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The Big Country (novel)

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 This article does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (March 2015)
The Big Country
The Big Country Dell First edition B115.jpg
Paperback original

Author
Donald Hamilton
Country
United States
Language
English
Genre
Western novel
Publisher
Dell Publishing

Publication date
 1958
Media type
Print (Paperback)
The Big Country is a Western novel by Donald Hamilton that was expanded from his original short story Ambush at Blanco Canyon.


Contents  [hide]
1 Plot summary
2 Film adaptation
3 Comic book adaptation
4 Publication history

Plot summary[edit]
Maryland sea captain James McKay goes west to Texas, to claim his bride, and steps into a violent feud over land.
Film adaptation[edit]
Main article: The Big Country
Filmed in 1958 starring Gregory Peck, Jean Simmons, Carroll Baker, Charlton Heston, Charles Bickford, Burl Ives and Chuck Connors.
Comic book adaptation[edit]
The Big Country (comics)
Publication history[edit]
1957, US, The Saturday Evening Post, as Ambush at Blanco Canyon, 2/2/1957, 2/9/1957, 2/16/1957, 2/23/1957, serial (literature)
1958, US, Dell, Dell First Edition B115, paperback, reissued many times
1958, US, Dell Comics, Dell Four Color #946, comic
1958, UK, Allan Wingate, hardcover


[hide]
v ·
 t ·
 e
 
Other works by Donald Hamilton, author of the Matt Helm series


Novels and novellas
Date With Darkness (1947) ·
 The Black Cross (1947) ·
 The Steel Mirror (1948) ·
 Deadfall (novela) (1949) ·
 Smoky Valley (1954) ·
 Night Walker (1954) ·
 Line of Fire (novel) (1955) ·
 Too Soon Dead (1955) ·
 Mad River (novel) (1956) ·
 Assignment: Murder (1956) ·
 The Big Country (novel) (1958) ·
 The Man From Santa Clara (1960) ·
 Texas Fever (novel) (1960) ·
 The Mona Intercept (1980)
 

Short Stories
Stranger's Return (1946) ·
 Magnolia (short story) (1946) ·
 Throwback (short story) (1953) ·
 The Mile Gun (1958) ·
 The Last Gunman (1959) ·
 The Guns of William Longley (1967)
 

Short story collections
Murder Twice Told (1950) ·
 Iron Men and Silver Stars (1967)
 

Non-fiction
On Guns and Hunting (1970) ·
 Cruises With Kathleen (1980)
 

Film Adaptations
The Violent Men (1955) ·
 5 Steps to Danger (1957) ·
 The Big Country (1958)
 

Television Adaptations
Deadfall (teleplay) (1951)
 

Comic Book Adaptations
The Big Country (comics) (1958)
 




Stub icon This article about a novel in the Western genre of the 1950s is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.




  


Categories: 1958 novels
Western (genre) novels
Novels by Donald Hamilton
Novels set in Texas
American novels adapted into films
1950s historical novel stubs
Western (genre) novel stubs






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The Big Country (novel)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to: navigation, search



 This article does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (March 2015)
The Big Country
The Big Country Dell First edition B115.jpg
Paperback original

Author
Donald Hamilton
Country
United States
Language
English
Genre
Western novel
Publisher
Dell Publishing

Publication date
 1958
Media type
Print (Paperback)
The Big Country is a Western novel by Donald Hamilton that was expanded from his original short story Ambush at Blanco Canyon.


Contents  [hide]
1 Plot summary
2 Film adaptation
3 Comic book adaptation
4 Publication history

Plot summary[edit]
Maryland sea captain James McKay goes west to Texas, to claim his bride, and steps into a violent feud over land.
Film adaptation[edit]
Main article: The Big Country
Filmed in 1958 starring Gregory Peck, Jean Simmons, Carroll Baker, Charlton Heston, Charles Bickford, Burl Ives and Chuck Connors.
Comic book adaptation[edit]
The Big Country (comics)
Publication history[edit]
1957, US, The Saturday Evening Post, as Ambush at Blanco Canyon, 2/2/1957, 2/9/1957, 2/16/1957, 2/23/1957, serial (literature)
1958, US, Dell, Dell First Edition B115, paperback, reissued many times
1958, US, Dell Comics, Dell Four Color #946, comic
1958, UK, Allan Wingate, hardcover


