• Source: Ruthless (1948 film)

Ruthless is a 1948 American film noir drama film directed by Edgar G. Ulmer starring Zachary Scott, Sydney Greenstreet and Louis Hayward.




Plot


Horace Vendig shows himself to the world as a rich philanthropist. In fact, the history of his rise from his unhappy broken home shows this to be far from true. After being taken in by richer neighbors he started to exhibit an obsessive and selfish urge to make more and more money, loving and leaving women at will to further this end.




Cast


Zachary Scott as Horace Vendig
Louis Hayward as Vic Lambdin
Diana Lynn as Martha / Mallory
Sydney Greenstreet as Mansfield
Lucille Bremer as Christa Mansfield
Martha Vickers as Susan Duane
Dennis Hoey as Mr. Burnside
Edith Barrett as Mrs. Burnside
Raymond Burr as Peter Vendig
Joyce Arling as Kate Vendig
Charles Evans as Bruce McDonald
Bob Anderson as Horace as a child
Arthur Stone as Vic as a child
Ann Carter as Martha as a child
Edna Holland as Libby Sims
Frederick Worlock as J. Norton Sims
Claire Carleton as Bella
Larry Steers as Dinner Attendee (uncredited)




Critical reception


At the time of its release, the staff at Variety magazine panned the film: "Despite a sextet of name players, Ruthless is a victim of clichéd and outmoded direction and of weary dialog to which no actor could do justice. Performances are handicapped by the direction of Edgar G. Ulmer. Adaptation from the Dayton Stoddart novel, Prelude to Night, is involved and confusing. Plot’s denouement is also telegraphed long before the finale. Hayward contribs a fair interpretation of Scott’s associate, who eventually breaks from him. Diana Lynn, in a dual role, is wistful and appealing as a pawn in Scott’s affections. Sydney Greenstreet, cast as a utilities magnate who’s ousted by Scott, tends to overact."
In 2013, film critic Glenn Erickson gave the film a positive review, writing, "Financed as a one-shot project by an agent-turned producer, Ruthless plays its quietly subversive theme right out to the bitter end. It has excellent performances by a cast of not-quite big stars, some of them recently relieved of studio contracts. Its main player is the biggest surprise: Zachary Scott gives the performance of his career ... Ruthless is the Edgar G. Ulmer picture that shows him operating with a decent set of cinematic Tinkertoys, and he does very well indeed."




References






External links



Ruthless at the AFI Catalog of Feature Films
Ruthless at IMDb
Ruthless at AllMovie
Ruthless at the TCM Movie Database

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