The story of 1948's Ruthless is very dramatic and soapy ala JR Ewing in Dallas! In Ruthless, you get a bit more of the anti-hero’s back story than the typical Zachary Scott villain. The movie's style, acting, and a few twists make this a very enjoyable '40s noir melodrama. What truly makes this movie a guilty treasure treat is not the soap opera story but the fantastic cast: Scott; Diana Lynn; Martha Vickers; Lucille Bremer; Louis Hayward; Sydney Greenstreet; and Raymond Burr. My take:
I think he is a god actor- even good looking- but he comes off like Clifton Webb and I can’t buy him as a romantic anything.
| by Anonymous | reply 2 | August 14, 2025 12:54 PM |
As good as Zachary Scott was at playing a cad, he was also wonderful at playing a scoundrel. But I always enjoyed his roles as a bounder the most.
| by Anonymous | reply 3 | August 14, 2025 4:37 PM |
What's the one where he is playing two sisters? Ah yes Danger Signal (1945).
| by Anonymous | reply 4 | August 14, 2025 4:42 PM |
The tussle between Scott and Greenstreet at the finale is quite amusing!
| by Anonymous | reply 6 | August 14, 2025 11:21 PM |
Lucille Bremer...oh...yay.
| by Anonymous | reply 7 | August 14, 2025 11:34 PM |
[quote]What's the one where he is playing two sisters?
That must have been interesting.
| by Anonymous | reply 8 | August 15, 2025 1:06 AM |
I've always found Zachary Scott's style a tad too [italic]affected[/italic] to appreciate.
This is an interesting little tidbit from his Wiki page:
"During his time at Warner's, Scott and his first wife Elaine socialized regularly with Angela Lansbury and her husband Richard Cromwell."
His second wife was model-actress Ruth Ford. She lived at The Dakota and was one of the first to call 911 when she heard shots fired. Turned out to be John Lennon's murder.
| by Anonymous | reply 9 | August 15, 2025 1:31 AM |
ZS's brother-in-law, Charles Henri Ford, was one of the gayest gays who ever gayed.
| by Anonymous | reply 10 | August 15, 2025 12:30 PM |
Oh, there's a surprising swim team scene with Scott and other college swimmers, with their asses hanging out of their suits...
| by Anonymous | reply 11 | August 15, 2025 1:06 PM |
Zachary Scott also appeared in a Buñuel film, [italic]La joven[/italic] ([italic]The Young One[/italic]). Scott’s character lusts after a 13 year-old and rapes her. I have no idea how Buñuel got away with this in 1960.
| by Anonymous | reply 12 | August 15, 2025 1:11 PM |