[hide]
v ·
 t ·
 e
 
Other works by Donald Hamilton, author of the Matt Helm series


Novels and novellas
Date With Darkness (1947) ·
 The Black Cross (1947) ·
 The Steel Mirror (1948) ·
 Deadfall (novela) (1949) ·
 Smoky Valley (1954) ·
 Night Walker (1954) ·
 Line of Fire (novel) (1955) ·
 Too Soon Dead (1955) ·
 Mad River (novel) (1956) ·
 Assignment: Murder (1956) ·
 The Big Country (novel) (1958) ·
 The Man From Santa Clara (1960) ·
 Texas Fever (novel) (1960) ·
 The Mona Intercept (1980)
 

Short Stories
Stranger's Return (1946) ·
 Magnolia (short story) (1946) ·
 Throwback (short story) (1953) ·
 The Mile Gun (1958) ·
 The Last Gunman (1959) ·
 The Guns of William Longley (1967)
 

Short story collections
Murder Twice Told (1950) ·
 Iron Men and Silver Stars (1967)
 

Non-fiction
On Guns and Hunting (1970) ·
 Cruises With Kathleen (1980)
 

Film Adaptations
The Violent Men (1955) ·
 5 Steps to Danger (1957) ·
 The Big Country (1958)
 

Television Adaptations
Deadfall (teleplay) (1951)
 

Comic Book Adaptations
The Big Country (comics) (1958)
 




Stub icon This article about a novel in the Western genre of the 1950s is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.




  


Categories: 1958 novels
Western (genre) novels
Novels by Donald Hamilton
Novels set in Texas
American novels adapted into films
1950s historical novel stubs
Western (genre) novel stubs






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This page was last modified on 1 March 2015, at 20:44.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.
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The Big Country (comics)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to: navigation, search


The Big Country

Dell Four Color #946

Publication information

Publisher
Dell Comics
Format
One-shot
Genre
Western

Publication date
1958
Number of issues
1
Creative team

Writer(s)
Paul S. Newman
Penciller(s)
Bob Correa
Inker(s)
Bob Correa
The Big Country is a comic book adaptation and movie tie-in of the western novel The Big Country by Donald Hamilton.
Publication history[edit]
Written by long-time Western comics writer Paul S. Newman, and drawn by Bob Correa, The Big Country was initially serialized in The Saturday Evening Post as "Ambush at Blanco Canyon" on Feb.2, 1957; Feb. 9, 1957; Feb. 16, 1957; and Feb. 23, 1957.
The story was collected for the first time in 1958, by Dell, as a Dell First Edition B115 paperback, and was reissued many times. In Aug. of 1958, the story was published by Dell Comics, as issue #946 of Dell's long-running showcase anthology Four Color Comics. The Big Country was published in hardcover in the UK in 1958 by Allan Wingate.
Plot summary[edit]
Maryland sea captain James McKay goes west to Texas, to claim his bride, and steps into a violent feud over land.
Film adaptation[edit]
Main article: The Big Country
Filmed in 1958 starring Gregory Peck, Jean Simmons, Carroll Baker, Charlton Heston and Burl Ives
Stub icon This comics-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.






[hide]
v ·
 t ·
 e
 
Other works by Donald Hamilton, author of the Matt Helm series


Novels and novellas
Date With Darkness (1947) ·
 The Black Cross (1947) ·
 The Steel Mirror (1948) ·
 Deadfall (novela) (1949) ·
 Smoky Valley (1954) ·
 Night Walker (1954) ·
 Line of Fire (novel) (1955) ·
 Too Soon Dead (1955) ·
 Mad River (novel) (1956) ·
 Assignment: Murder (1956) ·
 The Big Country (novel) (1958) ·
 The Man From Santa Clara (1960) ·
 Texas Fever (novel) (1960) ·
 The Mona Intercept (1980)
 

Short Stories
Stranger's Return (1946) ·
 Magnolia (short story) (1946) ·
 Throwback (short story) (1953) ·
 The Mile Gun (1958) ·
 The Last Gunman (1959) ·
 The Guns of William Longley (1967)
 

Short story collections
Murder Twice Told (1950) ·
 Iron Men and Silver Stars (1967)
 

