The Iron Mistress

Plot

In the early 19th century, Jim Bowie leaves his home in the bayou to sell lumber in New Orleans. He inadvertently offends Narcisse de Bornay by defending the artist James Audubon and is challenged to a duel, but charms his way out of it, and Narcisse becomes his friend.

Narcisse notices that his sister Judalon has caught Jim's eye and is concerned, knowing how haughty and spoiled she is. Henri Contrecourt, a man who has been courting her, kills Narcisse and challenges Jim to a fight, his sword versus Bowie's knife. To the surprise of everyone watching, Jim kills him. Later on, a blacksmith creates a special new knife for Bowie, partly made from the remains of a meteor.

Judalon rejects his proposal to marry wealthy Philippe de Cabanal instead. A disappointed Jim returns home and gets into the cotton business, upsetting Juan Moreno, a wealthy Mississippi cotton grower. He soon encounters Judalon, who says she wants to divorce Philippe and hints she would then marry Jim, if only he could help them erase a huge gambling debt Philippe has incurred to dangerous Bloody Jack Sturdevant.

Jim learns he has been betrayed by her again, that Judalon actually intends to wed Moreno for his money. In a fight, he kills Moreno, upsetting her. Jim is wounded and nursed to health by Ursula Veramendi, daughter of the Texas territorial governor. And when both Philippe and Sturdevant come to kill him, they accidentally end up murdering each other. Realizing once and for all that Judalon only wants money, not love, Jim begins a new life with Ursula.

Cast

Original novel

Paul Wellman's novel was published in 1951. The Los Angeles Times called it "a rattling good story". The New York Times called it "an excellent quasi fictional biography from that skein of tangled legend and fact."

The book became a best seller. Warner Bros bought the film rights and Errol Flynn was mentioned as a possible star. However Alan Ladd had also signed a contract with Warners; he read a copy of the novel and wanted to do it.

Production

Henry Blanke was the producer and James Webb was assigned to do the screenplay.

During filming a fire swept through the Warner Bros lot but the unit for Iron Mistress was on location at the time. Alan Ladd injured his knee during the shoot and broke his hand on the last day of filming.