The Shepherd of the Hills (1941)

Young Matt Masters, an Ozark Mountains moonshiner, hates the father he has never seen, who apparently deserted Matt's mother and left her to die. His obsession contributes to the hatred ... See full summary »

Director:

Henry Hathaway

Writers:

Harold Bell Wright (novel), Grover Jones (screenplay),

Stars:

John Wayne, Betty Field, Harry Carey

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
John Wayne	...	Young Matt
Betty Field	...	Sammy Lane
Harry Carey	...	Daniel Howitt
Beulah Bondi	...	Aunt Mollie
James Barton	...	Old Matt
Samuel S. Hinds	...	Andy Beeler
Marjorie Main	...	Granny Becky
Ward Bond	...	Wash Gibbs
Marc Lawrence	...	Pete
John Qualen	...	Coot Royal
Fuzzy Knight	...	Mr. Palestrom
Tom Fadden	...	Jim Lane
Olin Howland	...	Corky
Dorothy Adams	...	Elvy
Virita Campbell	...	Baby

Storyline

Young Matt Masters, an Ozark Mountains moonshiner, hates the father he has never seen, who apparently deserted Matt's mother and left her to die. His obsession contributes to the hatred rampant in the mountains. However, the arrival of a stranger, Daniel Howitt, begins to positively affect the mountain people, who learn to shed their hatred under his gentle influence. Still, Matt does not quite trust Howitt.....

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Plot Keywords:

hate | six shooter | cabin | fire | cowboy boots | 

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Taglines:

Fury in the wild Ozarks! Hatred unleashed on the "Trail of the Lonsome Pine"!

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Genres:

Adventure | Drama | Western

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

18 July 1941 (USA)

Also Known As:

El pastor de las colinas

Filming Locations:

Big Bear Lake, Big Bear Valley, San Bernardino National Forest, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paramount Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

98 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

One of over 700 Paramount Productions, filmed between 1929 and 1949, which were sold to MCA/Universal in 1958 for television distribution, and have been owned and controlled by Universal ever since.

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Goofs

When Old Mat goes into the house at Moaning Meadow and opens the window there are papers (probably sheet music) on the piano. When the camera angle changes the papers are gone.

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Quotes

Young Matt: The bigger the man, the deeper the imprint. And when he's in love, he suffers knowing it's a dead end.

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Connections

Remade as The Shepherd of the Hills (1964)

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Soundtracks

"There's a Happy Hunting Ground"
(uncredited)
Written by Sam Coslow

User Reviews

life isn't fair

man i may be young in 2006 but sometimes i wish i was young in 1941 because Betty Field is so so beautiful and i wonder what she would have been like to know well and to talk to and to discuss the world with why is life so mind numbing the way time moves and passes and cruises and saunters and ignores and slithers and compensates and reacts and promises and lies and creates and breaks and takes and gives and whispers and yells and how certain things but certain things and no things but everything.

Anyway, Betty Field , makes me crazy when u watch this movie..... but at this point I've only seen her behave incredibly and with great intention for emotion.... incredible.