Lure of the Wilderness

'Swamp Water' was fairly indifferent Renoir to begin with, and this remake with Walter Brennan recreating his original role compensates by being slightly less studio bound and photographed by ace Technicolor cameraman Edward Cronjager. (Franz Waxman's score is sometimes suitably eerie and sometimes unsuitably twee.)

It's also fun to see a young Jack Elam as one of the local rednecks. In the role originally played by Anne Baxter, Jean Peters looks as if she came straight off the set of 'Anne of the Indies', pausing only to discard her headscarf.

Do not confound this film with LURE OF THE SWAMP, made by Hubert Cornfield five years later. Or even with Joseph Lewis' CRY OF THE HUNTED, made for MGM, starring Barry Sullivan and Vittorio Gassman. This movie from director Jean Negulesco, a pure Twentieth Century Fox film maker, is a pale remake of the original, but agreeable to watch, full of charm and pulled by convincing actors' performances. I did not remind that Walter Brennan played in both, and I don't remember if he has the same character. I am not sure that color helpd much the atmosphere of this kind of story, but the swamp, bayou settings, maybe justified this decision for the producers.

excellent movie,wonderful cast,and very enjoyable to watch,so i'm wondering why it was never released to video,I know that there has to be a copy somewhere because it was shown on Disney channel years ago,when satellites first came out,I have a copy from back then,still watchable but would love to own a new copy of it.just can't understand why this version was never released,and swamp water was,Lure of the wilderness is a remake of swamp water,and is a much better movie.,SO if one of these ever becomes available,I would sure love to purchase one.So you guys find me one. Thanks for the chance to express my opinion. Louise

I saw this movie in original release and have always wanted to see it again. It is beautifully acted by the entire cast, especially Walter Brennan. As usual, he was always an asset to any movie. The setting of the swamp gave the movie adventure,suspense and beauty. This is one classic that should be restored to its original state.

A remake of "swamp water " ,Renoir's first American movie ,"lure of the wilderness 's is an estimable one ;the star of the movie is the swamp water ,and if it was filmed in black and white in the first version, color landscapes are a feast for the eye .Twelve years later , Walter Brennan plays the same part as in the French director's work .

But the characters are not cardboard; Jim and Laurie are outcasts , but they are not that much anxious to come back to "civilization" because the dice are loaded and the father won't have a fair trial ; Ben runs into them by chance ;he,too ,is some kind of orphan, for his father has thrown it out of the house when he told him he intended to come back to this doomed swamp where many a man got lost .So Jim becomes a surrogate father to him , his life comes now to resemble his/theirs,not the other way about ; and Jean Peters (who would also play an indian opposite Lancaster in Aldrich's " Apache" (1954))is a better "wild " girl than Ann Baxter .

The ball is an important scene because it's the first (timid) attempt to take Laurie back to the community ;as a fugitive outlaw's daughter she does not stand any chance to be accepted by the well-to-do people;the film is as much a man clearing his name as a younger 's initiation rite : the graves he digs is not for Harper ...