El hijo de la furia

Most movies of Hollywood Golden Age are attractive. They share cleverly constructed plot and dialogue, high-standard direction and actors' performances. Perhaps because of the charm of past times, as a rule the characters are very nice guys, even the villains, like in "Son of Fury": who is really able to detest George Sanders? Yet sometimes a motive in the movie makes it outstanding. This is the case of "Son of Fury". In fact it shows the materialization of the most romantic dream of our youth, even improving it: to live in Polynesia and... with Gene Tierney! Gene is the improvement to our own dream. Her capacity to be lovely is unbelievable: just the scene when she uses a fork like a comb would be worth seeing the movie. And what about her polynesian dance in grass-skirt? When Tyrone Power leaves the island to take his revenge in England, the audience is disappointed: we don't see the point in leaving Paradise. The director seems to realize this feeling: in fact, Power's come-back to England is more an act of justice than of revenge. Anyway, we feel relieved when he finally settles his business and returns to the island, to his friends, to her. And there she is, alone on the reef... What is more common in a movie than the final kiss? Yet this one has something special. In that instant, we all are Tyrone Power and she... she is Gene Tierney, what could be better?

Those who claim Elizabeth Taylor and Montgomery Clift were the screen's all-time most beautiful couple apparently have never seen Tyrone Power and Gene Tierney. SON OF FURY is a wonderful multi-genre picture that goes from British period piece to South Seas romance quite smoothly. The film's plot has been well-explained by multiple IMDb members so I'll just concentrate on the performances.

The entire cast does fine work. Gene Tierney doesn't appear until a full hour as passed and her role doesn't require much except smiling and looking utterly beautiful and that she does to perfection. George Sanders (looking amazingly like John Wayne in the early scenes) has one of his most brutally villainous roles and he plays it without flinching, this is no character you love to hate, he's one scary SOB. This major 1942 film is also notable for giving breaks to two actresses who had been brushed off by many in Hollywood, the troubled Frances Farmer who plays Sanders' daughter (and Power's first love) and early talkie star Kay Johnson, making a very rare appearance, as Sander's wife. John Carradine has one of his most likable roles as a seedy castaway who turns out to be a great friend. There's also an exceptional performance from Harry Davenport (best known as Doc Meade from GONE WITH THE WIND) as Power's beloved grandfather.

And I've saved the best for last, the one, the only Tyrone Power. Was there ever a more gorgeous man in movies? And SON OF FURY fairly revels in his beauty, his beautiful mop of thick black hair, his stunning profile, manly arms, friendly eyes and infectious smile. And as a bonus, there are numerous scenes of Power shirtless, running around the island in sarong-like swim-shorts. To top it all off, Tyrone is a fantastic actor, one of classic Hollywood's best. He would have been a superstar in any era.

that Tyronne Power never got an Oscar or recognition is beyond me. he didn't have to open his mouth ....just the eyes demonstrated all emotions needed whether sadness....joy.....angriness. son of fury is a movie that captures our hearts from the beginning....the scenery....the music the acting flawless. gene Tierney she was a knock out..George Saunders you loved to hate him...harry davenport a granddad we want to cuddle. and of course Tyrone power in my opinion the handsomest actor to grace the screen....even today. Son of Fury is really worth watching...it grabs you from the start. Bravo...to think these actors have all passed away...its our lost.

This is a pretty entertaining film that works pretty well due to decent writing and an excellent villain in the form of George Sanders. The film begins with a young boy being forcibly taken from his loving grandfather and the boy is made a stable boy for a rich baronet. It seems that this rich guy (Sanders) is actually the kid's uncle but instead of being kind, he treats the kid like dirt. The reasons are because the uncle wants to keep the family fortune for himself AND because something about his dead brother and his wife bother him so intensely that he wants to make their child's life hell. The boy is played by Roddy McDowell, but after the first 15 minutes or so, he is "Hollywood aged" and is played by Tyrone Power. Power is very good in the film, but a few macho scenes didn't seem all that plausible--especially after seeing his rather scrawny frame once he took his shirt off part-way through the film.

Well, Power cannot stay at the manor to take the abuse forever, especially since the uncle seems intent on eventually killing him--beating him savagely and making up a story that Power attacked and tried to kill him! So, he runs off to sea and meets up with a friend, John Carradine --in one of his non-crazy or monster roles. Together they plan to jump ship, make their fortunes and return to England. Well, all this DOESN'T go exactly as planned and Power meets a beautiful native girl played pretty convincingly by Gene Tierney. What happens next I really don't want to divulge--it would spoil the film's many surprises. However, the film does have many twists and surprises--especially at the end and enough that it elevates this film above the norm and makes it very watchable--nearly earning it a score of 8.

Piper Laurie said of Tyrone Power, "Tyrone Power was Saturday afternoon at the movies." "Son of Fury" surely must have been one of those films that young people flocked to see on a Saturday afternoon - an island adventure starring one of the biggest stars in Hollywood.

Power costars with a great cast that includes George Sanders, Frances Farmer, Gene Tierney, Roddy McDowell, and Elsa Lanchester. Tierney is impossibly beautiful, certainly every boy's dream girl - and on an island, no less, and not speaking English! Her final kiss with Power is socko.

The film has some excellent performances by the supporting cast, McDowell and Lanchester in particular. Lanchester's scene with Power is especially touching. Fifteen years later, they'd work together on his last film, Witness for the Prosecution. Lovely Farmer, whose story is now legend, doesn't have much to do, which is a shame. Sanders is always excellent. He and Power would fight on screen again in "Solomon and Sheba." Power collapsed while he and Sanders rehearsed a sword fight and died very shortly afterward.

Son of Fury, of course, is the type of film at which Power excelled, and there would be many more period pieces to come before his contract, interrupted by the war, finally expired. He said at the end of his life that he was proud of only four films. He should have been prouder of a lot more, because he fed a lot of dreams and was responsible for many happy Saturday afternoons for 22 years.