Actuakers One of my all time favorites.

ChicDragon It's a mild crowd pleaser for people who are exhausted by blockbusters.

Verity Robins Great movie. Not sure what people expected but I found it highly entertaining.

Jonah Abbott There's no way I can possibly love it entirely but I just think its ridiculously bad, but enjoyable at the same time.

MartinHafer I have a pet peeve and before I begin I want to say a few words about it. I have done a huge number of reviews and am constantly noticing that even the most mediocre films get scores of 10 from some reviewers. While this is definitely a better than average film, no sane person could say it deserves a score akin to that of GONE WITH THE WIND or THE GODFATHER. I think it's great to love a film, but over-scoring it doesn't lend much credence to your review. Just my two cents worth and I'm sure I'll catch heck for saying it.As for this movie, it's a nice little family film that benefits from being very unique and having several wonderful performances. In this slice of pioneer life film, William Holden and his son are left alone after the death of his wife. Needing a mother for the boy and someone to help out around their frontier homestead, he travels to the nearby fort to find a wife. There, he buys an indentured servant (Loretta Young) and brings her back home after marrying her. Not exactly a romance, I know! Unfortunately, there never really is any romance, as Holden and son treat her more like a hired hand and after a while it's obvious she resents this--especially after she works herself to the bone caring for them. Into this very unhappy situation comes "the stranger" (Robert Mitchum)--who immediately realizes the problem and proposes to take Rachel away from this drudgery--and pay Holden for her! While there is a lot more to the film, this certainly made for an unusual flick.The performances all around are excellent and the film ended on a very good and not especially sappy note. Well worth your time and I have no serious complaints--other than the writer who indicated that Miss Young was playing a lady who was 25 (yeah, right!!). In actuality she was a decade older and she wasn't fooling anyone--but still a lovely woman regardless of the age difference.

wes-connors Loretta Young (she's Rachel) stars as a "bond woman" (white slave) who is sold for $18.00 to William Holden (he's Big Davey). Mr. Holden buys Ms. Young because he feels his son Gary Gray (he's Little Davey) needs a mother to grow up right. Robert Mitchum (he's Big Jim) plays Holden's pal and frequent overnight guest. By the way, Mr. Mitchum is a singing cowboy (and better than you may be thinking). Holden shows no sexual interest in wife Young, but with Mitchum around… Interesting premise, performed ably by the stars. The stronger scenes, I thought, occurred when several of the four players appeared in scenes with only one other actor For example, Young and Mitchum, Young and Gray, etc. The songs are done well. The drama doesn't really reach full potential, though. It's difficult to accept the exquisitely made-up Hollywood beauty Loretta Young as a 25-year-old slave woman. The script could have been re-written to fix that, and some other points. Some scenes between the principals would have been improved with re-takes.Young Mr. Gray holds his own among the "Big" stars. He plays very naturally, and lifts the movie considerably. As the film nears its climax, he disappears (it is explained); which makes the film suffer. The ending would have been more exciting with a little boy, and the family element could have been highlighted. There is some excitement in the ending, but it would have been better if more tension was built.Loretta Young's character says, at one point, "Two grown men fighting like a couple of wild Indians!" that's a good, brief description of the movie. ***** Rachel and the Stranger (1948) Norman Foster ~ Loretta Young, William Holden, Robert Mitchum

Jem Odewahn This film plays out as a sort of western Rebecca (1940. Rachel (Lorreta Young) lives in the shadow of Big Davy's (William Holden)first wife when she is 'bought' to keep house and educate the young son. The film essentially follows Rachel's efforts to gain acceptance and prove herself a worthy acquisition.Young is good in her role, adequately conveying Rachel's disappointment with married life and her relationships with two men, Holden and Mitchum. Holden and Mitchum in a sense both occupy the stranger tag of the title. Young marries Holden as a stranger, and he remains a stranger even in marriage. Mitchum is the stranger who appears and seems to offer Rachel a chance at salvation. Both men suit their roles. Holden, at first a grief-stricken widower, cold and unwelcoming, begins to open up to Rachel and appreciate her as a wife and companion, not a slave. Mitchum sings and provides a lighter presence. Gary Gray gives strong support as the child who learns to love Rachel as a mother figure after his initial mistreatment of her.There are some interesting themes here, particularly the idea of female servitude. 'Rachel And The Stranger' poignantly questions the role of women in society and also the portrayal of women in western films. It looks at the gun myth in western films- guns allow Rachel to assert herself in a 'male' aspect. It hints at Rachel's dissatisfaction with the lack of sexual relations in her marriage. the Both central male figures are worth close analysis- Mitchum claims to love and appreciate Rachel more than Holden's character, yet he too only thinks of Rachel in monetary terms when he offers to 'buy' Rachel from Holden.'Rachel And The Stranger', in haunting black-and-white cinematography, is a real little gem of a film. It's simple, yet powerful themes and efficient running length mean that the film does not stray into long-winded sequences that detract from the original premise of Rachel's struggle as a 'replacement bride'.

hcoursen This one reeks of improbability. The escape at the end strains credulity, and the soldiers running off after the Shawnee look more like Keystone Kops than defenders of the frontier. But the big question is -- Why should Loretta fall for Holden, who is cold, aloof, uncaring? It's too bad that Holden did not get a role with some personality attached -- but that was inherent in the formula plot. Mitchum is believable as a trapper whose interest in Young arouses Holden's sudden interest in her. He has a couple of good scenes with Young as they sing to her spinnet. But still -- why should Holden care? But Loretta Young is wonderful, and she makes this film worth watching.