overwhelming Mexican army . Bowie made his reputation as a formidable knife-fighter in a number of duels , but it is not clear if he or his brother , actually designed the original Bowie Knife .

MartinHafer While I am no expert on the life of James Bowie, I know enough to realize that this Warner Brothers production is pretty limp. Instead of focusing on the man's actual exploits (and they were many and amazingly wild for a man who died so young), the film focuses too often on a soap opera-like relationship between him and some dame (Virginia Mayo)--and I assume most, if not all, of this was made up for the movie. It's a shame, as the man was truly a rugged individualist and a bit dangerous--just the sort of thing that SHOULD have been a lot more interesting than this film.There are a few things I wish the film had shown, they would have made it more fun and interesting. In the crazy duel run amok where Bowie is shot (which is in the film), the actual evens are even crazier and bloody--not only was Bowie shot but he was smashed in the head with the gun butt and stabbed with a sword--a sword that got stuck in him!! As the assassin tried to dislodge it, Bowie eviscerated him with his knife!! Also, there is really nothing about Bowie and the War for Texan Independence--not just his death at the Alamo but all the fighting he did BEFORE this! Because of this, the film just seems very incomplete and focuses on the dullest (and probably apocryphal) aspects of his crazy life.

jpdoherty After more than ten years with Paramount Pictures one of their biggest stars Alan Ladd signed a new seven year contract with Warner Brothers. His first movie for that studio was the colourful biopic THE IRON MISTRESS.The star had just completed his masterpiece "Shane" for Paramount which was about to be released but THE IRON MISTRESS reached theatre screens first.Of all the pictures Ladd would make for Warners over the next seven years THE IRON MISTRESS is about the best of them! Beautifully photographed in Technicolor by John Seitz (Ladd's favourite cinematographer) it tells the story of impoverished lumber merchant Jim Bowie (Ladd) who came from the backwoods of 1820's Louisiana and rose to become a property tycoon through land speculation, gambling and - some say - by other unorthodox methods. Along the way he would make some bitter enemies in the resentful New Orleans business world and for his protection he designed the famous knife that bears his name and which gives the film its title. Bowie acquired something of a bad reputation because of some dubious business dealings and also his knife-wielding dispatch of many of his adversaries. Nevertheless, his reputation not withstanding, Jim Bowie's name has gone down in American folklore as one of the heroes who died in the famous Battle of The Alamo in San Antonio Texas in 1836. THE IRON MISTRESS is based on a book by Paul Wellmann and was fashioned into a fairly good screenplay by James R.Webb. Henry Blanke's colourful production was ably directed by Gordan Douglas.However, although John Beckman's Art Direction and George James Hopkins' set designs are spot on for the lavish gambling halls and bars of New Orleans, the picture is marred by too many indoor studio exteriors. A main street scene of the city near the beginning looks like a stage play and Bowie's family home in the Bayou marshland is so unreal it cheapens the movie. Unconvincing also is the scene where Bowie goes to have his famous knife forged! Firstly the blacksmith's name simply couldn't be Mr. Black, could it? And why on earth would the blacksmith (David Wolfe) fuse part of his treasured meteor fragment (which he has under lock and key) into the making of a knife for a complete stranger? ("your knife has a bit of heaven in it sir - or a bit of hell"). Nonetheless there are reasonably good performances throughout! Virginia Mayo steals the acting honours as the scheming, spoilt socialite who sneers at Bowie's marriage proposal ("What do you want me to do - live in a cabin in the wilderness?"). Ladd is his usual laconic self and watch out for the pint-sized actor being surrounded by smaller players particularly the actors Richard Carlyle and Dick Paxton playing his two brothers who are actually smaller than Ladd. And also in the well staged Ballroom sequence Mayo's flat shoes can clearly be seen under her gown in a low angle shot as she dances the aptly titled the Virginia Reel with our star. A plus for the movie is a marvellous climactic set piece of a sword and knife fight in a dark room where only intermittent flashes of lightning make it possible to see the two antagonists in mortal combat.Another plus for the movie is the terrific score by Max Steiner. His main theme is an anthem-like piece which points up, not only Bowie's backwoods antecedents, but his tenacious determination to make something of himself. Then there is the gorgeous theme for Judalon (Mayo) which the composer fashions into a ravishing love theme and we are treated to some wonderful strident action cues in the unmistakable Steiner manner for the various knife fight sequences. THE IRON MISTRESS is not a great movie by any stretch of the imagination but it has good atmosphere and enough flair and colour to hold the interest!

Davo-CC I've never really been a fan of westerns, I didn't grow up with them and I always thought the genre was overrated personally.Occasionally however a film comes along which has distinct appeal despite its genre, this is such a film. I'm not 100% sure why I liked it or why it stood out from the pack, there is a certain intangible aspect to it which really appeals; the closest thing that I can think of is `The Mountain' (1956, Spencer Tracy, Robert Wagner), it is a film which I believe has that same intangible quality.I'd recommend this one for both western fan and non western fan (like myself) alike.