Count Three and Pray (1955)

A pastor with a shady past moves into a rural town just after the Civil War.

Director:

George Sherman

Writers:

Herb Meadow (dialogue), Herb Meadow (story)

Stars:

Van Heflin, Joanne Woodward, Philip Carey

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Van Heflin	...	Luke Fargo
Joanne Woodward	...	Lissy
Philip Carey	...	Albert Loomis (as Phil Carey)
Raymond Burr	...	Yancey Huggins
Allison Hayes	...	Georgina Decrais
Myron Healey	...	Floyd Miller
Nancy Kulp	...	Matty Miller
James Griffith	...	Swallow
Richard Webb	...	Big
Kathryn Givney	...	Mrs. Decrais
Robert Burton	...	Bishop

Storyline

A pastor with a shady past moves into a rural town just after the Civil War.

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Plot Keywords:

post civil war | orphan | number in title

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Genres:

Drama | Western

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

October 1955 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Calico Pony

Filming Locations:

North Ranch, Lindero Canyon Road at Kanan Road, Agoura Hills, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Copa Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

102 min

Sound Mix:

Mono Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

While Joanne Woodward had appeared in numerous television productions prior to this, this movie marked her debut in film.

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Goofs

When Georgina DeCrais gets into her carriage after being handed her package by Yancy Huggins, her dress gets caught in the door of the carriage. After her horses run off, she exits the carriage from the opposite side and her dress being caught doesn't stop her from exiting.

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Soundtracks

"Holy Holy Holy"
Music by Reginald Heber and lyrics by John B. Dykes
Performed by the cast

User Reviews

From Hellraiser to Hellfire Preacher

Count Three And Pray finds Van Heflin one weary Union veteran from the Civil War, tired of all the killing he's seen and participated in. When a parson from the town he's from in the west is killed at Vicksburg, Heflin decides right then and there he's received a calling to take his place.

Before the war Heflin was quite the roughneck character, a gambling, fighting, and loving man if there ever was one. A lot of folks in the town just don't quite think he's changed. Some like town boss Raymond Burr are out to prove it in any way possible. Some like saloon owner and town madam Jean Willes have different ideas about getting Heflin back to his old ways.

If that isn't enough Van's got two other problems. One is a young orphan type girl, a budding Calamity Jane in Joanne Woodward who's decided to just move into the parsonage that Heflin's set up shop in and won't leave. Not good for a righteous preacher to be cohabitating with a girl just this side of minority.

But secondly Van's forgot that he has to get himself ordained somewhere. Minor little detail, but still one of those things folks can be sticklers about.

Count Three And Pray is a good western that sadly has the potential to be something far better. The cast is uniformly good and this was Joanne Woodward's big screen debut. She was quite lucky she didn't get herself typecast in roles like these.

A whole lot of issues are not resolved in Count Three And Pray and the ending is not quite satisfactory for me. Still it's a well made and very earnest film that seems to have been crafted by some skilled people.