Develiker terrible... so disappointed.

ChanFamous I wanted to like it more than I actually did... But much of the humor totally escaped me and I walked out only mildly impressed.

Kodie Bird True to its essence, the characters remain on the same line and manage to entertain the viewer, each highlighting their own distinctive qualities or touches.

Skyler Great movie. Not sure what people expected but I found it highly entertaining.

jarrodmcdonald-1 Jennifer Jones and Charlton Heston both give steamed-up performances in this sexy melodrama. The beginning of the film starts off a little slow, but when Heston's character marries someone else, all the stops get pulled out. Of course, there are other actresses who could have played the role of Ruby: Ava Gardner and Gene Tierney quickly come to mind. What Miss Jones gives it, however, is a realistic tomboyish quality. For the first half of the film, she wears modest clothing (mostly denim) and acts rough and unsophisticated. She transforms herself into something more mature and glamorous when her character marries a wealthy man (played by Karl Malden). Miss Jones previously received direction from King Vidor on David Selznick's earlier production, DUEL IN THE SUN. Not too surprisingly, Mr. Vidor's direction is excellent, and without a doubt, he sets this production apart from his other films and from other run-of-the-mill melodramas.

jhkp Jennifer Jones is so big in this film she makes Charlton Heston appear to be underacting - no mean feat! Nonetheless she's a fascinating actress to watch, and the whole film is fresh. Does it seem like "real life" North Carolina? No, but I don't really think it matters. It's an effective, entertaining melodrama that was a big hit in its day.Ruby Gentry was filmed on location (mostly in rural California), and what a nice, uncomplicated, outdoor feeling the film has. It's not studio-bound at all, even when the occasional use of process photography is obvious. Who could ever forget that amazing love scene played in the convertible careening down the beach, for example? You can almost feel the fresh sea air and smell the salt water. Heston and Jones, in this and other steamy scenes (at least for the time) make a surprisingly effective team.Photographed in real light, Jennifer Jones looks just about five years too old for the part; she seems to compensate by overdoing the tomboy aspects, strutting about and speaking too loudly to people standing three feet away from her. Playing a tramp-ish character, a girl from the wrong side of the tracks, she's hardly as naturally sultry or sexy as, say, Ava Gardner. She works at it, and works a bit too hard, at times. A scene where she gets looked over while pouring coffee for a group of horny guys, where all she has to do is stand there looking good, is played with so many varied facial tics and expressions, it's like she's concentrating on a road map. Yet her performance is a great one, overall, because she commands the screen and is never boring for a second. What's great about Jennifer Jones is her incredible sensitivity, so that when Ruby is slighted by the people of her town for her low social status, despite (and because of) her marriage to Karl Malden's wealthy character, her hurt and rage are palpable. She really lives the part. And this drives film. She has a great deal of life on the screen. Charlton Heston is great. Looser than usual, calling his girl, "baby." He doesn't seem to rely as much on his mellifluous voice this time. He plays a regular American guy. It's a shame he didn't get to demonstrate the casual quality of his Boake Teckman, here, in other roles. But I guess when you play Moses and Michelangelo you don't get that much of an opportunity.Karl Malden was still pretty new to moviegoers at this time but he became very popular, very fast, after his Oscar winning role in Streetcar. In many ways he's always reminded me of Spencer Tracy with his sharp yet warm, human portrayals. Unfortunately he didn't have Tracy's good looks and wasn't in line for leading man parts. But that didn't stop him from becoming a top star. He blends into his part expertly and makes us forget he's acting. He just seems to be Jim Gentry.The brilliant director King Vidor went through a long melodramatic period and it was most enjoyable. Ruby Gentry was a highlight.The score (for harmonica and orchestra) is one of the most memorable things about the film, the theme music became a big hit called "Ruby."

RanchoTuVu A drama set in a small town in North Carolina that doggedly holds on to the strict social division between the classes, all the more so given the fact that powerful post war 20th century economic forces are changing everyone's fortunes, and now the old money (what's left of it) can only grasp onto the past in order to maintain their weakened grip on their obsolete social hierarchy. To threaten the social order more is saucy Jennifer Jones, who all the upper class guys lust after, a woman from the wrong side of the tracks with a born again brother (James Anderson) who throughout the film reminds her that her soul is doomed to eternal damnation as she tempts and pleases Charlton Heston, who's upper class family has only their good name left, and who is promised to only moderately attractive and far less sexy Tracy McCauliff (Phyllis Avery) who's family is still rich AND respected. It's quite a trade off. The best scene comes after Heston and Avery marry and are at the local country club for a dance, and Heston and Jones dance provocatively while Jone's husband, the rich and jealous Karl Malden, who she decided to marry after she lost out on Heston,can't believe that this is happening to him. The film falters somewhat as it lurches towards the end, but pacing wise and photographically (B&W by the great Russel Harlan) it's definitely worth checking out.

moonspinner55 The turbulent life of a female sea captain is revealed. Jennifer Jones does quite well in the meaty leading role of Ruby, a swamp girl from the Carolinas who infiltrates an indifferent high society after marrying wealthy businessman Karl Malden. However, that marriage was just a convenience for this hellcat, who has pined her whole life for intrigued childhood hunting pal Charlton Heston, himself a recent newlywed to a girl who hails from the right side of the tracks. Silvia Richards' screenplay, which originated from a story by Arthur Fitz-Richard, is alarmingly direct, cutting right to the action despite a few well-placed flashbacks. Still, the narrative is somewhat confused (who's telling this story? If it's supposed to be Bernard Phillips' smitten doctor, he isn't around a whole lot). Jones sidesteps camp (just barely) with some enjoyably wild behavior in the film's second-half, and yet this portion of the movie doesn't quite fit comfortably alongside the rest--it plays almost like an unrelated episode. Director and co-producer King Vidor's strongest work comes in the earliest sequences, which have a well-wrought sense of character and pacing which the finale tends to lack. **1/2 from ****