1954's "Passion" was a Benedict Bogeaus Western shot under the more effective title "Where the Wind Dies," one of the later efforts for veteran director Allan Dwan. Yvonne De Carlo plays two sisters but the lead is Cornel Wilde as Juan Obreon, returning to the California ranch of Gaspar Melo (John Qualen) to find that his sweetheart Rosa has given birth to a son. Rosa is not the wildcat that sister Tonya is, but wedding plans go awry once greedy landowner Don Domingo (Richard Hale) decides to forego his ancestral promises and charge a hefty fee to all the nearby families. Gaspar refuses to give in and leave so four hired bandits shoot him down, along with his wife and daughter Rosa, but not before she successfully hides her baby in a safe spot. Juan returns to find the ranch destroyed by fire, going on the rampage against the quartet in the belief that his newborn son was among the victims, each one granted a man on man showdown with knives, while harried Captain Rodriguez (Raymond Burr) is forced by the governor to pursue his old friend Obreon for the sake of 'justice.' It's rather a shame that Lon Chaney's Castro is the first to go, killed once he rats out his cohorts in crime and produces a second knife that seals his doom. This was actually the last time that the 48 year old Chaney would face off against a younger foe, the film's highlight at the half hour mark, each man slashing at the other in a genuine tour de force that could have lasted even longer. It may have been intended as another typical henchman role but the bruising actor outshines the other villains with his most enduring screen battle since John Payne in 1949's "Captain China." The film loses momentum as it continues, none of Obreon's other targets developed to the same degree as Chaney, and the finale in the High Sierras is marred by obvious studio shots, particularly with Raymond Burr and Anthony Caruso. What could have been an exceptional Western simply winds down the vengeance trail in predictable fashion, the hero saved by a dying confession to start a new life with Tonya and his newborn son. A passable diversion but nothing more, best for fans of Lon Chaney and Yvonne De Carlo.
Review of Passion
