A Kentucky widower bound for 1820's Texas with his young son is thwarted in his efforts by a corrupt constable, a long-standing family feud, and a beautiful indentured servant.
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Title: The Kentuckian (1955)
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1 nomination.
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Cast
| Complete credited cast: | |||
| Burt Lancaster | ... |
Elias Wakefield (Big Eli)
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Dianne Foster | ... |
Hannah Bolen
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| Diana Lynn | ... |
Susie Spann
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| Walter Matthau | ... |
Stan Bodine
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| Donald MacDonald | ... |
Little Eli Wakefield
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| John McIntire | ... |
Zack Wakefield
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| Una Merkel | ... |
Sophie Wakefield
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| John Carradine | ... |
Ziby Fletcher
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| John Litel | ... |
Pleasant Tuesday Babson
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| Rhys Williams | ... |
Constable
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Edward Norris | ... |
Roulette Dealer
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Plot Summary
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Add Synopsis
Storyline
A frontiersman in 1820s Kentucky finds the area too civilized for his tastes, so he makes plans for he and his son to leave for the wild Texas country. However, he buys an indentured servant along the way, and her presence throws a monkey wrench into his plans. Written by frankfob2@yahoo.com
Taglines:
Hunter...Frontiersman...Adventurer!Parents Guide:
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Details
Country:
USALanguage:
EnglishRelease Date:
14 February 1956 (West Germany) See more »Also Known As:
The Gabriel Horn See more »Company Credits
Show detailed
company contact information
on
IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Sound Mix:
4-Track Stereo (Western Electric Recording)Color:
Color (Technicolor)Aspect Ratio:
2.55 : 1
Edit
Little Eli Wakefield: How long now, Pa? How many more days?
Elias Wakefield: We ain't much more than started!
See more »
Did You Know?
Trivia
The picture was entered in the 1955 Venice Film Festival. See more »Goofs
At the beginning, Eli is sitting near a campfire. We can clearly see its flames, showing it is still burning. When Eli stands up, the flames has disappeared, even we haven't see him extinguishing the fire. See more »Quotes
[first lines]Little Eli Wakefield: How long now, Pa? How many more days?
Elias Wakefield: We ain't much more than started!
See more »
BURT LANCASTER stars as THE KENTUCKIAN who has a yearning to go where the grass is greener and wants to leave Kentucky for a new life in Texas with his young son in tow. DIANA LYNN is a pretty schoolteacher at the schoolhouse cabin and DIANNE FOSTER is the other female lead, an indentured servant, with a yen for Lancaster.
Good supporting roles for WALTER MATTHAU (making his screen debut) and JOHN CARRADINE. JOHN LITEL makes a welcome appearance as a riverboat man, but the story lacks a strong enough plot to maintain interest in the rather pedestrian proceedings. Filmed in widescreen color and CinemaScope, it looks as though a lavish budget has been expended on a tiresome script.
Fortunately, the film picks up interest toward the last fifteen minutes when Lancaster and his son have to defend themselves against badman Matthau and his cohorts. There's also a confrontational bullwhip scene with Matthau and Lancaster that is well staged and effective.
But the story is rather trite and there's nothing special about Lancaster's performance or his direction. I would have preferred a more appealing youngster for Young Eli than DONALD MacDONALD who walks through his role without ever inhabiting it.