Hud (1963)

User Rating:

7.9/10   

Director:

Martin Ritt

Writers:

Larry McMurtry (novel)
Irving Ravetch (writer) ...

Release Date:

29 May 1963 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Western

Tagline:

The man with the barbed wire soul!

Plot:

Hud Bannon is a ruthless young man who tarnishes everything and everyone he touches. Hud represents the perfect embodiment of alienated youth...

Plot Keywords:

Bus Stop | Second Generation | Kiwanis | Alcoholism | Small Town Life

Awards:

Won 3 Oscars. Another 11 wins & 14 nominations

Cast

Paul Newman	...	Hud Bannon
Melvyn Douglas	...	Homer Bannon
Patricia Neal	...	Alma Brown
Brandon De Wilde	...	Lon '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

Runtime:

112 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Canada:PG (Ontario) | UK:12 (1998) (uncut) | UK:A (1963) (cut) | USA:Approved (certificate #20308) | Germany:12 (DVD rating) | West Germany:16 | Finland:K-15 (new rating: 2001) | Portugal:M/12 | Australia:M | Australia:PG (alternate rating) | Finland:K-16 | Norway:16

Filming Locations:

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

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

The novel "Exodus" is briefly but clearly visible on the paperback rack in the pharmacy scene. Paul Newman had starred in the film of the novel (Exodus (1960)) three years earlier.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: As Lon exits diner in opening scene, radio announcer says time is "6:26" a.m. - but lack of long shadows clearly identifies time as near noon.

Quotes:

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

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Making of 'Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid' (1970)

Soundtrack:

The Great Titanic (It Was Sad When That Great Ship Went Down)

A brilliantly evocative character study set against an arid Texas backdrop.

Paul Newman gave easily his greatest performance as Hud Bannen, the hard-fighting, hard-drinking, womanising ne'er-do-well, who casts a malign shadow over the lives of his family and their housekeeper on a Texas ranch. It is a strong all-round cast however, and Melvyn Douglas and Patricia Neal both won Academy Awards for their performances. The sparse and grainy cinematography by James Wong Howe (another Oscar winner) brilliantly captures the harsh, arid Texas landscape. Adapted from Larry McMurtry's novel Horseman Pass By, this is one of the finest examples of American Cinema in the 1960's, not least in its depiction of father-son conflict, and the way one in which one man can profoundly influence, for the worse, the lives of those around him. Newman worked as a ranch-hand in Texas to prepare for the role, which helped him obtain his authentic Texan credentials, most notably his accent, and his cocky strut and manner. A timeless classic, which can be viewed again and again.