Giant (1956)

Sprawling epic covering the life of a Texas cattle rancher and his family and associates.

Director:

George Stevens

Writers:

Edna Ferber (from the novel by), Fred Guiol (screen play)

Stars:

Elizabeth Taylor, Rock Hudson, James Dean

Won 1 Oscar. Another 6 wins & 15 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Elizabeth Taylor	...	Leslie Benedict
Rock Hudson	...	Jordan 'Bick' Benedict Jr.
James Dean	...	Jett Rink
Carroll Baker	...	Luz Benedict II
Jane Withers	...	Vashti Snythe
Chill Wills	...	Uncle Bawley
Mercedes McCambridge	...	Luz Benedict
Dennis Hopper	...	Jordan Benedict III
Sal Mineo	...	Angel Obregón II
Rod Taylor	...	Sir David Karfrey (as Rodney Taylor)
Judith Evelyn	...	Mrs. Nancy Lynnton
Earl Holliman	...	'Bob' Dace
Robert Nichols	...	Mort 'Pinky' Snythe
Paul Fix	...	Dr. Horace Lynnton
Alexander Scourby	...	Old Polo

Storyline

Texan rancher Jordan "Bick" Benedict, Jr. (Rock Hudson) visits a Maryland farm to buy a prize horse. While there he meets and falls in love with the owner's daughter Leslie (Dame Elizabeth Taylor), they are married immediately and return to his ranch. The story of their family and its rivalry with cowboy and (later oil tycoon) Jett Rink (James Dean) unfolds across two generations.

---

Plot Keywords:

rancher | epic | texas | oil | rivalry | 

---

Taglines:

The legendary epic that's as big as Texas.

---

Genres:

Drama | Western

---

Certificate:

G

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

24 November 1956 (USA)

Also Known As:

Giant

Filming Locations:

Arizona, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$5,400,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$177,909

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$177,909

Company Credits

Production Co:

George Stevens Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

201 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Color:

Color (WarnerColor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

In the 1940s and 1950s, the usual policy for movies where characters would start young and get older was to cast older actors and actresses and de-age them to show them as their younger selves. This movie took the then largely radical step of doing the opposite - casting younger actors and actresses and using make-up to make them appear older.

---

Goofs

The oil wells seen in the background of live-action shots, such as at the railroad depot, are clearly miniatures erected in the near background in an effort to give the impression of size through forced perspective. Similarly, the wells seen through the windows of indoor sets (the house and the diner, for example) are plainly painted images on false backdrops.

---

Quotes

[first lines]
Dr. Horace Lynnton: [they pull up to the Lynnton estate and stop as horses jump over the fence in front of them] There he is, there's the stallion. That's War Winds.
Bick Benedict: Beautiful.
Dr. Horace Lynnton: That's my daughter riding him, Leslie.
[turns to Bick]
Dr. Horace Lynnton: Leslie's my daughter. She's riding him.
Bick Benedict: [slyly referring to Leslie instead of the stallion] Doctor, that sure is a beautiful animal.
Dr. Horace Lynnton: Yes she, well we'll get to the hoses first thing in the morning. Right now you're coming up to the house and get ready for dinner.
[...]

---

Crazy Credits

There are no cast and crew credits given at the end of the film. Just the words "The End" and a final slide for George Stevens and Warner Bros.

---

Connections

Referenced in O.J.: Made in America (2016)

---

Soundtracks

Wedding March
(1842) (uncredited)
from "A Midsummer Night's Dream"
Music by Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy

User Reviews

Giant is Enormous

Strange what time does. I wasn't in a hurry to see Giant again. I had a fuzzy memory of the film. I remembered James Dean but I also remembered the length and the pace. Now in 2018 it had a completely different effect. I was riveted from beginning to end. Elizabeth Taylor ! How is it that I didn't remember the groundbreaking aspect of her character. She's a woman of the future tied by marriage to a reactionary past. I was born in Italy but I've been married to a Texan for 23 years. I know Texas well and I know the difference between Texas and New York as well as Texans who never left Texas and Texans who have lived and traveled elsewhere. Giant, made in 1956 tells us that without partisan bias. That's how it was and how, in many respects still is. James Dean, magic, of course Rock Hudson is terrific but it is Elizabeth Taylor's film. Carroll Baker, Dennis Hopper, Mercedes McCambridge and Sal Mineo are moving parts of this arid and beautiful landscape.