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Ruby Gentry

Ruby Gentry

So dangerous...destructive...deadly to love!

195282 minNot RatedMidcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films
Director
King Vidor
Starring
Jennifer Jones, Charlton Heston, Karl Malden, Tom Tully

A sexy but poor young girl marries a rich man she doesn't love, but carries a torch for another man.

Where to watch

Where can I watch Ruby Gentry?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove does not list Ruby Gentry on any major US streaming service.

Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about Ruby Gentry?

Ruby Gentry earns 1 badge: Crowd Pleaser.

Reception

Is Ruby Gentry worth watching?

Ruby Gentry's Midcredits score is the 73rd percentile of all films, from 3.9K ratings across 4 sources. 58% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

73rd percentile

Better received than 73% of films

75th percentile among Drama72nd percentile among 1950s
Acclaim (how much people like it)80th
Approval (how many liked it)63rd

70 /100

80th percentile of all films

83rd percentile among Drama83rd percentile among 1950s

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 6.6 — solid but not unanimous.

Approval

How many liked it

58% liked it

63rd percentile of all films

63rd percentile among Drama60th percentile among 1950s
58% rated it 7–1042% rated it 1–6

Critics 63% · Audience 47%

On Rotten Tomatoes, a bigger share of critics approved than audiences.

63rd percentile

3.9K ratings across platforms

66th percentile among Drama72nd percentile among 1950s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 25% in 30 days

Box office

Budget$525K

What reviewers say

Common ground

A steamy, class-conscious Southern melodrama with a vengeful heroine and a tragic love triangle.

Fans praised

  • Jones's magnetic, larger-than-life performance
  • Vidor's assured direction of overheated melodrama
  • Heston's looser, more sensual acting

Detractors panned

  • Jones's unconvincing, over-the-top portrayal of a tramp
  • Silly, contrived plot with an abrupt ending
  • Wooden acting by Heston and slow pacing

What stands out

CinematographyDivisive75

Evocative black-and-white swamp photography by Russell Harlan

Sound and musicDivisive70

Haunting 'Ruby' theme repeated throughout; harmonica and orchestral

AtmosphereDivisive70

Swampy, steamy Southern Gothic tone with location shooting

ActingDivisive68

Divisive: fans call Jones magnetic and Heston looser; detractors find her over-acting and him wooden

CharactersDivisive60

Complex but broadly drawn: Ruby as sympathetic hellcat, Boake as weak aristocrat

Emotional impactDivisive60

Divisive: fans find it moving, detractors find it laughable

PacingDivisive55

Tight 82-minute runtime; some find it rushed, others say it drags

Plot and storyDivisive45

Soap-operatic revenge story; fans find it effective, detractors call it absurd and predictable

Preferred by

No notable difference between any of the groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Critics vs users 8 points apart
  • US vs non-US 8 points apart

Watch experience

What is Ruby Gentry like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Dark and unsettling: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you are ready for heavy feelings, and you want something dark that stays with you.

It leaves you haunted. Skip it when you want an easy night.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Room for heavy feelings.

What it feels like

Dark and unsettling.

The answer rests on this: Moods
TenseRomanticMelancholic
Heaviest: late
Register
Melodramatic · 9% of films: Heightened emotion, played large.Romantic · 8% of filmsBrooding: Heavy, inward, weather-beaten.
Told as
Frame story · 5% of films: A story told inside another — someone is recounting it.Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film plays its melodrama straight, with intense sincerity and heightened emotions, never winking at the audience.
The rideThe film builds tension through love and class conflict, peaks in romantic highs, and turns tragic and vengeful in the final act.
StructureThe story is framed by the narration of Dr. Saul Manfred, an outsider who observes Ruby's rise and fall, and unfolds in a conventional chronological order.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Haunted.

The answer rests on this: Haunting · 14% of filmsInfuriating · 4% of films: Leaves you angry at an injustice the film shows, never at the film.
Why it leaves you this wayThe story of Ruby's persecution and vengeful spiral lingers, and the town's unjust treatment of her leaves a sense of outrage.
How it ends · evidence
Tragic endingTwist

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).Tragedy
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21%: Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9% (this title): Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% (this title) · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Tragedy: A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin. · Obsession: A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).

9% of films fit this archetype

Why this archetypeRuby's obsessive love for Boake and her vengeful destruction of the town that rejected her drive the story to a tragic end, with her brother's fatal intervention.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfClassPower
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22%: Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% (this title) · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7% (this title): Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% (this title) · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Power

Class · 3% of filmsSelf-worth · 7% of films
Interrogates its theme: Questions its theme without settling the answer.Community stakes: Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Single lead
How it treats its themeThe film examines how social class determines Ruby's fate, and her struggle for self-worth through wealth and revenge against a community that defines her by her origins.
StanceThe film questions the rigid class hierarchy of a small Southern town by showing how it destroys the passionate Ruby and leads to a tragic end for all involved.

The world

ContemporaryRuralWildernessSmall townRealistic
Orchestral classicalForeground music · original score · Heinz Roemheld
SettingA small coastal North Carolina town in the early 1950s, sharply divided by social class, with swamps and fishing docks.
MusicThe haunting 'Ruby' theme, featuring Richard Hyman's harmonica, underscores the romance and tragedy.

Content guide

Is Ruby Gentry okay for kids?

Not Rated

Ruby Gentry is not rated.

Ratings in 3 other countries
  • UKPG
  • FranceTP
  • Denmark15

No detailed content scores for this title yet.

What content warnings does Ruby Gentry have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Ruby Gentry?

Cast

Jennifer Jones
as Ruby Gentry
Charlton Heston
as Boake Tackman
Karl Malden
as Jim Gentry
Tom Tully
as Jud Corey
James Anderson
as Jewel Corey
Josephine Hutchinson
as Letitia Gentry
Herbert Heyes
as Judge Tackman
Myra Marsh
as Ma Corey
Charles Cane
as Cullen McAuliffe
Sam Flint
as Neil Fallgren

Crew

More like this

What are movies like Ruby Gentry?

Movies like Ruby Gentry include Possessed (1947), The Great Gatsby (1974) and The Earrings of Madame De... (1953). Of the 12 closest matches, two are films by King Vidor, and half are forbidden-love stories.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

6 of these 12 share its story type: obsession. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with Ruby Gentry?

2.5K other films share the rarest tag below, relationship: love triangle. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.