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 |