The Far Country (1954)

User Rating:

7.2/10   

Director:

Anthony Mann

Writers:

Borden Chase (story)
Borden Chase (screenplay)

Release Date:

12 February 1955 (USA)

Genre:

Romance | Western

Tagline:

RENEE...the innocent...and the untamed...BEN...the gambler...and the loser...GANNON...the law...and the noose...RUBE...the friendless...and the afraid.

Plot:

A self-minded adventurer (Jeff Webster) locks horns with a crooked lawman (Mr. Gannon) while driving cattle to Dawson.

Plot Keywords:

Cattle | Gold | Klondike | Gold Rush | Corrupt Judge

Cast

James Stewart	...	Jeff Webster
Ruth Roman	...	Ronda Castle (owner, Skagway Castle & Dawson Castle saloons)
Corinne Calvet	...	Renee Vallon
Walter Brennan	...	Ben Tatum (Jeff's partner)
John McIntire	...	Skagway Sheriff Gannon
Jay C. Flippen	...	Dawson Marshal Rube Morris
Harry Morgan	...	Ketchum (Castle driver / miner) (as Henry Morgan)
Steve Brodie	...	Ives (Castle driver / miner)
Connie Gilchrist	...	Hominy (co-owner, Dawson Hash House)
Robert J. Wilke	...	Madden (Gannon gunman) (as Robert Wilke)
Chubby Johnson	...	Dusty (Dawson miner)
Royal Dano	...	Luke (Dawson miner)
Jack Elam	...	Frank Newberry (Gannon's deputy)
Kathleen Freeman	...	Grits (co-owner, Dawson Hash House)
Connie Van	...	Molasses (co-owner, Dawson Hash House)

Runtime:

97 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.75 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

Iceland:12 | UK:U | West Germany:12 (nf) | South Korea:12 | Australia:PG | Finland:K-16 | USA:Approved (PCA #18975) | Sweden:15

Filming Locations:

Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada

Company:

Universal International Pictures (UI)

Trivia:

The Finnish title of this film is "Seikkailijoiden luvattu maa", meaning "The Promised Land of Adventurers" in English.

Goofs:

Factual errors: The film takes place in 1896. Ronda Castle contracts Jeff Webster to drive her caravan until Dawson, Canada. Nevertheless, that Canadian miner town-site was named Dawson only in January 1897.

Quotes:

Luke: Well, I knew it was coming. I warned you, I did. Where's there's gold, there's stealing. Where there's stealing, there's killing. I knew it was coming. I just did know it.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in L'anglaise et le duc (2001)

Soundtrack:

PRETTY LITTLE PRIMROSE

Real star is the cinematography

Jimmy Stewart and Anthony Mann teamed to do some of the best westerns ever made and this is one of the best.

The real star of the film however is the spectacular Canadian Rockies that serve as a backdrop for the story. Some of the best cinematography ever done in the history of film.

In all five of the westerns that Stewart and Mann did together the supporting roles were perfectly cast. No exception here, right down to parts that might only have a few lines, the characters are firmly etched with those lines.

Stewart is a cynical hard-bitten loner in this film whose only real friend is his sidekick Walter Brennan. It's Brennan's death at the hands of the villains that makes him want to finally free the gold settlement from the bad guys and incidentally redeem himself in the process.

John McIntire is the head villain of the piece and he was an under-appreciated actor with a vast range. He could play delightful old codgers, authority figures and in this case a particularly nasty and crafty villain.

One of the best westerns ever.