Non-fiction
On Guns and Hunting (1970) ·
 Cruises With Kathleen (1980)
 

Film Adaptations
The Violent Men (1955) ·
 5 Steps to Danger (1957) ·
 The Big Country (1958)
 

Television Adaptations
Deadfall (teleplay) (1951)
 

Comic Book Adaptations
The Big Country (comics) (1958)
 

  


Categories: Dell Comics titles
One-shot comic titles
1958 comic debutsBig Country
Western (genre) comics
Comics stubs
Comics based on fiction
Comics based on films
Novels by Donald Hamilton





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This page was last modified on 23 April 2012, at 02:53.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Big_Country_(comics)














The Big Country (comics)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to: navigation, search


The Big Country

Dell Four Color #946

Publication information

Publisher
Dell Comics
Format
One-shot
Genre
Western

Publication date
1958
Number of issues
1
Creative team

Writer(s)
Paul S. Newman
Penciller(s)
Bob Correa
Inker(s)
Bob Correa
The Big Country is a comic book adaptation and movie tie-in of the western novel The Big Country by Donald Hamilton.
Publication history[edit]
Written by long-time Western comics writer Paul S. Newman, and drawn by Bob Correa, The Big Country was initially serialized in The Saturday Evening Post as "Ambush at Blanco Canyon" on Feb.2, 1957; Feb. 9, 1957; Feb. 16, 1957; and Feb. 23, 1957.
The story was collected for the first time in 1958, by Dell, as a Dell First Edition B115 paperback, and was reissued many times. In Aug. of 1958, the story was published by Dell Comics, as issue #946 of Dell's long-running showcase anthology Four Color Comics. The Big Country was published in hardcover in the UK in 1958 by Allan Wingate.
Plot summary[edit]
Maryland sea captain James McKay goes west to Texas, to claim his bride, and steps into a violent feud over land.
Film adaptation[edit]
Main article: The Big Country
Filmed in 1958 starring Gregory Peck, Jean Simmons, Carroll Baker, Charlton Heston and Burl Ives
Stub icon This comics-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.






[hide]
v ·
 t ·
 e
 
Other works by Donald Hamilton, author of the Matt Helm series


Novels and novellas
Date With Darkness (1947) ·
 The Black Cross (1947) ·
 The Steel Mirror (1948) ·
 Deadfall (novela) (1949) ·
 Smoky Valley (1954) ·
 Night Walker (1954) ·
 Line of Fire (novel) (1955) ·
 Too Soon Dead (1955) ·
 Mad River (novel) (1956) ·
 Assignment: Murder (1956) ·
 The Big Country (novel) (1958) ·
 The Man From Santa Clara (1960) ·
 Texas Fever (novel) (1960) ·
 The Mona Intercept (1980)
 

Short Stories
Stranger's Return (1946) ·
 Magnolia (short story) (1946) ·
 Throwback (short story) (1953) ·
 The Mile Gun (1958) ·
 The Last Gunman (1959) ·
 The Guns of William Longley (1967)
 

Short story collections
Murder Twice Told (1950) ·
 Iron Men and Silver Stars (1967)
 

Non-fiction
On Guns and Hunting (1970) ·
 Cruises With Kathleen (1980)
 

Film Adaptations
The Violent Men (1955) ·
 5 Steps to Danger (1957) ·
 The Big Country (1958)
 

Television Adaptations
Deadfall (teleplay) (1951)
 

Comic Book Adaptations
The Big Country (comics) (1958)
 

  


Categories: Dell Comics titles
One-shot comic titles
1958 comic debutsBig Country
Western (genre) comics
Comics stubs
Comics based on fiction
Comics based on films
Novels by Donald Hamilton





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This page was last modified on 23 April 2012, at 02:53.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.
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The Big Country

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to: navigation, search

This article is about the 1958 film. For other uses, see Big Country (disambiguation).


