Lucy Gallant (1955) DVD-R

Starring Jane Wyman, Charlton Heston, Claire Trevor, Thelma Ritter, William Demarest,
Wallace Ford, Gloria Talbott
Directed by Robert Parrish

Print: color
Runtime: 104 min.
Genre: drama

An unusually matronly Jane Wyman plays the title character in Lucy Gallant. Adapted from a
novel by Margaret Cousins, the story concerns the efforts by Lucy Gallant to make the
wide-open spaces of Texas a mecca for High Fashion. Jilted at the altar, Lucy retreats to a
booming oil town, where she courageously opens up a gown shop. Rancher Casey Cole
(Charlton Heston) is disdainful of "working women", but he never hides the fact that he's
madly in love with Lucy. As the film progresses, Lucy nearly loses her business due to
financial reverses, but Casey secretly pumps money into her operation, all the while
declaring publicly that she's doomed to failure. Lucy's gowns were actually designed by
Edith Head, who makes an appearance towards the end of the film, as does the
then-governor of Texas, Allan Shivers. Lucy Gallant was the last of the incredibly successful
Pine-Thomas productions for Paramount Pictures; there might have been more had not
William H. Pine died shortly after completing the film.