The Rare Breed (1966)

When her husband dies en route to America, Martha Price and her daughter Hilary are left to carry out his dream: the introduction of Hereford cattle into the American West. They enlist Sam ... See full summary »

Director:

Andrew V. McLaglen

Writer:

Ric Hardman

Stars:

James Stewart, Maureen O'Hara, Brian Keith

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
James Stewart	...	Sam Burnett
Maureen O'Hara	...	Martha Price
Brian Keith	...	Alexander Bowen
Juliet Mills	...	Hilary Price
Don Galloway	...	Jamie Bowen
David Brian	...	Charles Ellsworth
Jack Elam	...	Deke Simons
Ben Johnson	...	Jeff Harter
Harry Carey Jr.	...	Ed Mabry
Perry Lopez	...	Juan
Larry Domasin	...	Alberto
Silvia Marino	...	Conchita
Alan Caillou	...	John Taylor
Gregg Palmer	...	Rodenbush
Barbara Werle	...	Gert

Storyline

When her husband dies en route to America, Martha Price and her daughter Hilary are left to carry out his dream: the introduction of Hereford cattle into the American West. They enlist Sam "Bulldog" Burnett in their efforts to transport their lone bull, a Hereford named Vindicator, to a breeder in Texas, but the trail is fraught with danger and even Burnett doubts the survival potential of this "rare breed" of cattle.

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Plot Keywords:

bull | texas | cattle | shootout | western town | 

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Genres:

Drama | Romance | Western

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

25 February 1966 (West Germany)

Also Known As:

Rancho River

Filming Locations:

Mecca, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

97 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The accident involving the wagon carrying Martha and Hilary ahead of the stampede was real and kept in the film. The women were supposed to be thrown clear, but instead the wagon rolled over them. Fortunately, there was a pit underneath the wagon allowing the stuntwomen, Stephanie Epper and Patty Elder, enough space to be kept from being crushed. They survived with slight injuries and shock. Director Andrew V. McLaglen kept the scene in the film.

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Goofs

In the final fight scene between Jimmy Stewart and Brian Keith, there is a close shot of the calf watching from underneath the stairs. However, when they cut to the long shot, the calf is no longer there.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Martha Evans: What on earth are they doing?
Charles Ellsworth: It's called bulldogging, ma'am. That's Bulldog Burnett. He works for my outfit.
Hilary Price: Well, it's a perfectly silly way to handle cattle if you ask me.

User Reviews

A Blend of John Ford and Disney-with a Great Performance by Juliet Mills

Director Andrew V. McLaglen's "The Rare Breed" (1966) has a surprising amount of historical interest, both to students of the old west and to western genre film buffs. It is actually a fairly accurate (if fictionalized) account of the displacement of Longhorn cattle on the Texas range by intentional interbreeding with more conventional bulls (in this case a Hereford named Vindicator).

Just as interesting is the film's position as one of the early intentional parodies of the western genre. While less obvious than in "Cat Ballou" (1965), the self-reflexive elements and parody are there if you look close. The most obvious are Brian Keith's overplayed (almost expressionistic) Scotsman and McLaglen's juxtaposition of classic John Ford outdoor scenery with obvious sound stage shots-including matte paintings by Albert Whitlock. And McLaglen rounds out his cast with genre favorites Ben Johnson, Harry Carey Jr., and Jack Elam.

But "The Rare Breed's" real claim to fame is as the first "chick flick" western. It is likely to appeal more to women than men viewers as the story is told from the point of view of its heroine Hilary Price (Juliet Mills), who sets out with her parents to bring a small herd of cattle from Hertfordshire (England) to the American west. Unfortunately her father dies on the ocean voyage so Hilary and her mother Martha (Maureen O'Hara) are faced with the daunting task of completing what had been her father's dream.

Mills is wonderful in this role and it really suits her. She is a placid observer of the strange land in which she finds herself while her mother is almost savagely reactive. Yet Mills gets all the really good lines as Hilary injects a lot of wit and wry humor into the story. McLaglen gives real dimension to only two of the characters, Hilary and "Bulldog" Sam Burnett (Jimmy Stewart). Burnett is a cowhand who starts out to swindle the two women but ends up being completed by them; eventually becoming a father/husband replacement to Hilary and Martha respectively, as well as a complete believer in their mission to change the nature of the American cattle industry.

But Burnett has to come a long way to make this transition as he begins by calling the symbolically named Vindicator a muley bull (because it has no horns). His reaction does not get him off to a good start with the protective Hilary, who has raised Vindicator from a calf. The bull follows her around like a dog and is easily quieted with a verse from "God Save the Queen".

Entertaining but not riveting, this unique example of the genre is a nice change of pace. Unfortunately the scenes between Keith and O'Hara will make you think more of Disney's original "The Parent Trap" than the film you thought you were watching.

Then again, what do I know? I'm only a child.