 This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (August 2009)
‹ The template below (Infobox film) is being considered for merging. See templates for discussion to help reach a consensus.›

The Big Country
Big country833.jpg
Theatrical release poster by Saul Bass

Directed by
William Wyler
Produced by
Gregory Peck
 William Wyler
Written by
Robert Wilder
Starring
Gregory Peck
Jean Simmons
Charlton Heston
Carroll Baker
Burl Ives
Music by
Jerome Moross
Cinematography
Franz F. Planer, ASC
Edited by
Robert Belcher
John Faure
Robert Swink (sup)
Distributed by
United Artists

Release dates

October 1, 1958


Running time
 165 minutes
Language
English
Box office
$4 million (US/Canada rentals) [1]
The Big Country is a 1958 American epic Western film directed by William Wyler and starring Gregory Peck, Jean Simmons, Carroll Baker, Charlton Heston and Burl Ives. The supporting cast features Charles Bickford and Chuck Connors. The picture was based on the serialized magazine novel Ambush at Blanco Canyon by Donald Hamilton.[2] and was co-produced by Wyler and Peck. The opening title sequence was created by Saul Bass. The film is one of very few pictures in which Heston plays a major supporting role instead of the lead.
Ives won the Academy Award as Best Supporting Actor for his performance as well as the Golden Globe Award. The film was also nominated for an Academy Award for the musical score by Jerome Moross.


Contents  [hide]
1 Plot
2 Cast
3 Reception
4 Comic book
5 Locations
6 References
7 External links

Plot[edit]
Wealthy sea captain James McKay (Gregory Peck) travels to the American West to join his fiancée Patricia (Carroll Baker) at the enormous ranch owned by her father, Henry Terrill (Charles Bickford), referred to by all as the "Major". Terrill has been feuding with Rufus Hannassey (Burl Ives), the patriarch of a poorer, less refined ranching clan, over water rights in the arid grazing lands of the high plains.
Patricia's friend, schoolteacher Julie Maragon (Jean Simmons), owns the "Big Muddy", a large ranch itself, with a source of water that is vital to Hannassey. Julie allows all to water their cattle and refuses to sell or lease Big Muddy to either side, so as to keep the fragile peace.
Meanwhile, McKay repeatedly refuses to be provoked into proving his manhood; he tells the Major his father died in a meaningless duel. He does nothing when Hannassey's trouble-making son Buck (Chuck Connors) and his shiftless companions harass him. He also declines an invitation by Terrill's foreman, Steve Leech (Charlton Heston), to ride an infamous, unbroken horse named "Old Thunder". Consequently, everyone, including Patricia, consider him to be a coward. When the Major and his men ride to the Hannassey canyon ranch in retribution for Buck's harassment of a Terrill guest, McKay pointedly declines to participate. McKay then breaks Old Thunder, after being thrown out of the saddle numerous times. He swears ranch hand Ramon (Alfonso Bedoya), the only witness to McKay's triumph, to secrecy.
One morning, McKay rides out to the Big Muddy and persuades Julie to sell him her land, promising to continue her policy of unrestricted access to the river. A search party spends two days looking for McKay, believing he has gotten lost. McKay explains that he was not in danger, but Leech calls him a liar. When McKay again refuses to be goaded into a fight, he sees that Patricia is disappointed in him; they agree to reconsider their engagement. Early the next morning, before anybody else is up, McKay settles his quarrel with Leech. They fight, without witnesses, to an exhausted draw.
Later, Julie tells her friend Patricia that he bought the Big Muddy for her. Patricia goes to see him, but when he tells her his plans to give Hannassey access to his water, she breaks their engagement.
Meanwhile, on Terrill's orders, Leech and his men chase Hannassey's cattle away from the Big Muddy. Hannassey, in retaliation, kidnaps Julie and uses her as bait to lure Terrill into an ambush in the narrow canyon leading to Hannassey's homestead. Buck tries to force himself on Julie, but his father stops him. Buck, furious, tries to strangle his father, but is overpowered. His father states, "One day I know I'm going to have to kill you".
When McKay finds out about Julie, he rides to the Hannassey place with Ramon. McKay shows Hannassey the deed to Big Muddy and promises him equal access to the water. When Hannassey says he intends to fight Terrill anyway, McKay tells him that it is just a personal vendetta between two old men.
When it becomes obvious that McKay and Julie have feelings for each other, Buck attacks McKay. They fight, but Hannassey steps in when Buck draws his gun on the unarmed McKay, and insists on a formal duel. After walking apart ten paces, Buck fires before the signal, grazing McKay's forehead. Hannassey is furious. Then McKay slowly takes aim. Buck drops to the ground in terror and crawls behind a wheel. After McKay fires into the dirt, Hannassey spits on Buck in disgust. As McKay and Julie start to leave, Buck grabs a gun, forcing Hannassey to shoot his son dead.




