IMDb >
The Big Country (1958)
Quicklinks
Top Links
trailers and videosfull cast and crewtriviaofficial sitesmemorable quotesOverview
main detailscombined detailsfull cast and crewcompany creditstv scheduleAwards & Reviews
user commentsexternal reviewsnewsgroup reviewsawardsuser ratingsparents guiderecommendationsmessage boardPlot & Quotes
plot summarysynopsisplot keywordsAmazon.com summarymemorable quotesFun Stuff
triviagoofssoundtrack listingcrazy creditsalternate versionsmovie connectionsFAQOther Info
merchandising linksbox office/businessrelease datesfilming locationstechnical specslaserdisc detailsDVD detailsliterature listingsNewsDeskPromotional
taglines trailers and videos posters photo galleryExternal Links
showtimesofficial sitesmiscellaneousphotographssound clipsvideo clipsThe Big Country (1958) More at IMDbPro »
| Photos (see all 29 | slideshow) | Videos (see all 3) |
Overview
User Rating:
Director:
Writers:
Release Date:
1 October 1958 (USA)
more
Tagline:
Big they fought! Big they loved! Big their story!
Plot:
A New Englander arrives in the Old West, where he becomes embroiled in a feud between two families over a valuable patch of land. full summary | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
Sea Captain
|
Cattle
|
Ranch
|
Horse
|
Attempted Rape
more
Awards:
Won Oscar.
Another 3 wins
&
4 nominations
more
NewsDesk:
(4 articles)
Survival Of The Dead (Film Review)
(From Fangoria. 14 September 2009, 7:17 AM, PDT)
And The Title Of George A. Romero's New Zombie Film Is...
(From Icons of Fright. 22 July 2009, 4:05 AM, PDT)
(From Fangoria. 14 September 2009, 7:17 AM, PDT)
And The Title Of George A. Romero's New Zombie Film Is...
(From Icons of Fright. 22 July 2009, 4:05 AM, PDT)
User Comments:
A Big Film
more (106 total)
Cast
(Cast overview, first billed only)| 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 | |
| Chuck Hayward | ... | Rafe Hannassey | |
| Buff Brady | ... | Dude Hannassey | |
| Jim Burk | ... | Blackie / Cracker Hannassey | |
| Dorothy Adams | ... | Hannassey woman | |
| Chuck Roberson | ... | Terrill cowboy | |
| Bob Morgan | ... | Terrill cowboy | |
| John McKee | ... | Terrill cowboy |
Additional Details
Parents Guide:
Runtime:
165 min
Country:
Color:
Color (Technicolor)
Aspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono (Westrex Recording System)
Certification:
USA:Approved (PCA #18972) |
Canada:PG (Ontario) |
Australia:PG |
USA:Not Rated (DVD) |
Finland:K-16 |
Sweden:15 |
UK:PG |
West Germany:12
Filming Locations:
Company:
Fun Stuff
Trivia:
Gregory Peck and director William Wyler clashed repeatedly during filming. After Peck stormed off the set one day following a blazing row Wyler told the press, "I wouldn't direct Peck again for a million dollars and you can quote me on that.".
more
Goofs:
Continuity: When Steve Leech first picks up Jim McKay in the buckboard he drives past Buck Hannassey and gang standing outside the saloon mocking Steve. The sun is nearly down as the shadows are very long. Steve then drives around the corner to Julie's house and now the sun is directly overhead.
more
Quotes:
Buck Hannassey:
Remember, the Terrills ain't no friend of ours.
Julie Maragon: I'll choose my own friends.
Buck Hannassey: Oh, that won't do. You got to be on one side or the other. You can't have it both ways.
more
Julie Maragon: I'll choose my own friends.
Buck Hannassey: Oh, that won't do. You got to be on one side or the other. You can't have it both ways.
more
Movie Connections:
Featured in The Ultimate Film (2004) (TV)
more
FAQ
This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.more (106 total)
Message Boards
Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for The Big Country (1958) moreRecommendations
If you enjoyed this title, our database also recommends:
Show more recommendations
|
|
|
|
|
| Giant | Gone with the Wind | The Searchers | Ben-Hur | Shane |
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
Related Links
| Full cast and crew | Company credits | External reviews |
| News articles | IMDb Drama section | IMDb USA section |
| Add this title to MyMovies |



There are many things to enjoy in 'The Big Country'. The landscape itself is a character that seems overwhelming. There are many panoramic shots of it, sweeping out to a misty horizon. All beautifully photographed. This big country seems to glow and the film gets an appropriate music score, sweeping and colourful. It must be one of the most perfect film scores written.
In this breathtaking landscape the story of the characters unfold with their prides, jealousies, fears, loves, pretensions, hopes, disappointments. The actors are first rate and convey lots of feeling not just in dialogue but in looks. It is worth seeing more than once to catch the emotional nuances. This is a film with space in lots of senses and it gives the cast time to flesh out their characters. In all the splendid acting I have a particular admiration for Chuck Connors in a performance of a lifetime. His Buck Hennassey is a coward and a bully yet you can't help feeling sorry for him in the end.
There is also the political undertones, the oft quoted Cold War parallels, embodied in the confrontation between Bickford and Ives of mutually assured destruction, that was an ever present issue in the late fifties. Bickford and Ives have narrow self interested vision that portends destruction, while the Peck character has a wider view of co-operation and fairness. (In an illuminating exchange at the engagement party a guest asks Peck if he has seen anything bigger than the 'big country' and Peck replies to the guest's astonishment that he has, a couple of oceans!) It is the outsider who sees clearest.
William Wyler was a great director and made a great film to be enjoyed on many levels. It is an aural and visual treat but the film also has believable characters performed by a superior cast. And I can't stop humming that theme tune....