Foxfire (1955)

Redundant and unnecessary.

Good story, Not enough for a whole film

An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

It’s fine. It's literally the definition of a fine movie. You’ve seen it before, you know every beat and outcome before the characters even do. Only question is how much escapism you’re looking for.

I expect Russell was the Technicolor draw for this rather tame installment of passion in the desert. Her box-office was peaking as thousands of men fantasized over certain Amazonian endowments. Still, she's quite good as the conflicted-wife, breathing life into a sometimes slumping narrative. Will she and Chandler stay together once they decide to get hitched. That's basically the plot-line, so get interested if you can. Trouble is he's also married to his job at the gold mine; plus, being the swarthy Chandler from a hundred previous Westerns, he's also half- Apache. But more difficult for them, she's a rich girl from the East with a snooty mother, so you get the culture clash idea.Duryea as the dipso doctor looks like he's having fun. But you do have to believe that somehow he handles the booze bottle with one hand and his patients with the other. Seems like a real stretch to me. Then too, there's the shapely Corday in a tacked-on role. Somehow she manages a fashion wardrobe on a nurse's salary. Oh well, she does have to carve out a glamour spot from the formidable Russell. Not much really happens in the 90-minutes. But there is a lot of eye candy, especially the bright colors that show up like neons against the desert backdrop. Otherwise, except for the attractive stars, this desert soap opera is pretty much forgettable.

1955's "Foxfire" has several things going for it -- mainly the star power of Jane Russell and Jeff Chandler. They are very sexy together and their chemistry permeates this film. Their performances are subtle yet resonate with honest emotion. Both actors have a natural style of acting which allows the viewer to swallow the script's melodramatic clichés without rejecting the whole scenario of a New York socialite impulsively marrying an Arizona miner. Here Russell once again shows that she was in the ranks of Mitchum & Gable -- two of her screen co-stars -- and that she knew how to make her acting look effortless and completely natural. However, given all the salacious publicity she received, rarely was her talent or her charismatic screen presence truly appreciated during her heyday. Here her usual tough and hard-boiled persona is toned downed and she gives a performance showing sensitivity and vulnerability. She is completely believable in a role that was originally intended for June Allyson! Chandler too is quite good: silent yet complex and he shows these characteristics without the histrionics typically used by actors in similar roles (i.e. Robert Stack). The gorgeous Technicolor enhances the Arizona scenery and the great Dan Duryea offers fine support as an alcoholic doctor in love with Russell. Mara Corday also shines in the small role of Duryea's nurse. "Foxfire" is not as stylistic or as over-the-top fun as Douglas Sirks' classic Universal sudsers, but very good in it's own right. The opening credits with Chandler singing the theme song (co-written by Chandler and Henry Mancini) sets the tone for a very good romantic drama starring two of the 1950s most underrated and sexiest stars. This film needs to be released on DVD!!

This is one of 3 best movies Russell ever made: the other being gentleman prefer blonds with Marilyn and His Kind of Woman with Robert Mitchem...she is so beautiful, charming and totally a match of these two co-stars it is a pleasure to see them. Chandler is wonderful, what a shame dying at 42 from a bungled spinal operation(blood poisoning), or they would have surely made more movies together..check it out, a true spark between them...and ditto for she and Robert Mitchem in His Kind of Love 1955..they became lifelong friends until his death, Great interview by Robt Osbourne on Turner with the two of them. Louise ONeill

I have just seen this film for the first time on TV. I thought it was a little gem of a film, with excellent roles filled by Jeff Chandler and Jane Russell. The authentic settings in Arizona also helped to make this an enjoyable and convincing film.I am a particular fan of films made in the 1950's and 1960's which I regard as the golden years, when films contained real 'stars' and this one certainly fits the bill for me. I am just surprised that I have not come across this film before. I can recommend it as an ideal film to watch on a wet afternoon. Pity it is not available on DVD. The storyline also deals sensitively with racial prejudices arising from relationships between white people and the native Indians even in the modern times in which the story is set.