Jun 26
Lizabeth Scott in Desert Fury (1947)
seen from United States
seen from United Kingdom
seen from United States
seen from Japan
seen from South Korea
seen from Israel
seen from United Kingdom
seen from Netherlands
seen from United States
seen from Belgium
seen from Argentina
seen from Russia
seen from United States
seen from Brazil
seen from United States
seen from Canada
seen from China
seen from Italy
seen from China
seen from United Kingdom
Lizabeth Scott in Desert Fury (1947)
Lizabeth Scott as Paula Haller in DESERT FURY (1947) dir. Lewis Allen
DESERT FURY, 1974 | Lizabeth Scott as Paula Haller
“… or they were women like Lizabeth Scott, a kind of blonde Joan Crawford, who weren’t necessarily evil themselves, but whose very presence seemed to invite evil. Every time she appeared, the atmosphere became heavy, and we knew that trouble, big trouble, was ahead.”
/ Feminist theorist Molly Haskell in her book From Reverence to Rape: The Treatment of Women in the Movies (1987) /
Ash blonde of hair … smoky of eye … raspy of voice (John Kobal once memorably likened it to “a voice that sounded as if it had been buried somewhere deep and was trying to claw its way out”) … Sultry Lizabeth Scott (née Emma Matzo, 29 September 1922 - 31 January 2015) died on this day. For decades Scott was mostly uncelebrated (and bedevilled by comparisons to the more famous Lauren Bacall) but more recently she’s been reappraised as one of the most haunting and enigmatic of forties and fifties actresses and an essential figure in film noir. So far, I’ve screened three of Scott’s movies at my monthly Lobotomy Room film club (Desert Fury (1947), Pitfall (1948) and Too Late for Tears (1949)) and it’s been gratifying to see how audiences respond to her. For anyone curious about the famously secretive Scott, the 2022 memoir Lunch with Lizabeth - screenwriter, author, producer and filmmaker Todd Hughes' account of his friendship with her - is required reading. Pictured: judging by Scott’s hairstyle here, this is a glamour shot promoting the 1950 film Paid in Full.
I've often missed or disagreed with famous gay subtext in old movies, but in Desert Fury (1947)- yeah, those two gangsters are in a relationship and one of them is cheating with Lizabeth Scott, there is just no other interpretation of the dialog.
Lizabeth Scott in Desert Fury (1947) directed by Lewis Allen.
The reference is a still from the 1947 film Desert Fury; she is Lizabeth Scott, although this time I didn't aim for a total likeness and was content to reproduce the scene with its color palette and lighting. The soundtrack and song lyrics are by my favorites, Steely Dan, and the song is the brilliant Kid Charlemagne!
Desert Fury (1947) – Lewis Allen