SON OF FURY (1942)

Very enjoyable period melodrama with Tyrone Power near the peak of his career. The central story is of a twisted, dysfunctional family. Roddy McDowell is the young Benjamin Blake, the offspring of a duke and a poor girl who were married, but after the duke dies, his dastardly brother (George Sanders) hides evidence of the marriage so that McDowell won't be able to make any claims to money or property when he grows up. To keep control over him, Sanders snatches the boy away from his loving grandfather (Harry Davenport) and makes him a stable boy. Years later, when Ben grows up (Tyrone Power), he falls for Sanders' daughter (Frances Farmer) but when Sanders hears of a possible liason, he beats Power brutally and Power escapes, spending some years on a South Seas island, romancing Gene Tierney and collecting pearls to take back to England to make his fortune. When he does get back home, he tries to take Sanders on in court and discovers ex-flame Farmer to be a betraying wench. Power is handsome and charming (and shirtless in a few scenes) and Tierney is lovely, though she doesn't really have much to do except look good in her flowery swim suit and do what seems to be an early version of the Macarena. The black and white camerawork is occasionally stunning, far more "artistic" than I would expect in an average swashbuckler of the era. Sanders is excellent as the thoroughly evil villain, raging with sadistic fury at Power. Also in the cast: John Carradine as a sailor who befriends Power, Elsa Lanchester has a helpful barmaid, and Robert Greig as a judge. Quite fun all around; well made and nice to look at. [FMC]