*
I don't know why some people have to look for deep "inner or psychological meanings in movies. Fortunately, I just love the movies and accept them for what they are - sheer entertainment! And if you are the same, then you need to see this one. Loretta Young, William Holden and Robert Mitchum are absolutely WONDERFUL in their roles. It is a great story with just the right hint of comedy and romance. So, if you love the movies, and love entertainment, you will truly enjoy this wonderful classic, "RACHEL AND THE STRANGER"!

*
This film is often overlooked despite the presence of Loretta Young, Robert Mitchum and William Holden in the cast. It's a well-done frontier story with plenty of action and romance. Loretta Young has never looked more fetching and the Mitchum/Holden combo is a knock out.

 

 

In time of colonization of America, the widower David Harvey (William Holden) lives in an isolated farm in the woods with his son Davey (Gary Grey). Father and son miss their wife and mother Susan, who has recently died, and David concludes that he needs a woman to educate his son properly and to cook and clean the house.

David decides to travel with Davey to the nearby fort to seek a woman and the reverend proposes the bond servant Rachel (Loretta Young) for him. David buys Rachel, and Davey overhears the negotiation; but the reverend demands that they should marry to each other to have a decent life in the same house. The trio travels back to the farm and David and Davey treat Rachel like a slave without any respect or affection.

When David's drifter friend Jim Fairways (Robert Mitchum) visits them, he stays for a couple of days with the family and treats Rachel respectfully like a lady. Then Jim courts Rachel, and David feels jealous and realizes how important she is for him. 

 

"Rachel and the Stranger" is an adorable romance and I loved this western. I did not know the concept of indentured servant in America, and the humiliating situation of Rachel is heartbreaking, fruit of the unpaid debts of her father. Loretta Young has a fantastic performance and William Holden and Robert Mitchum have hilarious moments with their witty lines. My vote is nine.

 

 

 

 

This is an excellent movie. The 1st time i saw it was in the 70's & i look forward to seeing it & wish that it were on more often,at least once or twice a yr. What a lucky woman to have a potential love interest like Robert Mitchum that it made her husband sit up & take notice in how he & his son were treating her.The scenery is just a big a part of the movie as the actors are.

This movie first showed me that living in the country could fill your soul up,that's 1 reason why i live in wyoming. Not everything has to be in your face blood & gore or stupidity & 4 letter words to get your attention. Too bad AMC doesn't air it more often. Hope its on DVD soon. If you get the chance to see this movie don't pass it up,you won't regret it.

 

 

This film is a Western, but combines a number of strange bedfellows - the romantic comedies of Hawks (two men fight over a woman treated as a slave); melodrama (the film is brilliant at visualising the limited options open to Rachel, from the proscenium curtains looking out at a world she has no freedom in and the metronome ticking away her life, to the overall claustrophobic setting (a small farm) and limited dramatis personae), and even psychological thriller

-like REBECCA, Rachel is a second wife living in the shadow of a perfect predecessor;both films share a cathartic conflagration.The unsophisticated characters conceal a complex film about family and gender, in which the usual Indian threat is more of a psychological displacement.

 

 

"Rachel and the Stranger" has been one of my favorite "little" films over the years. I only say little because my mother and I are the only two fans of it that I actually know of, but I'm sure there are hundreds of fans out there who love "Rachel and the Stranger" as much as we do. TCM runs it two or three times a year and I try not to miss it. I guess it was a big hit in its time even though it's not as well known today, but my advice is to watch it if you ever get the chance. At about 90 minutes it doesn't wear out its welcome and seems to be over as fast as it began. And with three great stars like Loretta Young (WOW!), William Holden and Robert Mitchum, you really can't go wrong. All three are perfect in their roles.

The film is a traditional Western in many ways, but what I like most about it is the humor that's woven in throughout. One sequence even develops into slapstick, but it works. Overall, a really wonderful and enjoyable movie. This is the kind of film that you just end up counting among your favorites even though it's likely that no one you know has ever seen it. And it's the kind of film that you want everyone to see so you can strike up a conversation about how much you love it! Watch it and enjoy!