Man in the Shadow (aka Pay the Devil/The Seeds of Wrath)

Liberal Hollywood at its most dully straightforward. On a huge southern ranch, a Mexican labourer is murdered. His pal tells the local sheriff (Chandler), so we know he’s for the chop too. Orson Welles runs the spread whilst sucking on an enormous cigar and telling Chandler his interference is neither necessary nor welcome. The townsfolk agree, their economy relying entirely on the ranch’s patronage (all except the Italian barber, who remembers trouble in the old country with a similar bullying fellow back in the ’30s). It takes Chandler being dragged round town behind a truck to rouse them from self-interest, and for community and justice to triumph over tyranny and racism. Arnold's hands are safe with such basic well-meant fare (the handsome ‘scope photography is a plus) but the lack of ambiguity borders on simplistic, Chandler is as uninspiring as ever, and even Orson is uncharacteristically restrained.

d Jack Arnold p Albert Zugsmith sc Gene L. Coon ph Arthur E. Arling ed Edward Curtiss ad Alexander Golitzen, Alfred Sweeney m Hans J. Salter, Herman Stein cast Jeff Chandler, Orson Welles, Colleen Miller, Ben Alexander, Barbara Lawrence, John Larch, James Gleason, Royal Dano
(1957, USA, 80m, b/w)