The Big Country (1958)

User Rating:

7.8/10   

Director:

William Wyler

Writers:

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

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
Slim Talbot	...	Terrill cowboy (as Jay Slim Talbot)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Richard Alexander	...	Party guest (Oceans) (uncredited)
Harry Cheshire	...	Party guest (uncredited)
Jay W. Jensen	...	Cowboy (uncredited)
Donald Kerr	...	Liveryman (uncredited)
Carey Paul Peck	...	Boy (uncredited)
Jonathan Peck	...	Boy (uncredited)
Stephen Peck	...	Boy (uncredited)
Ralph Sanford	...	Party guest (uncredited)

Directed by
William Wyler

Writing credits
Donald Hamilton		(novel)
Jessamyn West		(adaptation) &
Robert Wyler		(adaptation)
James R. Webb		(screenplay) &
Sy Bartlett		(screenplay) and
Robert Wilder		(screenplay)

Produced by
Gregory Peck	....	producer
Robert Wyler	....	associate producer
William Wyler	....	producer

Original Music by
Jerome Moross

Cinematography by
Franz Planer		(as Franz F. Planer)

Film Editing by
Robert Belcher
John Faure

Casting by
Dorothy Whitney

Art Direction by
Frank Hotaling

Set Decoration by
Edward G. Boyle

Costume Design by
Emile Santiago
Yvonne Wood

Makeup Department
Dan Greenway	....	makeup artist
Harry Maret	....	makeup artist (as Harry Maret Jr.)
Joan St. Oegger	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Tom Andre	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Ray Gosnell Jr.	....	second assistant director (as Ray Gosnell)
Henry Hartman	....	assistant director: second unit
Robert Swink	....	second unit director
Ivan Volkman	....	assistant director
John Waters	....	second unit director

Sound Department
Del Harris	....	sound effects editor
Roger Heman Sr.	....	sound recordist (as Roger Heman)
John K. Kean	....	sound recordist (as John Kean)

Stunts
Bill Babcock	....	stunts (uncredited)
Jim Burk	....	stunts (uncredited)
Martha Crawford	....	stunt double: Carroll Baker (uncredited)
Martha Crawford	....	stunt double: Jean Simmons (uncredited)
Donna Hall	....	stunts (uncredited)
Chuck Hayward	....	stunts (uncredited)
John McKee	....	stunts (uncredited)
Bob Morgan	....	stunts (uncredited)
Hal Needham	....	stunts (uncredited)
Chuck Roberson	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Wallace Chewning	....	director of photography: second unit

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Eddie Armand	....	costumer
Neva Rames	....	costumer

Editorial Department
Robert Swink	....	supervising editor
Hal Ashby	....	assistant editor (uncredited)

Music Department
Lloyd Young	....	music editor
Alexander Courage	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Gil Grau	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Bernard Mayers	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Conrad Salinger	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Other crew
Saul Bass	....	title designer
Carl P. Benoit	....	location manager
Sam Freedle	....	script supervisor
Clarence Marks	....	assistant: William Wyler

Production Companies

• Anthony Productions
• Worldwide Productions

Distributors

• United Artists (1958) (USA) (theatrical)
• United Artists (1959) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Image Entertainment (1995) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1997) (USA) (VHS) (pan/scan)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (2001) (USA) (DVD) (widescreen)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (2001) (USA) (VHS) (widescreen)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• ClassicLine (2004) (Brazil) (DVD)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2005) (Germany) (DVD)
• Continental Home Vídeo (2006) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Chapel Distribution (1997) (Australia) (theatrical)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1962) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• Tocantins (????) (Brazil) (VHS)

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:

According to Gregory Peck, director William Wyler intended the film to be a left-wing allegory for the Cold War.

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:

Major Henry Terrill: This is the west, Jim, a man is still expected to defend himself. If he allows people to think he won't, he's in trouble. Bad trouble.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The Ren & Stimpy Show: Black Hole/Stimpy's Invention (#1.6)" (1992)

Magnificent

As a rule, I don't like westerns. This isn't because I'm a city slicker (though now, I do live in a city). I grew up in rural Eastern Oregon where "real" cowboys still herd their cattle through the center of town in John Day, Oregon. My stepfather owned a 10,170 acre cattle ranch. After being raised among "real" cowboys, the Hollywood versions tend to leave me flat. The Big Country was an exception.

Jim McKay (Gregory Peck) introduced us to a different kind of man, far different than most stereotypical men of the Wild West. If I were to compare McKay's character to any other film character, it would be Ghandi. He's a man who doesn't feel obliged to seek the approval of others ... a man who believes that violence doesn't need to be used to solve problems. His secret ride of Old Thunder, making Ramon (Alfonso Bedoya) swear to keep quiet regardless of the outcome, set the tone for McKay's character. His later secret fight with Steve Leech (Charleton Heston), making him swear to keep quiet regardless of the outcome, cemented that tone. This was a REAL man whose opinion of himself was not dependent upon anyone else's opinion ... in stark contrast to anyone else in the film outside of Julie Maragon (Jean Simmons). As Ramon said, "Such a man is very rare."

Outside of McKay, my #2 favorite character in the film was Rufus Hannassey (Burl Ives). I found nothing about him distasteful considering he was a character whose back was against the wall ... whose livelihood was threatened. The things he did make perfect sense in such a situation. His only flaw was his obvious poor parenthood. He really blew it with Buck (Chuck Connors) and Buck's siblings were of the same ilk.

I'm so glad that MGM/UA finally released the widescreen version in 2001. This is a film that deserves such a presence. It may not be playing in theaters anymore but seeing it in any other display size takes so much away from it. I've seen the pan/scan version before and will never go back.

One note. The full listing of writing credits for the film adaptation is lacking. "Ambush In Blanco Canyon," originally serialized in a magazine, was later novelized into "The Big Country" by Donald Hamilton ... and Hamilton also worked on the adaptation as well as Leon Uris ("Topaz," "Exodus," "Gunfight At the OK Corral," etc.).

This epic film was not lacking for anything. It had the best writers, the best actors, the best musical score, and the best scenery of any other film of its time ... western or otherwise. And the film remains one of my favorite films of all time.