Rachel and the Stranger

William Holden, Loretta Young and Robert Mitchum are the powerhouse performers in this great Western classic that The New York Times hailed as "excellent moviemaking."

Splendidly depicting the untamed frontier of the 1820s, the film tells the impassioned story of Big Davey Harvey (Holden), a stoic backwoodsman who "buys" and marries a bondswoman, Rachel (Young), to care for and educate his motherless son. Neither the father nor son find much to appreciate in Rachel until Jim Fairways (Mitchum), a guitar-strumming hunter, shows a romantic interest in her. Violent jealousy erupts between the two men, settled only after a spectacular raid on the Harveys' homestead by unmerciful Shawnee Indians. But which man will win Rachel's heart? This new presentation restores nearly 15 minutes of footage cut from the film over 65 years ago. Also restored is the screen credit for its blacklisted writer Waldo Salt, which was removed from the film by RKO for its 1954 theatrical re-release.