The Big Country (1958)

A New Englander arrives in the Old West, where he becomes embroiled in a feud between two families over a valuable patch of land.

Director:

William Wyler

Writers:

James R. Webb (screenplay), Sy Bartlett (screenplay)

Stars:

Gregory Peck, Jean Simmons, Carroll Baker

Won 1 Oscar. Another 2 wins & 5 nominations.

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 Gutierrez
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

Storyline

Retired, wealthy sea Captain James McKay arrives in the vast expanse of the West to marry fiancée Pat Terrill. McKay is a man whose values and approach to life are a mystery to the ranchers and ranch foreman Steve Leech takes an immediate dislike to him. Pat is spoiled, selfish and controlled by her wealthy father, Major Henry Terrill. The Major is involved in a ruthless land war, over watering rights for cattle, with a rough hewn clan led by Rufus Hannassey. The land in question is owned by Julie Maragon and both Terrill and Hannassey want it.

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Plot Keywords:

revisionist western | rancher | family feud | utah | based on book | 

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Taglines:

Big they fought! Big they loved! Big their story!

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Genres:

Romance | Western

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Certificate:

Passed

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

October 1958 (USA)

Also Known As:

Horizontes de grandeza

Filming Locations:

Ione, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Anthony Productions, Worldwide Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

166 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Some critics felt Julie Maragon was irrelevant to the main story.

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Goofs

When McKay asks Ramon for advice about riding Thunder, McKay's right hand shifts position between shots.

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Quotes

James McKay: Tell me Leech, what did we prove?

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Connections

Featured in American Masters: A Conversation with Gregory Peck (1999)

User Reviews

"How Many Times Does A Man Have To Win You?"

The Big Country is one big and fun western with concurrent plot lines. The first is the struggle between two implacable enemies, Charles Bickford and Burl Ives. The second is a four sided romantic triangle involving Gregory Peck, Jean Simmons, Charlton Heston, and Carroll Baker with Chuck Connors trying to horn in.

William Wyler directed the almost three hour western with a sure hand and your interest does not wane for one minute in this film. Gregory Peck also was a co-producer on this film as well as the first billed. He had a hand in casting a lot of the film, specifically Burl Ives in his Academy Award winning performance as Rufus Hannessy.

It's the Terrills versus the Hannessys. Charles Bickford is the local Ponderosa owner Major Terrill. Presumably the title comes from the Civil War. Bickford does play Terrill with a military bearing. My guess is that he was a Yankee soldier.

The Hannessys would now be called white trash. They look like hillbilly folk who also came west for fame and fortune. They've also got a big spread in a place called Blanco Canyon. They hate the Yankee Major as much as he hates them.

Sitting between them is Jean Simmons who has inherited a modest piece of land that sits across a river that both outfits water their cattle on as per an agreement with her late grandfather. She doesn't work the land herself any more, she teaches school in town.

Simmons tries to keep above the feud. She is friends with Carroll Baker, Charles Bickford's daughter. She's been east and is bringing home a prospective bridegroom who is a former sea captain played by Gregory Peck. That doesn't sit well with Charlton Heston who is the Terrill foreman. He's got eyes on Baker himself and Chuck Connors who is Burl Ives eldest son has eyes for Simmons when he's not in the local bordello.

A lot of started and broken relationships and a few of the cast members being killed occurs in The Big Country. My favorite scene and line in the film is when Burl Ives gives some advice to Chuck Connors on how to woo and win Jean Simmons. His big advice is to show her how much you care by taking a bath occasionally.

Charlton Heston took a role that was fourth billed because he wanted the opportunity to work with William Wyler. That was one great career move because Wyler and he hit it off so well that Wyler signed him for the lead in his next film which turned out to be Ben-Hur. Heston in his memoirs, conservative as he became, says he also got along very well with Gregory Peck who he called a "thinking man's liberal."

Peck and Wyler had worked together previously on Roman Holiday and had done good work there and also hit it off. However with Peck as a co-producer as well as star they had some clashes on the set. One notable one involved Peck wanting to retake the carriage scene where the Hannessy brothers attack Peck and Baker on the way to the Bickford ranch. Peck wasn't satisfied and wanted a retake. Wyler who was legendary for doing scenes dozens of times until he got what he wanted refused. Later when shown the finished film, Wyler had edited out and around what Peck didn't like and it came out OK. They remained friends, but never worked together again.

Simmons as the independent minded school teacher and Baker as the spoiled daddy's little girl acquit themselves well in their roles. Baker is disappointed in Peck not seeing him as her ideal western man and Simmons upbraids her with the quote I put in the review title.

This is also the final film of Alfonso Bedoya who never did get a role in an American film as good as the one he had as Gold Hat in The Treasure of the Sierra Madre. Still this is a fine farewell performance to a very colorful and talented player.

When he's on the screen Burl Ives dominates and fills it and not just physically either. Rufus Hannessy may not be to the manor born, but he has his own sense of integrity and fair play. All that Burl Ives captured in Rufus and The Big Country is worth watching just for him alone.

And that Jerome Moross score; simply one of the best ever done in the history of film.