The Lusty Men

Director Nicholas Ray was a master of the offbeat film, and this brilliant contemporary western, easily the best movie ever made about rodeo (see also JUNIOR BONNER, J.W. COOP and RODEO), is no exception. Washed-up rodeo champion Jeff McCloud (Robert Mitchum) takes a job on the ranch of Wes and Louise Merritt (Arthur Kennedy and Susan Hayward), and, with his guidance, Wes becomes a rodeo star. Meanwhile, Louise leads on the infatuated Jeff to insure his continued training of her husband, but, when Wes gets too big for his britches, Jeff goes head to swelled head with him in rodeo competition, with tragic results. THE LUSTY MEN is full of action and dangerous stunts...