Son of Fury: The Story of Benjamin Blake

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.

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.

'Son of Fury: The Story of Benjamin Blake' sounded like my kind of film. Love classic film, liked the idea of the story regardless of whether it was original or not and the cast seemed too good to resist. It is inviting enough to see especially Gene Tierney, George Sanders and Elsa Lanchester in any film, to see them in the same film along with Tyrone Power, Frances Farmer and Harry Davenport is enough to get anybody excited. It is always a plus too having Alfred Newman on board as composer.

Luckily did not find myself let down at all. 'Son of Fury: The Story of Benjamin Blake' turned out to be a very well done and entertaining film. To me, it really is something of a little treasure that is sadly is not particularly well known, hard when up against some of the best films ever made in one of film history's strongest decades and for those involved it is in the shadow of their better known work. This is a shame because 'Son of Fury: The Story of Benjamin Blake' does deserve to be better known and more widely available, and some of the cast actually give some of their most interesting and best work here (especially Tyrone Power and George Sanders), with such talent on board that is reason enough to see it.

Didn't find an awful lot wrong actually. The story is a slight one and can be predictable in places.

Also thought that Tierney's character was underused and underdeveloped.

However, 'Son of Fury: The Story of Benjamin Blake' is a gorgeously photographed film and while the locations may not be exactly authentic they are still handsome. Newman's score is lavish and sweeping in unmistakable Newman style, which will be an utter joy for fans of his and those who admire him. It moves at a lively pace without feeling rushed and there isn't anything really that slows things down. The script has wit and tautness, also with some sharply observed insights in class and human rights at the time, and the direction indicated somebody who knew what he was doing and what he wanted to accomplish. The story on the most part, while not perfect, still interests and it is impossible to dislike its charm and entertainment value. Some nice twists and surprises too.

There is a constant sense of fun and the action is genuinely exciting and well choreographed. The softer and more romantic scenes are charming and sweet, without being saccharine, while not making the mistake of slowing things down like romantic scenes in classic film did have the danger of doing. Parts are also surprisingly scary with Sanders' character, with a bold brutality that one doesn't expect. The cast are the main reason to see 'Son of Fury: The Story of Benjamin Blake' and why it works as well as it does. Power is dashing and charismatic, no unease or stiffness here, plus visually he smoulders. Regardless of whether Tierney is believable as an island girl (personally don't think she is, somewhat too glamorous), she still charms and is entrancingly beautiful, making the most of too little screen time.

Farmer makes just as much of an impression with more to do and with the more interesting role, and really gives it her all to both icy and poignant effect without being cold. Both she and Tierney are believable paired with Power, while Power convinces even more in his remarkably suspenseful moments with Sanders. Sanders is unflinchingly sinister, sometimes shockingly so, while maintaining his suavity, which was always very distinct. It was interesting seeing a young Roddy McDowell, while Elsa Lanchester is touching, John Carradine is both fun and atypically sympathetic and Harry Davenport is very endearing.

Overall, it is well worth digging this up. 8/10

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?