Arena **½ (1953, Gig Young, Jean Hagen, Polly Bergen, Barbara Lawrence, Harry Morgan) – Classic Movie Review 9819

Director Richard Fleischer’s 1953 Arena is an interesting, well set-up, nicely cast and slightly above run-of-the-mill rodeo film drama. Filmed in Ansco Color, it is supposedly the first 3D Western feature. Gig Young stars as Hob Danvers, a rodeo rider star who has neglected his attractive wife Ruth Danvers (Polly Bergen) because of his commitment to the rodeo, and they have been separated for two years.

[Spoiler alert] Hob is now canoodling with trampy rodeo-groupie mistress Sylvia Lorgan (Barbara Lawrence) and they arrive at a rodeo in Tucson, Arizona, together. However, he doesn’t realise Ruth intends to be at the rodeo too, seeking to rekindle their love.

He meets up with old buddy Lew Hutchins (Harry Morgan [Henry Morgan]) and is sad to learn Lew is looking for work as a rodeo clown after many years as a rodeo rider.

[Spoiler alert] Hob and Lew enter the bull competition. When Hob goes first, he is thrown, and Lew, trying to distract the bull, is fatally gored while saving him in the ring from the bull.

Morgan has a pretty wife, Meg Hutchins (Jean Hagen), and a little boy, Teddy Hutchins (Lee Aaker). Robert Horton plays current young rodeo star Jackie Roach, who makes a pass at Sylvia. It is a good set of characters.

Arena is mainly worth seeing for the performances, especially Young’s and Morgan’s, the Arizona locations and the rodeo sequences. But its other main advantage – the 3D cinematography – is generally unavailable on TV unfortunately.

It is MGM’s first 3D production, shot at a rodeo in Tucson, Arizona.

The main bull dropped dead during production and they were unable to find a good match for him, resulting in a lot of uninvolving long-shots.

Also in the cast are Lee Van Cleef, Lee Aaker, Morris Ankrum, Marilee Phelps, Jim Hayward, George Wallace and Stuart Randall.

It was a success, costing $752,000 and making a profit of $444,000.

© Derek Winnert 2020 Classic Movie Review 9819

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