Desire in the Dust

Desire in the Dust is a 1960 film made by 20th Century Fox, directed by William F. Claxton, and produced by Robert L. Lippert. The film stars Raymond Burr, Martha Hyer and Joan Bennett. The screenplay was written by Charles Lang, based on a novel by Harry Whittington.[2][3]

Desire in the Dust
Directed byWilliam F. Claxton
Produced byWilliam F. Claxton
executive
Robert L. Lippert
Written byCharles Lang
Based onnovel by Harry Whittington
StarringRaymond Burr
Martha Hyer
Joan Bennett
Music byPaul Dunlap
CinematographyLucien Ballard
Edited byRichard W. Farrell
Production
company
Associated Producers Inc
Distributed by20th Century Fox
Release date
Oct 1960[1]
Running time
102 min
CountryUSA

Plot

Lonnie Wilson (Ken Scott), the son of a sharecropper, Zuba Wilson (Douglas Fowley), returns to his small southern hometown of Clinton, Louisiana after spending six years on the chain-gang for killing Colonel Ben Marquand's son, Davey, in an automobile accident. He revives his love affair with Melinda Marquand (Martha Hyer), who is now Mrs. Melinda Thomas, having married Dr. Ned Thomas (Brett Halsey) while Lonnie was serving time in her place for the accident she caused.[4]

Somewhat miffed about all this, Lonnie incites Dr. Ned about his wife's infidelity, which Dr. Ned verifies when he catches Lonnie and Melinda in a semi-torrid embrace in Colonel Marquand's hunting lodge. Melinda, looking for an explanation, shoots and wounds Lonnie to defend her innocence by claiming she was being raped.

Colonel Marquand (Raymond Burr), who had bribed Lonnie to take the blame for his daughter, uses her story to have Sheriff Wheaton (Kelly Thordsen) kill Lonnie, thereby putting an end to all this mess. Mrs. Marquand (Joan Bennett) eventually faces Davey's death and realizes that she witnessed Melinda run down her little brother.

Peter Marquand (Jack Ging) and Ned return to the lodge and inform Otis that the charges against Lonnie are all lies. Exonerated, Lonnie gives Zuba the deed to the farm, and the old man dances in delight, thrilled to finally own his land.[5]

Cast

Production

In September 1959 Robert L. Lippert bought the screen rights to Harry Wittington's novel Desire in the Dust. He wanted Patricia Owens and Tuesday Weld for the leads.[6] It, along with Freckles and The Purple Hills, was the first in a new eight-picture deal between API and 20th Century Fox.[7] (It was later followed by Squad Car, Secret of the Purple Reef and Frontier Judge.[8])

Lippert said he wanted to film the novel to attract a more adult novel and "attract important people in the business to what we're trying to do."[9]

Dana Andrews was originally cast in the lead but backed out. He was replaced by Raymond Burr, then three years into Perry Mason, which was on a production break due to a writers strike.[10][11]

Filming started in July 1960 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.[12]

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See also

References
  1. E. A. (Oct 1, 1960). "DISTRIBUTORS LIST 9 MOVIE BOOKINGS". New York Times – via ProQuest.
  2. "FILMLAND EVENTS". Los Angeles Times. Sep 23, 1960 – via ProQuest.
  3. DESIRE IN THE DUST. (1960, Monthly Film Bulletin, 27, 170. Retrieved from https://search.proquest.com/docview/1305821195
  4. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0053762/ IMDB
  5. https://movies.nytimes.com/movie/89222/Desire-in-the-Dust/overview
  6. "Novel of the south purchased by lippert". Los Angeles Times. Sep 23, 1959 – via ProQuest.
  7. Scheuer, P. K. (Apr 28, 1960). "Laughs ill-timed in college comedy". Los Angeles Times – via ProQuest.
  8. "FILMLAND EVENTS". Los Angeles Times. May 30, 1960 – via ProQuest.
  9. Scheuer, P. K. (Sep 5, 1960). "Showman divulges first-aid program". Los Angeles Times – via ProQuest.
  10. Hopper, H. (Jun 3, 1960). "Looking at hollywood". Chicago Daily Tribune – via ProQuest.
  11. "FILMLAND EVENTS". Los Angeles Times. Jun 2, 1960 – via ProQuest.
  12. "FILMLAND EVENTS". Los Angeles Times. Jul 2, 1960 – via ProQuest.
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