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The Unforgiven

  • 19601960
  • ApprovedApproved
  • 2h 5m
IMDb RATING
6.6/10
8.3K
YOUR RATING
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • IMDbPro
Audrey Hepburn and Burt Lancaster in The Unforgiven (1960)
The neighbors of a frontier family turn on them when it is suspected that their adopted daughter was stolen from the local Kiowa tribe.
Play trailer4:20
1 Video
94 Photos
  • Drama
  • Romance
  • Western

The neighbors of a frontier family turn on them when it is suspected that their adopted daughter was stolen from the local Kiowa tribe.The neighbors of a frontier family turn on them when it is suspected that their adopted daughter was stolen from the local Kiowa tribe.The neighbors of a frontier family turn on them when it is suspected that their adopted daughter was stolen from the local Kiowa tribe.

IMDb RATING
6.6/10
8.3K
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • John Huston
  • Writers
    • Ben Maddow(screenplay)
    • Alan Le May(based on a novel by)
  • Stars
    • Burt Lancaster
    • Audrey Hepburn
    • Audie Murphy
Top credits
  • Director
    • John Huston
  • Writers
    • Ben Maddow(screenplay)
    • Alan Le May(based on a novel by)
  • Stars
    • Burt Lancaster
    • Audrey Hepburn
    • Audie Murphy
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 113User reviews
    • 39Critic reviews
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • Videos1

    Official Trailer
    Trailer 4:20
    Official Trailer

    Photos94

    Insert, 14" x 36"
    Audrey Hepburn and Burt Lancaster in The Unforgiven (1960)
    Audrey Hepburn and Burt Lancaster in The Unforgiven (1960)
    Audrey Hepburn and Burt Lancaster in The Unforgiven (1960)
    Audrey Hepburn and Burt Lancaster in The Unforgiven (1960)
    Audrey Hepburn, Burt Lancaster, Lillian Gish, Audie Murphy, and Doug McClure in The Unforgiven (1960)
    Audrey Hepburn and Doug McClure in The Unforgiven (1960)
    Burt Lancaster and Audie Murphy in The Unforgiven (1960)
    Audrey Hepburn and Lillian Gish in The Unforgiven (1960)
    Audrey Hepburn, Burt Lancaster, Audie Murphy, and Doug McClure in The Unforgiven (1960)
    Audie Murphy and Kipp Hamilton in The Unforgiven (1960)
    Audie Murphy in The Unforgiven (1960)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Burt Lancaster
    Burt Lancaster
    • Ben Zacharyas Ben Zachary
    Audrey Hepburn
    Audrey Hepburn
    • Rachel Zacharyas Rachel Zachary
    Audie Murphy
    Audie Murphy
    • Cash Zacharyas Cash Zachary
    John Saxon
    John Saxon
    • Johnny Portugalas Johnny Portugal
    Charles Bickford
    Charles Bickford
    • Zeb Rawlinsas Zeb Rawlins
    Lillian Gish
    Lillian Gish
    • Mattilda Zacharyas Mattilda Zachary
    Albert Salmi
    Albert Salmi
    • Charlie Rawlinsas Charlie Rawlins
    Joseph Wiseman
    Joseph Wiseman
    • Abe Kelseyas Abe Kelsey
    June Walker
    June Walker
    • Hagar Rawlinsas Hagar Rawlins
    Kipp Hamilton
    Kipp Hamilton
    • Georgia Rawlinsas Georgia Rawlins
    Arnold Merritt
    Arnold Merritt
    • Jude Rawlinsas Jude Rawlins
    Doug McClure
    Doug McClure
    • Andy Zacharyas Andy Zachary
    Carlos Rivas
    Carlos Rivas
    • Lost Birdas Lost Bird
    • Director
      • John Huston
    • Writers
      • Ben Maddow(screenplay)
      • Alan Le May(based on a novel by)
    • All cast & crew
    • See more cast details at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit
    In post-Civil War Texas, the Zachary and Rawlins families are intrinsically tied together. Ben Zachary, the head of the family following the death of his father, Will Zachary, in Ben being the oldest son, and patriarch Zeb Rawlins are partners in a cattle ranching operation. Zeb's unassuming son Charlie Rawlins would like to court Ben's younger sister, adopted Rachel Zachary - something that doesn't quite sit well with Ben in he believing Charlie not worthy of Rachel - while Zeb's daughter Georgia Rawlins would be happy with any of the Zachary brothers, although she has her sights set on middle son Cash Zachary. Their world is upset with the arrival of an older man brandishing a saber. It is not the saber which is concerning, but rather the story that he is spreading: that Rachel is of Indian heritage, most specifically Kiowa. Regardless of the truth, which matriarch Mattilda Zachary knows, this story places a strain on the community who don't want a "dirty Injun" in their midst, threatens all the relationships between the Zacharys and Rawlins, and causes a division within the Zachary family, as the Zacharys try to protect themselves and their property against those who don't want Rachel there, including the Kiowa who want Rachel, one of their own, back. —Huggo
    • family relationships
    • texas
    • classical western
    • indian attack
    • native american white relationships
    • 17 more
    • Plot summary
    • Add synopsis
    • Taglines
      • A NEW TRIUMPH FROM ACADEMY AWARD WINNER JOHN HUSTON (original ad - all caps)
    • Genres
      • Drama
      • Romance
      • Western
    • Certificate
      • Approved
    • Parents guide

