The Big Country

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For other uses, see The Big Country (disambiguation).

The Big Country
DVD cover of The Big Country featuring Gregory Peck
Directed by	William Wyler
Produced by	Gregory Peck William Wyler
Written by	Robert Wilder
Starring	Gregory Peck Jean Simmons
Music by	Jerome Moross
Cinematography	Franz F. Planer
Distributed by	United Artists
Release date(s)	October 1, 1958 (U.S. release)
Running time	165 min
Language	English
IMDb profile

The Big Country is a 1958 American movie starring Gregory Peck, Jean Simmons, Carroll Baker, Charlton Heston, Burl Ives, Charles Bickford, and Chuck Connors. Based on a novel by Donald Hamilton, it was directed by William Wyler. Ives won the Academy Award as Best Supporting Actor for his superb performance, as well as the Golden Globe Award; the film was also nominated for an Oscar for its noteworthy musical score by Jerome Moross.

The story concerns newly retired sea captain James McKay (Peck), who moves to the American west to be with his fiancée Patricia (Baker) but finds himself in a battle between local warring ranchers - Patricia's father, Major Terrill (Bickford); and the more earthy head of a ragged rural family, Rufus Hannassey (Ives). McKay tries to keep the peace between families while also not trying to prove his worthiness as a husband to Patricia. Ranchhand Steve Leech (Heston) provides suitable competition in that area, and neighbor Julie Maragon (Simmons) is between all sides as the neighbor whose water supply is a crucial natural asset to the ranchers.

[edit] Featured cast

Actor	Role
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