Woman Obsessed

Plot summary

Mary Sharron (Susan Hayward) has lost her husband to a forest fire. To help her run the ranch, she hires Fred Carter (Stephen Boyd), a handy man. A handsome, but taciturn fellow who has known much tragedy, Fred works hard for her. Robbie Sharron (Dennis Holmes), the woman's son, resents him, and when he learns that his mother is planning to marry him to quell ugly rumors in town, the youth is most unhappy. After the wedding, the stepfather treats the boy harshly, not out of cruelty, but because he wants to prepare the boy to survive the tough life ahead. This creates friction and frustration. Sometimes Fred beats both Mary and Robbie. On the day the wife learns she is pregnant, Robbie and Fred get into a violent fight.

Afterwards Fred goes to the local saloon and ends up jailed for brawling. A month later he is released. When he gets home he finds Mary has moved his things to the barn. A natural disaster changes the family's lives and relationships and after much turmoil, honesty and pain gives them a chance to heal and start afresh.

Cast

Production

Although Woman Obsessed is a non-musical film, in addition to Hugo Friedhofer, nine additional top-name musicians were involved in the creation of the score. They include Earle Hagen, orchestrator; Lionel Newman, conductor; David Buttolph, Leigh Harline and Alfred Newman, composers of additional music; and Alexander Courage, Gus Levene, Arthur Morton and Edward B. Powell, orchestrators.