Arena

Pretty much agree with my six colleagues below that this film from the usually good Richard Fleischer is total dreck, far and away his worst. The combination of 3D and some uglification process called Ansco-Color means that the color looks faded and washed out, as if the camera is developing glaucoma. As for the writing and story, well, if this thing is filmed in 3D then the writing is 1D all the way; trite, predictable and boring. It's basically just a dull breakup and reconciliation tale set against the background of an even duller rodeo. Indeed, the story is so thin and uninvolving that Fleischer must employ tired filler like periodically cutting away to various anonymous people in the crowd and their not very interesting reactions to the enervating events. If it wasn't for the usual good acting of Jean Hagen and Harry Morgan this thing would rate a D. As it is, let's give it a generous C minus.

PS...Polly Bergen and Gig Young as a rodeo couple? Are you friggin kidding me? She looks like she just finished shopping at I. Magnin while he got his duds from the early 50s equivilent of The Territory Ahead.