L'Étreinte du destin

Post-Civil War southerner--who left his small town for battle with the reputation of a brawler and a womanizer--returns home a changed man; he has heard God's calling, and intends to build a church from scratch and be its self-appointed parson. Rather offbeat, entertaining, if modest western drama from screenwriter Herb Meadow (adapting his short story, "Calico Pony") offers a strong starring role for Van Heflin. Focused and determined, but not above a little unorthodox behavior, Heflin's Luke Fargo is a charming, thoroughly-realized creation: a man who wants to preach but isn't even sure how to begin a prayer. The film has lightly humorous character bits, also a ready-made villain in Raymond Burr (whose determination to trip Fargo up at every juncture is never made quite clear). Joanne Woodward debuts as a scruffy, orphaned tomboy; she's miscast, and is used mostly for comic relief, but she manages to make a connection with the audience--and with Heflin, although their final walk together (however subtly presented) is a bit tough to swallow. Not a big, rousing western, though completely unpretentious and engaging on a minor level. **1/2 from ****