Colleen Dewhurst Should be Arrested for Grand Theft

She didn't make a lot of movies, but Colleen Dewhurst was one of the leading stage actresses in America. She was the definitive American interpreter of Eugene O'Neill's tormented heroines; this alone places her at the top of the list for American actresses. Her Myra in this movie steals the show, and her scenes with Wayne have a softness not usually associated with the Duke. An old master himself, Wayne knows Miss Dewhurst is the focal point in their scenes, and lets her walk off with them. He must have appreciated her work, for she shows up later as the madam of the travelling brothel in The Cowboys, where she has good dialog with Roscoe Lee Browne and puts A Martinez in his place with one look. Miss Dewhurst was a pro from top to bottom.