"The Big Country"







Main theme from the film by Jerome Moross.

Problems playing this file? See media help.
Meanwhile, Terrill insists on riding into the canyon. Initially, Leech and the rest of his men refuse to accompany him. However, after Terrill rides out alone, Leech joins him, followed by the rest of the outfit. They are quickly pinned down. However, Hannassey acknowledges the truth of McKay's accusation, orders his men to stop shooting and challenges Terrill to a one-on-one showdown. Terrill promptly agrees. Hannassey and Terrill, armed with rifles, then kill each other.
McKay and Julie ride off to start a new life together.
Cast[edit]
Gregory Peck as James McKay
Jean Simmons as Julie Maragon
Carroll Baker as Patricia Terrill
Charlton Heston as Steve Leech
Burl Ives as Rufus Hannassey
Charles Bickford as Maj. Henry Terrill
Alfonso Bedoya as Ramón Gutierrez
Chuck Connors as Buck Hannassey
Chuck Hayward as Rafe Hannassey
Buff Brady as Dude Hannassey
Jim Burk as Blackie / Cracker Hannassey
Dorothy Adams as Hannassey Woman
Chuck Roberson as Terrill Cowboy
Bob Morgan as Terrill Cowboy
John McKee as Terrill Cowboy
Peter Lawman as Terrill Cowboy
Reception[edit]
The film was a big hit, being the second most popular movie in Britain in 1959.[3]
Ives won the Academy Award as Best Supporting Actor as well as the Golden Globe Award. The film was also nominated for an Academy Award for the musical score by Jerome Moross.
President Dwight D. Eisenhower liked the movie very much and screened it on four successive evenings in the White House during his second administration.[4]
In a poll of 500 films held by Empire Magazine, it was voted 187th Greatest Movie of all time.[5]
American Film Institute Lists
AFI's 100 Years of Film Scores—Nominated[6]
AFI's 100 Years...100 Cheers—Nominated[7]
AFI's 10 Top 10—Nominated Western Film[8]
Comic book[edit]
Main article: The Big Country (comics)
A comic book adaptation of the novel and tie-in to the movie was first released in 1957.
Locations[edit]
The Blanco Canyon scenes were filmed in California's Red Rock Canyon State Park. The ranch and field scenes with greenery were filmed in the central California Sierra foothills near the town of Farmington.[9]
References[edit]
1.Jump up ^ "All-Time Top Grossers", Variety, 8 January 1964 p 69
2.Jump up ^ "Detail view of Movies Page". Afi.com. Retrieved 2014-08-19.
3.Jump up ^ FOUR BRITISH FILMS IN 'TOP 6': BOULTING COMEDY HEADS BOX OFFICE LIST Our own Reporter. The Guardian (1959-2003) [London (UK)] 11 Dec 1959: 4.
4.Jump up ^ Coyne, Michael (1997). The Crowded Prairie: American National Identity in the Hollywood Western. New York, New York: I. B. Tauris. p. 92. ISBN 978-1-86064-259-3.
5.Jump up ^ "Empire Features". Empireonline.com. 2006-12-05. Retrieved 2014-08-19.
6.Jump up ^ AFI's 100 Years of Film Scores Nominees
7.Jump up ^ AFI's 100 Years...100 Cheers Nominees
8.Jump up ^ AFI's 10 Top 10 Ballot
9.Jump up ^ Orvis Cattle Company page about the film locations
External links[edit]
The Big Country at the Internet Movie Database
The Big Country at the TCM Movie Database
The Big Country at AllMovie


