The Big Country (1958)

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

Colour:

Colour (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:

Gregory Peck and director William Wyler clashed repeatedly during filming. After Peck stormed off the set one day following a blazing row Wyler told the press, "I wouldn't direct Peck again for a million dollars and you can quote me on that.".

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: When McKay first arrives in town and meets Julie at the gate, some object (boom mic?) is visible above their heads (center screen). (This is noticeable in the mid-90s laser disc release and was corrected for the 2001 DVD so the boom doesn't show.)

Quotes:

Major Terrill: There's no prettier sight in the world than 10,000 head of cattle... unless it's 50,000.

Movie Connections:

Featured in A Conversation with Gregory Peck (1999)

Spectacular underrated Western epic with an all star cast.

The strength of this movie is its great cast, an excellent script and Jerome Moross' memorable score. Critics bombed it when it was released, but moviegoers loved it. I did, too.

"It's a big country", one of the characters in the movie says. This is obvious in the opening credits as a stagecoach crosses the treeless plain carrying Gregory Peck, who plays Jim McKay, to a meeting with his fiance (played by Carol Baker) in San Rafael. The fist fight with the foreman of Ladder Ranch, played by Charlton Heston, is original in its staging. There have been much better fight scenes. "Pittsburgh" and "North to Alaska" come to mind. This fight scene is memorable because the camera emphasizes the vastness of the country by showing the fight from long range. It works.

The emphasis in this film is on the complex personal relationships between the characters. Peck and Baker are engaged to be married, but their relationship seems doomed from the start. In the opening scenes they are harassed by the Hannassey's, mortal enemies of the Terrell's. Peck and Baker are fundamentally incompatible. He doesn't measure up to her father (played by Charles Bickford), and she is upset that he doesn't ride Old Thunder or accept Steve Leach's challenge. McKay does both, but he does these things on his own terms. He is not a show off. He may be a little unsure of himself, but he does not give up easily. His efforts to ride Old Thunder demonstrate this. He is also modest. "I had a little trouble with a horse", he later tells Julie Maragon in a classic understatement. Pat Terrell is disappointed in her fiance and dumps him. Later, when she tries to make peace, McKay rejects her overtures. "It goes much deeper than that", he tells her, referring to her comment that the estrangement was a simple misunderstanding. In a pique she compares him unfavorably to her father and walks out of his life. McKay's courage shows at the end when he rides into Blanco Canyon to rescue Julie Maragon (played by Jean Simmons). Why did he do it? He did it for love. He loves Julie Maragon.

The relationship between Rufus Hannassey (played by Burl Ives) and Henry Terrell sets the tone for the movie. Terrell is a "gentleman" living in a mansion. The Hannassey clan lives in rough shacks in Blanco Canyon. Rufus is not as uncultured as the Terrell's make him out. Indeed, he appreciates the fine dueling pistols he finds in McKay's saddlebags. "Gentlemen's weapons", he derisively tells his definitely uncouth son (played by Chuck Connors). In one scene Rufus publicly questions Henry Terrell's qualifications as a gentleman. Gentlemen or not the two old men hate each other. The movie never tells you how it started. Perhaps no one remembers. Perhaps it is simple economics. Both the Terrells and the Hannasseys covet the Big Muddy, Julie Maragon's ranch. Water is more than life in the West. In one scene Terrell's cowboys shoot holes in the water tower at Rufus' ranch. Steve Leach questions the ethics of this. "Do you really want this Major?", he asks. "Let the boys have their fun," he replies. Later, Rufus returns the favor by barging uninvited into Terrell's party. It is not unexpected that they kill each other at the end.

The relationship between McKay and Steve Leach begins on a bad note. Leach seems to have a romantic interest in McKay's fiance. He offers a fight, which McKay refuses. Later, when they do fight, the relationship seems to change. "You take a long time to say good by," he tells McKay. "I'm just about finished", McKay replies. It is apparent at the end that Leach respects McKay's courage.

The script is refreshingly original. The familiar dialogue from other Westerns is missing here. "This is a frosty Friday", Rufus says at one point. "Teach your mother to suck eggs", he suggests to his McKay at another point. If anything, there may be too much dialogue in this film. A little more action might have helped.

The action is also different from your typical Western. The big screen approach to the fist fight is a good example. The long-expected gun fight between Steve Leach and Buck Hannassey never happens. Instead Hannassey and McKay face off with dueling pistols. McKay wins, because Hannassey shows his coward's colors. He grabs a six gun from one of the cow hands and tries to kill McKay. It is Rufus who shoots his son.

Jerome Moross' music is fantastic. My favorite cue is "The Welcoming", which underscores the scene in which Buck Hannassey and three ranch hands harass McKay and his fiance. Variations of the musical themes in this film appear in the "Jayhawkers" and "The Proud Rebel". The title tune was recently reprised in "Varsity Blues".

This movie is best watched on the big screen. Unfortunately, I don't believe there is a wide screen version of this film available on video. Hopefully, that omission will soon be corrected. However, the great script and wonderful characterizations can be enjoyed on the small screen, too.