You know that feeling when you watch an old movie and realize everyone on screen is a legend? That's the 1966 drama This Property Is Condemned. It’s weird. It’s sweaty. It’s Southern Gothic at its peak. Honestly, the cast of This Property Is Condemned feels like a "Who's Who" of 1960s cinema, but they weren't all icons yet. Some were just starting to boil over.
Sydney Pollack directed it. Tennessee Williams wrote the one-act play it was based on. Francis Ford Coppola—yeah, that Coppola—helped write the screenplay. But the magic really sits in the dirt and the steam of a Mississippi railway town during the Great Depression. You’ve got Natalie Wood playing Alva Starr, a girl desperate to escape her mother’s boarding house, and Robert Redford as Owen Legate, the stiff-shirted stranger sent to lay people off.
It wasn't a huge hit then. Critics were kinda "meh" about it. But looking back? The chemistry is undeniable. It's the kind of movie that shouldn't work—it’s melodramatic and slow—but the actors save it. They turn a dusty story about railroad layoffs into a masterclass in longing.
The Electric Core: Natalie Wood and Robert Redford
Natalie Wood was already a veteran. She’d been a child star, a rebel, and a West Side Story lead. By 1966, she was looking for something raw. She found it in Alva. Wood’s performance is twitchy, vulnerable, and heartbreakingly hopeful. She plays Alva as a woman who uses her beauty as currency because she has literally nothing else. It’s a performance that earned her a Golden Globe nomination, and honestly, she deserved more.
Then there’s Redford. This was his second time starring opposite Wood. They had this shorthand. You can see it in how they stand near each other. Redford plays Owen Legate with a coldness that eventually cracks. He isn't the "Sundance Kid" yet. He’s younger, sharper, and maybe a little more dangerous. In the context of the cast of This Property Is Condemned, Redford represents the outside world—the cold reality of the Great Depression crashing into Alva's fantasy world.
Their off-screen friendship was legendary. Wood actually fought for Redford to get the role. The studio wasn't sure. They wanted a bigger "name" at the time. Natalie stood her ground. She knew that Redford’s quiet intensity was the only thing that could balance her high-energy desperation. Without her push, the movie probably would have featured a much more conventional, boring leading man, and we’d likely have forgotten it by now.
The Supporting Cast That Made It Hurt
If Wood and Redford are the heart, Kate Reid is the teeth. She plays Hazel Starr, Alva’s mother. It’s a terrifying performance. Hazel isn't a "villain" in the cartoon sense. She’s a survivalist. She’s basically pimping out her daughter to keep the boarding house running. Reid plays the role with a frantic, suffocating energy. You feel Alva’s claustrophobia whenever Hazel is in the room.
👉 See also: Nothing to Lose: Why the Martin Lawrence and Tim Robbins Movie is Still a 90s Classic
And don't overlook Charles Bronson.
Yes, the Death Wish guy. Before he was the ultimate cinematic vigilante, Bronson was a nuanced character actor. In this film, he plays J.J. Nichols. He’s the rough-around-the-edges guy who’s been hanging around Alva for years. He’s jealous. He’s physical. He’s everything Owen Legate isn't. Seeing Bronson in a role that requires actual emotional subtlety rather than just a high body count is a reminder of how versatile he actually was.
Mary Badham also appears as Willie Starr, Alva’s younger sister. You might remember her as Scout from To Kill a Mockingbird. She brings that same tomboyish, observant energy here. She’s the narrator, the one left behind to tell the story of a family that disintegrated under the weight of its own dreams. Her presence adds a layer of tragic innocence to a movie that is otherwise quite adult in its themes of sexual politics and economic ruin.
Why the Casting Matters More Than the Plot
The plot is fairly thin. A man comes to town. He fires people. He falls for the local belle. They try to run away. It ends in tears. We’ve seen it.
But the cast of This Property Is Condemned elevates the material. This was Sydney Pollack’s second feature film. He didn't have his "style" fully formed yet. He relied on his actors. He let the camera linger on Natalie Wood’s face for just a second too long. He allowed Redford to be unlikable for the first thirty minutes.
