Lust for Gold (1949)
7/10
A Fool's Gold
14 March 2017
Warning: Spoilers
What would you do if you really thought there was an opportunity to become wealthy beyond your wildest dreams but you also knew there was a real risk that your very life is at stake? This is the story of one such man whose name was Jacob (The Dutch) Walz played by Golden Globe winner and is a renowned western star Glenn Ford. Jacob Walz has previously heard the tall tales of the Superstition Mountains and there have been many men before him who have lost their lives in trying to find this treasure trove of gold hidden somewhere in the Superstition Mountains.

One day another old miner named Wiser played by the cagey old character actor Edgar Buchanan suggests that he has over heard some key information from one of the three (3) surviving Mexican brothers who originally discovered than buried their gold in Superstition Mountains. So Wiser suggests to Dutch that they partner up with the result being a 50/50 split and so they agree to shadow the Mexican who has come back to reclaim his previous mined gold. Of course Dutch who is much younger than Wiser agrees to the 50/50 split with Wiser but you can guess what the outcome is if one of these two partners were not able to make it back out of the Superstition Mountains.

This film is filled with endless greed, the power of instant wealth and the hypnotic effect that gold can have on the residents of an entire town. Yes there is a beautiful and conniving woman in the name of Juia Thomas (Ida Lupino) who has been married for the past five (5) years to a dreamer and unsuccessful businessmen named Pete Thomas (Gig Young). Now this married couple also want to get their hands on the gold so that they can live their own dream of unbridled wealth and freedom the gold could bring them. This film depicts that gold conquers one's marriage vows and we can see that either Julia and/or Pete would be just as happy to claim the gold for themselves than to have to share it with their loving spouse.

What all of these greedy gold seekers forget is that when you place a dead carcass in front of a pack of hungry wolves only the strongest will get to eat. Even then the strongest wolf needs to fear that the next day there will be someone stronger than he is who is hungrier as well. Such is the case in Lust for Gold where greed, deception in both business partnerships and love will rear its ugly head, and of course there is vengeance as this town of wolves who walk on two legs all pine for this hidden treasure of the gold in the Superstition Mountains.

I would not turn my back on any one of these greedy characters and this feature film is a reminder that instant wealth is not reality and most likely will lead to heartbreak and pain, and maybe even loss of life for a fool's gold.

I give this western drama a worthy 7 out of 10 rating.
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