The Big Country (1958)

User Rating:

7.8/10   

Director:

William Wyler

Writers:

Donald Hamilton (novel)
Jessamyn West (adaptation) ...

Release Date:

1 October 1958 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance | Western

Tagline:

Big they fought! Big they loved! Big their story!

Plot:

A New Englander arrives in the Old West, where he becomes embroiled in a feud between two families over a valuable patch of land.

Plot Keywords:

Sea Captain | Cattle | Ranch | Horse | Attempted Rape

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 3 wins & 4 nominations

Cast

Gregory Peck	...	James McKay
Jean Simmons	...	Julie Maragon
Carroll Baker	...	Patricia Terrill
Charlton Heston	...	Steve Leech
Burl Ives	...	Rufus Hannassey
Charles Bickford	...	Maj. Henry Terrill
Alfonso Bedoya	...	Ramón Guiteras
Chuck Connors	...	Buck Hannassey
Chuck Hayward	...	Rafe Hannassey
Buff Brady	...	Dude Hannassey
Jim Burk	...	Blackie / Cracker Hannassey
Dorothy Adams	...	Hannassey woman
Chuck Roberson	...	Terrill cowboy
Bob Morgan	...	Terrill cowboy
John McKee	...	Terrill cowboy

Runtime:

165 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Spanish

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

USA:Approved (PCA #18972) | Canada:PG (Ontario) | Australia:PG | USA:Not Rated (DVD) | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | UK:PG | West Germany:12

Filming Locations:

California, USA

Company:

Anthony Productions

Trivia:

Alfonso Bedoya's last film. A longtime alcoholic, he died before it was released.

Goofs:

Continuity: There are two kinds of mouth pieces cowboys use to handle a horse. In the scene where James McKay keeps on mounting and falling from that horse Thunder, sometimes the horse is using a "bridlle" and sometimes he's using a "brake".

Quotes:

Rufus Hannassey: [forced to shoot his own son] I told you! I told you I'd do it. I told you, but you wouldn't believe me! Damn your soul, I told you!

Movie Connections:

Featured in It's Showtime (1976)

Perfect movie, Perfect music.

There's just not one thing wrong with this movie. The casting is perfect, as is the direction, cinematography, script, and music. The score by Jerome Moross is perfection, and my personal favorite of all the great western movie scores. All the actors/actresses are a perfect fit for their roles, and the male cast of Gregory Peck, Charlton Heston, Charles Bickford, Burl Ives, and Chuck Connors (who shines as the thoroughly bad Buck Hannassey) is ensemble acting at it's best. Carol Baker and Jean Simmons are luminous, compelling, and strangely powerful.