- Natalie Wood: Alva Starr (The Dreamer)
- Robert Redford: Owen Legate (The Realist)
- Kate Reid: Hazel Starr (The Controller)
- Charles Bronson: J.J. Nichols (The Rival)
- Mary Badham: Willie Starr (The Witness)
- Robert Blake: Sidney (Small role, but notable)
Robert Blake shows up too! It’s a tiny role, but it’s another "hey, it's that guy" moment. The depth of talent in even the minor roles is wild. This was a transitional era in Hollywood. The old studio system was dying, and the "New Hollywood" of the 70s was being born. This movie sits right on the edge of that shift.
✨ Don't miss: How Old Is Paul Heyman? The Real Story of Wrestling’s Greatest Mind
Production Chaos and Tennessee Williams
Tennessee Williams wasn't thrilled with the adaptation. He rarely was. The original play is a short, one-act conversation between two kids. The movie expands that into a sprawling Southern epic. It loses some of the play's claustrophobia but gains a sense of place.
Filming took place in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi. The heat you see on screen? That wasn't just acting. The production was plagued by humidity and tension. Natalie Wood was going through a lot personally during this time—her marriage to Robert Wagner had collapsed (the first time), and she was struggling with her mental health. You can see that raw, frayed-nerve energy in Alva.
Some people say the movie is too "stagey." They aren't wrong. It feels like a play. But when you have a cast of This Property Is Condemned this strong, who cares? You want to see them talk. You want to see the long takes where Wood and Redford just stare at each other.
The Legacy of the 1966 Ensemble
So, why does this movie still show up on TCM and in film school syllabi?
It’s the chemistry. Pure and simple. Redford and Wood would go on to be huge, but here they are hungry. They are trying to prove something. For Redford, this was a step toward becoming the definitive leading man of the 70s. For Wood, it was a chance to prove she was a serious actress who could handle the complexity of a Tennessee Williams heroine.
The film also serves as a bleak look at the American Dream. The "property" that is condemned isn't just the boarding house. It’s the people. It’s the idea that beauty or hard work can save you from a collapsing economy. It’s a cynical movie dressed up in beautiful cinematography (by James Wong Howe, a literal legend of the craft).
🔗 Read more: Howie Mandel Cupcake Picture: What Really Happened With That Viral Post
Real Talk: Is it worth watching now?
If you like fast-paced action, no. You'll be bored out of your mind.
If you like "vibe" movies where the atmosphere is thick enough to chew on, then yes. Watch it for the scene where Alva gets dressed up for the party. Watch it for the way Owen Legate tries to stay professional while his world is melting. Watch it because Charles Bronson is surprisingly tender and terrifying at the same time.
How to Appreciate This Property Is Condemned Today
To really get why the cast of This Property Is Condemned is so revered, you have to look at it through the lens of 1966.
- Watch for the subtext. This isn't just a romance. It's about a town dying. The railroad is the lifeblood, and when it's cut off, the people turn on each other.
- Focus on Kate Reid. Everyone talks about Wood and Redford, but Reid’s performance as the mother is one of the most underrated "monster" roles in cinema.
- Notice the lighting. James Wong Howe used naturalistic lighting that was ahead of its time. It makes the Mississippi sun feel oppressive.
- Listen to the score. Dave Grusin’s music is haunting. It stays with you.
The movie is a time capsule. It captures a specific moment in the careers of its stars. It captures a specific mood in American history. It’s imperfect, sure. The ending feels a bit rushed, and some of the dialogue is a bit "written," if you know what I mean. But the performances are bulletproof.
If you’re a fan of Robert Redford, this is essential viewing to see the foundation of his screen persona. If you love Natalie Wood, it’s perhaps her most "adult" and haunting work. It's a reminder that even "condemned" things have a certain beauty to them before they fall apart.
Next Steps for Film Buffs
Go find the original Tennessee Williams one-act play. It’s incredibly short. Compare how the movie turns a ten-minute conversation into a two-hour feature. Then, watch Inside Daisy Clover, the other Redford/Wood collaboration from the same era. You'll see the same spark but in a completely different setting. Seeing how these two actors manipulated their chemistry across different genres is a lesson in the craft of acting itself. Finally, look up the photography of the Great Depression by Dorothea Lange; you'll see exactly where the costume and set designers got their inspiration for the look of the Starr boarding house.