Studio publicity photograph showing Alan Ladd's character Bowie (left) in a knife dueling scene with Anthony Caruso's character "Bloody Jack" Sturdivant
In the early 19th century, Jim Bowie leaves his home in the Louisianabayou to sell lumber in New Orleans. He inadvertently offends Narcisse de Bornay by defending the future famous 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, Jim kills him. When Judalon declines Jim's marriage proposal, he returns home and grows wealthy from the cotton business, upsetting Juan Moreno, a wealthy Mississippi cotton grower.
Later, Jim enters a horse in a race in which there is heavy betting. At the race, Jim learns that Judalon has married wealthy Philippe de Cabanal, someone of her own elite social class. (Privately, Judalon says she plans to obtain a divorce, a difficult undertaking at the time.) Moreno's steed comes a close second, and he and other losing bettors seek to have Jim's horse disqualified, claiming he does not own it. Jim produces a bill of sale but has to travel to Nashville to have the signature of the previous owner verified. On the way, Bowie asks a renowned blacksmith to create a special new knife for him; the blacksmith is intrigued by the challenge and uses the remains of a meteorite to help strengthen the blade.
Jim learns that Judalon has been seeing Moreno. When the last of the losing bettors pay up, he insults Jim's friend, causing a duel to which Jima and Moreno are opposing seconds. When the duel ends after the participants miss each other twice, Moreno shoots one man and stabs Jim with his sword; Jim kills Moreno with his new knife. Afterward, Judalon tells Jim that she was cultivating Moreno because he had the political influence to obtain a bill of divorcement for her. She remains with Phillipe.
Jim is seriously wounded while traveling to Texas. He is nursed back to health by Ursula Veramendi, daughter of the Governor of the Texas province of adjacent Mexico.
When he returns to New Orleans to wrap up his affairs, he encounters Judalon and Phillippe aboard a luxurious steamboat. Phillippe has lost his money playing against card sharps. Jim exposes one of the cheaters and returns Philippe's money to him. Judalon then tells Philippe that she is leaving him for Jim. Both Philippe and Bloody Jack Sturdevant come to kill Jim and unintentionally murder each other instead. When Judalon shows no regret at all for her husband's death, Jim abandons her, throws his knife into the river and marries Ursula.
Paul Wellman's novel was published in 1951. The Los Angeles Times called it "a rattling good story".[3] The New York Times called it "an excellent quasi fictional biography from that skein of tangled legend and fact."[4]
The book became a best seller.[5] Warner Bros bought the film rights and Errol Flynn was mentioned as a possible star.[6] However Alan Ladd had also signed a contract with Warners; he read a copy of the novel and wanted to do it.[7]
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.[8]
Alan Ladd injured his knee during the shoot[9] and broke his hand on the last day of filming.[10]
Gordon Douglas later said he "loved" filming the scene where Ladd duels in a darkened room. "There were other things in the picture that were nice", he added. "I always liked Virginia Mayo, she was a wonderful gal."[11]
^'Top Box-Office Hits of 1952', Variety, January 7, 1953.
^Bosley Crowther, "The Iron Mistress"New York Times, November 20, 1952 accessed July 6, 2012.
^Jordan-Smith, Paul (22 July 1951). "Books: Adventures, Loves of Alamo Hero Told James Bowie's Life Traced From New Orleans to San Antonio Tragedy". Los Angeles Times. p. D5.
^HOFFMAN BIRNEY (July 29, 1951). "The Man With a Knife". New York Times. p. 156.
^"The Nation's Best Sellers". The Washington Post. Oct 7, 1951. p. B7.
^THOMAS M. PRYOR (Oct 11, 1951). "WARNERS TO FILM LIFE OF COL. BOWIE: Studio Purchases Wellman's 'The Iron Mistress,' Novel About Hero of Alamo". New York Times. p. 59.
^Hopper, Hedda (Dec 21, 1951). "Looking at Hollywood: Alan Ladd Expected to Star in 'The Iron Mistress' Film". Chicago Daily Tribune. p. a4.
^"WARNER BROS. STUDIO SWEPT BY $1,500,000; FIRE: Stars Help to Fight Big Studio Blaze". Los Angeles Times. May 17, 1952. p. 1.
^"Alan Ladd's Knee Injured in Film Fight". Los Angeles Times. 26 Apr 1952. p. 18.
^"Alan Ladd Breaks Hand". Los Angeles Times. 29 May 1952. p. 4.
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