The Big Country
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| The Big Country | |
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| Directed by | William Wyler and Gregory Peck |
| 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 Western film 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 as well as the Golden Globe Award. The film was also nominated for an Academy Award for the musical score by Jerome Moross.
[edit] Plot summary
Newly retired sea captain James McKay (Peck) moves to the American west at the behest of his fiancée Patricia (Baker) to meet her father, Major Terrill (Bickford). Terrill is a wealthy, powerful rancher feuding with the equally pigheaded patriarch of a less polished clan, Rufus Hannassey (Ives). Patricia's friend, Julie Maragon (Simmons), is caught in the middle between the two. She owns the "Big Muddy", a small ranch with a vital source of water. Hannassey desperately needs it for his cattle, while Terrill wants to withhold it to bring his rival to his knees.
Terrill is unimpressed with his future son-in-law, and his opinion is shared by his foreman, Steve Leech (Heston). Leech continually goads McKay to prove himself, but McKay refuses to play his game. This causes Patricia to begin to question his manhood. Meanwhile, McKay buys the Big Muddy from Julie as a wedding present, promising to keep the peace by allowing all to have access to the water. However, Patricia breaks off the engagement because she has come to believe that her betrothed is a weakling. Before McKay leaves though, he invites Leech to settle matters privately. They proceed to beat each other up, but neither can defeat the other; they part with mutual respect.
Hannassey's no-good son Buck (Connors) then kidnaps Julie, deluding himself that she wants to marry him. When McKay comes to her rescue, Hannassey decides that the two suitors must settle it with a formal duel using fancy, one-shot pistols. Buck shoots early and grazes McKay's forehead. McKay then aims at Buck, but holds his fire. The coward's nerve fails him and he hides in fear, shaming his father. McKay and Julie start to leave, but Buck grabs a gun, forcing Hannassey to kill his son. When Terrill shows up with his men, his foe calls on him to settle their feud man to man. They end up killing each other.
[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 |
[edit] External links
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