The Lusty Men

(1952) dir Nicholas Ray w/Mitchum, Susan Hayward, Arthur Kennedy, Arthur Hunnicutt [113 min; 35mm]

Down on his luck rodeo competitor Jeff McCloud (Mitchum) returns to his childhood home after being injured in the ring. He meets Louise (Hayward) and Wes (Kennedy) who dream of buying the rundown house, but struggle to save enough money. Wes has competed in local rodeos, and with Jeff’s help starts to win success – and money – on the rodeo circuit. As Jeff begins to fall for Louise, who dislikes the rodeo lifestyle, fortune changes Wes, leaving Jeff out in the cold.