Hud (1963)

Hud Bannon is a ruthless young man who tarnishes everything and everyone he touches. Hud represents the perfect embodiment of alienated youth, out for kicks with no regard for the ... See full summary »

Director:

Martin Ritt

Writers:

Irving Ravetch (screenplay), Harriet Frank Jr. (screenplay),

Stars:

Paul Newman, Melvyn Douglas, Patricia Neal

Won 3 Oscars. Another 15 wins & 14 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Paul Newman	...	Hud Bannon
Melvyn Douglas	...	Homer Bannon
Patricia Neal	...	Alma Brown
Brandon De Wilde	...	Lonnie Bannon (as Brandon de Wilde)
Whit Bissell	...	Mr. Burris
Crahan Denton	...	Jesse
John Ashley	...	Hermy
Val Avery	...	Jose
George Petrie	...	Joe Scanlon
Curt Conway	...	Truman Peters
Sheldon Allman	...	Mr. Thompson
Pitt Herbert	...	Mr. Larker
Carl Low	...	Mr. Kirby
Robert Hinkle	...	Rodeo Announcer Frank
Don Kennedy	...	Charlie Tucker

Storyline

Hud Bannon is a ruthless young man who tarnishes everything and everyone he touches. Hud represents the perfect embodiment of alienated youth, out for kicks with no regard for the consequences. There is bitter conflict between the callous Hud and his stern and highly principled father, Homer. Hud's nephew Lon admires Hud's cheating ways, though he soon becomes aware of Hud's reckless amorality to bear him anymore. In the world of the takers and the taken, Hud is a winner. He's a cheat, but, he explains "I always say the law was meant to be interpreted in a lenient manner."

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Plot Keywords:

cowboy boot | rocking chair | kiwanis | cattle ranch | character's point of view camera shot | 

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Taglines:

It's truth you will understand!

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

29 May 1963 (USA)

Also Known As:

Le plus sauvage d'entre tous

Filming Locations:

Camp Waldemar - 1005 Ranch Road 1340, Hunt, Texas, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$2,500,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paramount Pictures, Salem-Dover Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

112 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Finnish censorship visa # 65965 delivered on 19-7-1963.

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Goofs

The position of Lon's arm changes as he as Hud share a drink and talk about a girl after the pig contest.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Lonnie Bannon: OK, thanks for the lift.

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Connections

Referenced in Hideaway (1995)

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Soundtracks

"In the Sweet By-and-By"
By Joseph P. Webster & Sanford Fillmore Bennett

User Reviews

No One Gets Out Of Life Alive

Those are the nihilistic words of Hud Bannon, the swaggering antihero in the Martin Ritt directed film "Hud", set amid the vast, expansive high plains of West Texas. It's a somber affair.

Hud lives with his elderly father Homer (a wonderfully understated performance by Melvyn Douglas) and nephew Lonnie. Their small, struggling ranch serves not only as a livelihood, but also the source of Homer's ethical values. Another main character is Alma, the attractive housekeeper and cook. For all four of them it's a hard life, but a worthwhile life, at least as Homer sees it. Hud sees it differently. But then Hud is a product of modern times, with differing values from those of Homer and his generation. When a crisis occurs that puts their ranch in jeopardy, these differing values clash, resulting in tension between Hud and his father.

Hud's ongoing rebellion, rooted in heredity and environment, takes the form of booze, brawls, women, and anger. Hud is a heel, but a sympathetic heel. We understand his frustrations. Larry McMurtry's story presents a naturalistic interpretation of human character. Hud is constrained by forces over which he has no control. For him, like for many of us, freedom of choice is mostly an illusion. The morality of absolutes, as expressed by his father, does not work in Hud's favor.

But there's a fifth character in this morality tale ... the land. The bleak, desolate plains with its buzzards, ubiquitous dust, and lonesome vistas can depress the most optimistic spirit. In this film, the monochrome canvas accentuated by James Wong Howe's use of single source lighting makes the natural environment seem appropriately oppressive. And the film's sounds amplify the gritty realism of this unforgiving land.

I have a couple of minor criticisms. The screenplay puts too much emphasis on Alma, given that she is the housekeeper. Second, there's not enough music or humor. Others will disagree, but I would have preferred a more prominent role for the mournful sounds of Hank Williams type music, a la "The Last Picture Show".

Interestingly, Hud's comment on life is the same in meaning as the words spoken years later by a real-life nihilistic antihero, who said: "No one here gets out alive". While we think we know what happened to the real-life antihero, we don't know what became of Hud. Perhaps someday someone will make a credible sequel. Then they can add more music. Imagine the mood evoked by the sight of Hud riding off into the Texas sunset, to the sounds of "Riders On The Storm".