Movie Reviews for Jubal

Jubal

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Movie Reviews of Jubal

Movie Review: The music caught my attention as this powerful adult Western in constant suspense...
Summary: 4 Stars

When a Wyoming cattle king, Shep Horgan (Ernest Borgnine), receives Jubal Troop (Glenn Ford) in his ranch, his presence arouses strong emotions for his attractive young Canadian wife Mae...

Shep, a friendly good-natured husband and the best loved man in the territory, offers his help and trust to Jubal and names him his foreman... Shep was proud of the "sheep-herding friend" who got lost in the blizzard, and came over the pass from Montana, running from "bad luck."

Mae (Valerie French), a rancher's wanton wife, spins the plot by her attentions to the disinterested cowboy Jubal, which further stirs up the surly range rider (Rod Steiger) with whom she had previously been carrying on an affair, unknown to her genteel husband...

Truthful and straightforward, Jubal is caught between a loyal friend and an insistent desirous unfaithful wife who considers her husband's fine ranch a "10,000 acres of lonesomeness."

Mae was not in love with her unattractive husband... She thought she just picked the right guy to patch it up with... She even considered an evil plan in her mind... Maybe another affair, a new love, a murder...

One night, she went crazy... She lied to Shep telling him that Jubal was here in their room, in their bed... She yelled angrily in pain: "I'm sick to my stomach every time you kiss me. Let go of me. I hate you. I hate the way you look at me. I hate every single thing about you. I love him. Do you hear? I love Jube."

In that moment, Mae inflames a torrid fuse of sex, jealousy and revenge which make of Delmer Daves' "Jubal" a rather engrossing piece of adult entertainment...

Glenn Ford was honest in his feelings toward his boss ("Shep made me feel like somebody. Shep gave me a reason for living.") ignoring that he was caught in a net of lies, murder, and uncontrolled passions...

Rod Steiger was exceptional as the sadistic top hand who strongly disliked Jubal's gizzard... Pinky spots Mae's sights on Jubal... His jealous was so great as his strong sexual desire for the ex-lover...

In her film debut, Felicia Far was the radiant and beautiful as the little Rawhider responding to expert handling...

"Jubal" returned Charles Bronson to the West and to the company of director Delmer Daves, with whom he had made "Drum Beat." Cast as a ranch-hand friend of Ford's in the employ of Borgnine, Bronson contributes his natural masculine presence to this psychological Western...

Set against the mountainous fertile valley of the Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming, and beautifully photographed in CinemaScope and Technicolor, "Jubal" is a powerful adult Western in constant suspense...

Movie Review: Excellent mid-50s Adult Western with Glenn Ford
Summary: 4 Stars

THE STORY: An injured drifter, Glenn Ford as Jubal Troop, is rescued by ranch-owner Earnest Borgnine, who ultimately promotes him to foreman of his ranch. This stirs up the envy of ranch-hand Rod Steiger ("Pinky") and the desire of Borgnine's young sexpot/discontent wife Valerie French. The latter leads to even more hostility on Steiger's part because he used to enjoy the adulterous attentions of French until Ford came along.

Add to this mix a group of trespassing Mennonites (or perhaps Quakers) who have in their company Felicia Farr, a godly woman that attracts Ford's romantic interests, and Charles Bronson, another drifter who befriends Ford.

WHAT WORKS: For the first hour and ten minutes or so "Jubal" is captivating cinema of the highest order. Borgnine is simpleminded & naive but likable and full of mirth. Valerie French is fully clothed at all times, yet somehow oozes sexuality with every simple glance or word (proving that sexiness involves way more than merely showing skin). Rod Steiger is perfect as the villainous Southerner-turned-Westerner "Pinky." Felicia Farr is an interesting addition to the story: her godly purity attracts Ford just as much as French's adulterous tactics turn him off.

As for the young Charles Bronson, how can you go wrong? And, lastly, Glenn Ford is perfect as the tragedy-laden drifter.

A big bonus is that the film was shot on location with the mighty Grand Tetons as a backdrop for the entire story. These magnificent Wyoming mountains are nothing short of breathtaking!

WHAT DOESN'T WORK: A little after the hour mark a major character buys the farm, resulting in the last half-hour tying up loose ends and somehow losing the yarn's ultra-captivating charm. I'm not saying the ending is bad, not at all, just that it's mediocre compared to the rest of the film. This is the only reason the flick rates 4-Stars instead of 5-Stars in my mind.

Also, although the opening credits score is understandably dated, the rest of the film is not.

CONCLUSION: Make no mistake, "Jubal" is a powerful psychological Western; there's thankfully no Disney-like unrealistic vibe anywhere to be found. It expertly touches on issues of friendship, envy, jealousy, competition, lust, hate, love, and hope. In light of this, I'm genuinely surprised at how underrated "Jubal" is in the Western genre.

Let me add that Jubal is a man of fascinatingly noble character: he amazingly resists the skilled sexual advances of the luscious Valerie French. Kinda reminds me of Joseph and Potiphar's wife.

"Jubal" is a MUST for every person's Western film library.

Movie Review: One of Glenn Ford's Best Westerns
Summary: 4 Stars

Jubal is the kind of adult western that was rare even in the heyday of Western production in Hollywood. A great cast, strong writing, and beautiful scenery makes it that much more enjoyable.

Jubal is a luckless drifter, played by Ford who is rescued from exposure and starvation by wealthy rancher Ernest Borgnine. Borgnine soons put Jubal to work as a ranch hand. Borgnine has a very young and beautiful wife, played by Valerie French. She takes a strong liking to Jubal, which not only complicates his relationship with Borgnine, but further strains his dealings with a jealous fellow ranch hand Pinky, played by Rod Steiger. Things go downhill from there.

Add Felicia Farr playing her normal stalwart Western beauty and Charles Bronson as a friend of Jubal's, and you have the making of a great film. It's way past time that this was on DVD.

Movie Review: Wonderful location!
Summary: 4 Stars

The movie is pretty good, a classic western plot. The location, Jackson WY and the Grand Teton, is astonishing! Some of the scenes have been shot just from the same point of view Ansel Adams made one of his most famous picture (Snake River & Grand Teton). Great.