The Big Country

[Red Gauntlet , SASS 60619]

Just watched it in an idle hour last night (well, lot more than a hour; it's a long movie). It was a big hit at the time; Gregory Peck, Charlton Heston (in a supporting role, not usual for him), Carol Baker, Burl Ives, Chuck Connors, Charles Bickford, Jean Simmons.

 

Feuding land barons, no-account son, foreman who loves the baron's daughter, stranger from outside who is tougher than he looks....it's all there! Jean Simmons is beautiful.

 

A good movie.

[Trigger Mike]

excellent film. like that one a lot , that and "The Violent Men" with Glen Ford.

[J-BAR #18287]

The Big Country is a great movie, even if the hero is anti-gun!

 

Burl Ives as Rufus Hannassey deserved his Oscar for Best Supporting Actor.

 

Jerome Moross deserved an Oscar for the soundtrack, but unfortunately did not get it.

 

And you are right about Jean Simmons. I saw that movie just when girls began to look interesting, and years later I married a brunette with short hair...probably not a coincidence!

[Yul Lose]

I was 5 years old and we went to see it at a drive in theater in Scottsbluff, Nebraska. I've probably watched it 5 or 6 times over the years but I still have vague memories of the first time I saw it everytime I see it. Saw Shane at the same place at a different time and I still think Shane is my favorite western.

[Dubious Don #56333]

Excellent movie !!!

[Trigger Mike]

i need to let my sons watch it more often. it shows how conniving a bad woman can be verses how sacrificial and caring a good woman can be.

[Tom Bullweed]

Bruce Dern has told how his willingness to kill Duke Wayne in The Cowboys likely led to him playing less-than-good guys for the rest of his career.

It says a lot that Chuck Connor's role in this movie as a ne'er do well woman beater was something that he was not held down by in later roles. He was able to overcome that role, even though he played a pretty ugly role in Roots two decades later.

[Cat Brules]

i need to let my sons watch it more often. it shows how conniving a bad woman can be verses how sacrificial and caring a good woman can be.

 

Or, how how adolescent and foolish a spoiled, self-centered, narcissistic brat, who never grew up can be. Some women are girls until they turn 60.

 

Good visual lesson to young boys to not be roped in by popularity, beauty, sexual ideals (which usually in the end, are mediocre and cold, at best), family power and wealth.

 

Sometimes difficult to spot by the most intelligent and mature of men.

[J-BAR #18287]

I like Heston's character better than Peck's. Peck is so independent and aloof that he is actually an emotional cripple. Heston is open, honest, and loyal. But I love Rufus Hannassey. His speech to Henry Terrell when he interrupts the dance is one of the best monologues on film. Rufus is honorable enough to execute his own son. Wow.

[Red Gauntlet , SASS 60619]

I like Heston's character better than Peck's. Peck is so independent and aloof that he is actually an emotional cripple. Heston is open, honest, and loyal. But I love Rufus Hannassey. His speech to Henry Terrell when he interrupts the dance is one of the best monologues on film. Rufus is honorable enough to execute his own son. Wow.

 

Interesting point about Peck and Heston. Heston's character is appealing. Peck was the sea captain, though, which may explain the aloofness. The Terrell bunch should not have fallen for the idea he was a coward and an incompetent, given that he'd been captaining ships all over the world, and in many a tough port.

 

Very interesting characters all around. Execute may not be quite the right word for Rufus killing his son, though. The son was about to shoot Peck from behind. But he killed him all right, just a he had predicted would happen.