"Inferno" is a film with a very simple plot. Despite this, it was given top treatment by improved sound AND 3D! And, as you watch, you can see in quite a few places that 3D gimmicks would abound...but it's still basically a good film.When the film begins, a rich man is injured in the desert and his unfaithful wife and her lover decide to leave him there to die of exposure. The problem is that Donald (Robert Ryan) is a very tough guy and he's determined to not only survive but last long enough to exact revenge. Fortunately, where the movie goes next is a bit unusual and yet satisfying.Much of the film consists of Donald talking to himself by having Ryan do voiceovers. This is risky but the director manages to make it work...and the film manages to take a very simple story yet make it worth your time.

Geraldine Carson (Rhonda Fleming) is unhappily married to tyrannical Donald Carson (Robert Ryan). She's also cheating on him with his friend Joseph Duncan (William Lundigan). They're all out in the desert one day when Donald breaks his foot. His wife and buddy leave him there telling him they'll send back help. They intend to leave him there to die. However he's determined NOT to die and get out.Originally released in 3-D and stereophonic sound both of which are lost on TV...but it still holds up. It's quick (only 83 minutes) and well directed by Roy (Ward) Baker. Mostly it's a survival pic where we watch Ryan trying to live. It's all his show and he's great. Fleming and Lundigan are just so-so but they're both VERY good-looking and look great in bright brilliant Technicolor. There's also a brutal exciting fist fight here. Worth catching.

Inferno is a small but excellent 1953 film about a beautiful woman (Rhonda Fleming) and her lover (William Lundigan) who leave the woman's husband (Robert Ryan) alone in the desert with a broken leg, assuming he'll croak. The story focuses on Ryan's character trying to survive in the desert and what he learns about himself.With gorgeous Rhonda Fleming in the movie, it's done in color. A chimpanzee could have played her part - there's precious little acting involved - but she certainly adds tremendous beauty to the production. She and another spectacular redhead, Arlene Dahl, both were getting larger roles in films at the time the studio system was winding down. Ten years earlier, they might have ruled the world. William Lundigan is appropriately cold-blooded as her horny lover, and Larry Keating is an appropriately concerned business associate.But this is Ryan's film, and he's top-notch. His thoughts come over as voice-over, and you're pulling for him every step of the way, despite everyone describing him as unpleasant.Excellent film, quite a surprise.

My Dad took me to see this when I was 5. I was so engrossed in the perils of Robert Ryan, I had to look away because I was so worried he would kill himself. The movie must have made a big impression on me to have remembered it at such a young age. I saw it on cable many years later and it still was a great movie experience. But I think the 3-D experience made it better. William Lundigan plays a forgettable role here and I remember him only because he was a home-grown talent from Syracuse. Rhonda Fleming plays her usual fiery redhead role here. Robert Ryan was a superb actor and as with all his movies whether the lead or supporting creates a character that fits the role he was chosen for. A good movie for the whole family.