La maîtresse de fer

Jim Bowie sets off to sell lumber in New Orleans, but once there he is captivated by the beautiful Judalon de Bornay and finds that life here is vastly different to that of home. Getting himself into many scrapes on account of his feelings for Judalon, Bowie invents a new kind of Knife, the Iron Mistress, and from here a legend is born.

Nobody should go into this picture expecting a Jim Bowie biography, in fact Western fans who haven't seen it should be advised that it barely registers as a Western piece. What it is, is a fine picture that certainly appears to be undervalued {if a little under seen} on the IMDb site. It's full of dandy men fighting and duelling with honour and guts, beautiful women that are surely worth fighting for, and of course it introduces us to the legendary Bowie Knife.

It's based on a Paul Wellman novel, and by all accounts the film is pretty loyal to Wellman's ideals, it doesn't however take us all the way to the Alamo. Alan Ladd takes the lead role of Bowie, shiny blonde hair and brooding for all he is worth, fans of his performance in Shane should definitely check this one out, it's a great performance from Ladd, the kind that makes the gals go gooey and the boys to thump their chests. Virginia Mayo is Judalon and positively simmers with sexual beauty, the character is akin to a viper, and the pot boiling sexual tension is palpable in the extreme, she is in short, a woman men will die for.

Some scenes are just terrific, a duel in a darkened room that is only lit by the odd flash of lightning thru a window, a knife fight as two men with one arm tied to each other face off in a circle of honour, and of course Jim Bowie in every encounter, his violent gutsy bravado fearsome as his reputation escalates. At the time of writing only 141 people have voted on this picture, only 10 people have bothered to write a user comment for it, that's a shame because although it may not be a Western as such, it's a damn fine romantic, dandy, drama with a Western legend at its core. 8/10

This is an adventure story using fiction to tell about the early years of James Bowie,prior to his martyrdom at the Alamo a few years after this film ends. This is a typical romantic adventure story with Alan Ladd giving an erstwhile honest portrayal in the role that Richard Widmark did years later in THE ALAMO. Mr Ladd was short in stature,but you would never really know that,. as all of the actors were either his height or 1 or 2 inches either way. Virginia Mayo is as usual very beautiful & well dressed,She was never considered a great actress but she could portray a very selfish woman with perfect ease. The rest of the cast is just what you would expect in this type of vehicle. Good production values with a very good knife fight in a dark room with only lightning bolts to highlight the action. A bit long at 112 minutes, but entertaining. a low *** rating or a 7 on the IMDB scale

as always

Jay Harris.

You got to like Alan Ladd first off. He gave a good show in this performance and with a good story and supporting actors, this remains premium entertainment. In addition to the Bowie legend, we are introduced to the Bowie knife. A large no-nonsense will get the job done specially made knife that in the right hands can do quite a bit of damages if you are a master of said knife. Alan Ladd is that man. In addition to a nice flowing story-line, we are introduced to many memorable scenes which make this a must see movie again and again. We get a glimpse of the way it was way back when the country was young, Way back when, there was opportunity everywhere, brave men who took risks and danger to put them in their place if they made one wrong move. Many did. The movie emphasizes a moral code in its story of which men will duel over if not honored and obeyed. It wasn't enough to win or kill but how you win and kill that mattered as a mans reputation was the most important asset he had. Banks would loan on it, people would support it and others would imitate it making a person's character very valuable. Boy has that been compromised over the ages but not wiped out. If one finds an honest man who practices righteousness, faith is restored and good will toward men takes place. If many are found keeping this, then we are either closer to paradise or we are in Christmas! Pay attention to the leading ladies vanity. She has everything yet she has nothing and we are treated to a close-up glance of vanity at work and even more, pride in large doses too. Worthy time spent on this little gem. I have seen it perhaps ten times and am watching it now. What joy. Waste no more time reading this. Go and be entertained. Highly recommend eating while watching, a decent snack and a tasty drink. Please enjoy and if you recorded this off of TCM, watch it and save it and watch again in about 3 weeks. You will thank me!

Excellent entertainment for the movie-goer regarding Jim Bowie, his knife and a snapshot of his life real or imagined. It doesn't matter how accurate this is as it is not a biography or documentary but instead entertainment. Furthermore I like Alan Ladd which makes for a treat. There are some familiar faces for the cast for their time making it even more enjoyable. One thing I always look for in classic movie showings is whether the movie is watchable a second time. It all depends on memorable scenes and this movie has quite a few that make you want to "comeback" for more. Too bad it is not longer as they would have just loaded it up with more good viewing dynamics. I watch this every 2-3 years for decades and it is still holding my attention just like the first time out. Excellent movie to eat with while watching with a tasty drink. Snack ups it considerably too. Hey....

The Iron Mistress (1952)

I don't get the whole call of honor that leads to duels at the slightest provocation (or less). In some movies it's a fabulous dramatic point, but here it's a nagging and recurring trick, a reason for some male chest-thumping and a little bloodshed. It also represents the way the movie depends on forced drama to make the events jump.

There are exceptions, like a really beautiful and unusual hand-to-hand knife/sword fight occurring in a darkened room, with an occasional bolt of lightning like a strobe going off. This is cinema trickery, a real pleasure, not part of the real story, but it's a moment of relief from the costume drama and dueling the rest of the time.

This is how this movie goes. Moments of unique drama are followed by long stretches of stiff plot development. I'm not sure how the movie reflects the real story of James Bowie, whose name was given to the famous Bowie knife (knives naturally have a big role in the movie, including the forging of the first true Bowie knife). But what works best is the sense of period sets and time-travel to pre-Civil War Louisiana. The romance isn't highly romantic, and the plot is generally stiff, but it is a kind of history story come to life. If you overlook the obvious liberties and gaffes, it's not an unwatchable movie, just a routine one. Alan Ladd, it must be said, is a little cool even for Alan Ladd (an understated actor).

The film does lay out the gradual shift in cultivation of the South to cotton farming, and brings out lots of old rules like the fact divorce was impossible in Louisiana without an act of the legislature. People interested in this certain kind of movie making, for its own sake, should check out "Drums Along the Mohawk" (a better movie by far, but with a similar feel somehow). Here, the camera-work by the talented John Seitz is strangely dull (though it is in true Technicolor), and the scored music by the incomparable Max Steiner is straight up functional. Most of all, the many ordinary parts are put together without great art or intensity.