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Before filming began, director John Huston and star Burt Lancaster took actress Lillian Gish out to the desert to teach her how to shoot, which she would have to do in the film. However, Huston was astounded to discover that Gish could shoot more accurately, and faster, than both he and Lancaster, who thought themselves expert marksmen. It turned out that early in her career Gish was taught how to shoot by notorious western outlaw and gunfighter Al J. Jennings, who had become an actor after his release from a long prison sentence for train robbery and was in the cast of one of her films. She found that she liked shooting and over the years had developed into an expert shot.
    • Goofs
      In the copyright notice on "The End' screen, the year is given as MCMLVIX (it should be MCMLIX).
    • Quotes

      Rachel Zachary: Ben, what did those Indians want?

      Ben Zachary: They offered to buy you for those five horses.

      Rachel Zachary: Well, did you sell me?

      Ben Zachary: Nope; held out for more horses.

    • Connections
      Featured in The 43rd Annual Academy Awards (1971)
    • Soundtracks
      Down in the Valley
      (uncredited)

      Traditional

      Sung by June Walker and Kipp Hamilton

      [Hagar and Georgia sing the song at the Zachary/Rawlins lunch]

    User reviews113

    Review
    Top review
    Quite a disappointment considering the cast & director
    When I first became aware of the cast list (Lancaster, Gish, Hepburn, Murphy, Bickman, Wiseman) & the director (the great John Huston) for this movie, I just knew it was going to be a great Western, but I was sadly disappointed. The acting is good, no doubt about it, & the direction is fair, but there are a few things that go too far astray here. I mean, really, could you fall in love with & want to marry a person who you thought was your sibling for the past 20+ years?! Another problem here is that Lancaster's character seems to be portrayed as the noble defender of his family & as such, the Indians are made out to be his enemy, so they would seem to be the "bad guys," when all they're trying to do is repatriate one of their own (initially in a very peaceful manner). If the white settlers were to do the same thing, they would be considered heroes for doing so, & they'd make a movie about it with John Wayne as the hero & call it "The Searchers!" Kidding aside, there is too much injustice here that is left unconsequated (such as the killing of dozens of Indians & the killing of an innocent man who was only attempting to speak the truth) for this to be a satisfactory film for me. Audrey Hepburn is miscast here. Also, the score by Tiomkin is OK, but did the music have to dominate in such a loud manner as to drown out all other aspects of the film, including some dialog? I rate this only a 5/10.
    helpful•23
    19
    • wrbtu
    • Jul 4, 2000

    FAQ6

    • What is 'The Unforgiven' about?
    • Is 'The Unforgiven' based on a book?
    • Did Rachel and her brothers know that she was Kiowa?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • April 6, 1960 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • The Siege at Dancing Bird
    • Filming locations
      • Durango, Mexico
    • Production companies
      • Hecht-Hill-Lancaster Productions
      • James Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $5,000,000 (estimated)
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      2 hours 5 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.35 : 1

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