Das Erbe des Blutes (1960)

Das Erbe des Blutes: Directed by Vincente Minnelli. With Robert Mitchum, Eleanor Parker, George Peppard, George Hamilton. Dramatic story of the influential Hunnicutt family set in Texas during the late 1950s.

“Good movie with acceptable protagonist quartet such as Robert Mitchum , Eleanor Parker , George Hamilton and George Peppard ; all of them playing an enjoyable story with gritty subject matter . It deals with Captain Wade Hunnicutt (veteran Robert Mitchum) , he is a Southern landowner in a Texan town ; he is also a known womanizer who has relations with many of the local ladies , which has turned his spouse Hannah (enjoyable Eleanor Parker) against him . She has brought up their son Theron (a very young George Hamilton) to be dependent upon her ; as he approaches 18 and he reaches adulthood , he then asks his father to teach him to be a man and he is soon fishing and hunting . Wade insists on taking over his upbringing , initiating him in his way of life . But Wade has conflicts with his wife , son and foreman Rafe . Meanwhile , Theron falls in love for the shopkeeper (usual secondary Everett Sloane)u0026#39;s daughter (Luana Patten ,though Shirley Knight tested for the role of Libby) . However , he has the door slammed in his face by the girlu0026#39;s daddy . Theron is under the watchful eye of Rafe (George Peppard) , Hunnicuttu0026#39;s loyal employee who hides a dark secret to affect whole family . As Theron learns the family secrets, he is upsetting and decides to make his own way in life . It all leads to death , family confrontation , murder and tragedy.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThis is a pensive examen of a dysfunctional family in ¨Soaper¨ style and it contains emotion , thrills , imaginative sidelights , interesting dialog ; though overlong and sometimes static . It depicts the stormy events take place into a family whose womanizer father , subsequent gossips and other sorrowful happenings lead to fateful as well as tragic deeds . Very good acting by Robert Mitchum as a surly as well as rich father , the wealthiest and most powerful citizen in his town and Eleanor Parker as embittered wife who lives in the same house but are estranged and living separate lives ; however , these roles were first suggested as a vehicle for Bette Davis and Clark Gable . The picture is noteworthy for giving George Hamilton his first big break , plus George Peppard is top-notch as a foreman with good heart . Furthermore , a gorgeous Luana Patten , an attractive actress who being a little girl usually played for Walt Disney Productions , unfortunately , she early died . Fine support cast giving brief but nice acting such as Everett Sloane , Ray Teal , Dub Taylor , Constance Ford , Anne Seymour and Denver Pyle , among others . Colorful and glowing cinematography filmed in Panavision by Milton Krasner . The majority of location filming took place in Oxford, Mississippi, near the University of Mississippi campus and in Clarksville, Texas . Rousing and sensitive original musical score by Bronislau Kaper . u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThis melodrama , typical and brilliant MGM , was well produced by Sol C. Siegel and Edmund Grainger ; being efficiently directed by Vincente Minelli . Vincente was an expert on musicals , being hired by MGM for many years . After working on numerous Mickey Rooney/Judy Garland vehicles , usually directed by Busby Berkeley , Arthur Freed gave him his first directorial assignment on ¨Cabin in the sky¨ (1943), a risky screen project with an all-black cast . This was followed by the ambitious period piece , the classic ¨Meet me in St. Louis¨ (1944) whose star Judy Garland he married in 1945 . Many of his films included in every one of his movies features a dream sequence such as ¨Four horsemen of Apocalypse¨ . Employing first-class MGM technicians , including Erich Von Stroheim , Minnelli continued directing musicals as ¨The band wagon¨ (1953) , ¨Kismet¨, ¨The pirate¨ , ¨ An American in Paris¨ , ¨Brigadoon¨ as well as melodramas as ¨Some came running¨ (1958) , ¨Madame Bovary¨, ¨The sandpiper¨ , The home from the hill¨ and urban comedies like ¨Designing woman¨ (1957), occasionally even working on two films simultaneously . In his last average film titled ¨Nina¨ worked with his daughter Liza Minnelli . Rating ¨The home from the hill¨ : Better than average , itu0026#39;s a good story though sometimes falls plain , well worth watching .”