[hide]
v ·
 t ·
 e
 
Films directed by William Wyler


Straight Shootin' (1927) ·
 Anybody Here Seen Kelly? (1928) ·
 The Shakedown (1929) ·
 Hell's Heroes (1930) ·
 A House Divided (1931) ·
 Tom Brown of Culver (1932) ·
 Counsellor at Law (1933) ·
 Glamour (1934) ·
 The Good Fairy (1935) ·
 The Gay Deception (1935) ·
 These Three (1936) ·
 Dodsworth (1936) ·
 Come and Get It (1936) ·
 Dead End (1937) ·
 Jezebel (1938) ·
 Wuthering Heights (1939) ·
 The Westerner (1940) ·
 The Letter (1940) ·
 The Little Foxes (1941) ·
 Mrs. Miniver (1942) ·
 Memphis Belle: A Story of a Flying Fortress (1944) ·
 The Best Years of Our Lives (1946) ·
 Thunderbolt! (1947) ·
 The Heiress (1949) ·
 Detective Story (1951) ·
 Carrie (1952) ·
 Roman Holiday (1953) ·
 The Desperate Hours (1955) ·
 Friendly Persuasion (1956) ·
 The Big Country (1958) ·
 Ben-Hur (1959) ·
 The Children's Hour (1961) ·
 The Collector (1965) ·
 How to Steal a Million (1966) ·
 Funny Girl (1968) ·
 The Liberation of L.B. Jones (1970)
 

  


Categories: 1958 films
English-language films
1950s Western (genre) films
American films
American Western (genre) films
American epic films
Films directed by William Wyler
Films featuring a Best Supporting Actor Academy Award winning performance
Films featuring feuds
Films shot in Arizona
Films shot in California
United Artists films
Films based on Western (genre) novels
Films based on American novels







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The Big Country

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to: navigation, search

This article is about the 1958 film. For other uses, see Big Country (disambiguation).


 This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (August 2009)
‹ The template below (Infobox film) is being considered for merging. See templates for discussion to help reach a consensus.›

The Big Country
Big country833.jpg
Theatrical release poster by Saul Bass

Directed by
William Wyler
Produced by
Gregory Peck
 William Wyler
Written by
Robert Wilder
Starring
Gregory Peck
Jean Simmons
Charlton Heston
Carroll Baker
Burl Ives
Music by
Jerome Moross
Cinematography
Franz F. Planer, ASC
Edited by
Robert Belcher
John Faure
Robert Swink (sup)
Distributed by
United Artists

Release dates

October 1, 1958


Running time
 165 minutes
Language
English
Box office
$4 million (US/Canada rentals) [1]
The Big Country is a 1958 American epic Western film directed by William Wyler and starring Gregory Peck, Jean Simmons, Carroll Baker, Charlton Heston and Burl Ives. The supporting cast features Charles Bickford and Chuck Connors. The picture was based on the serialized magazine novel Ambush at Blanco Canyon by Donald Hamilton.[2] and was co-produced by Wyler and Peck. The opening title sequence was created by Saul Bass. The film is one of very few pictures in which Heston plays a major supporting role instead of the lead.
Ives won the Academy Award as Best Supporting Actor for his performance as well as the Golden Globe Award. The film was also nominated for an Academy Award for the musical score by Jerome Moross.


Contents  [hide]
1 Plot
2 Cast
3 Reception
4 Comic book
5 Locations
6 References
7 External links

Plot[edit]
Wealthy sea captain James McKay (Gregory Peck) travels to the American West to join his fiancée Patricia (Carroll Baker) at the enormous ranch owned by her father, Henry Terrill (Charles Bickford), referred to by all as the "Major". Terrill has been feuding with Rufus Hannassey (Burl Ives), the patriarch of a poorer, less refined ranching clan, over water rights in the arid grazing lands of the high plains.
Patricia's friend, schoolteacher Julie Maragon (Jean Simmons), owns the "Big Muddy", a large ranch itself, with a source of water that is vital to Hannassey. Julie allows all to water their cattle and refuses to sell or lease Big Muddy to either side, so as to keep the fragile peace.
Meanwhile, McKay repeatedly refuses to be provoked into proving his manhood; he tells the Major his father died in a meaningless duel. He does nothing when Hannassey's trouble-making son Buck (Chuck Connors) and his shiftless companions harass him. He also declines an invitation by Terrill's foreman, Steve Leech (Charlton Heston), to ride an infamous, unbroken horse named "Old Thunder". Consequently, everyone, including Patricia, consider him to be a coward. When the Major and his men ride to the Hannassey canyon ranch in retribution for Buck's harassment of a Terrill guest, McKay pointedly declines to participate. McKay then breaks Old Thunder, after being thrown out of the saddle numerous times. He swears ranch hand Ramon (Alfonso Bedoya), the only witness to McKay's triumph, to secrecy.
One morning, McKay rides out to the Big Muddy and persuades Julie to sell him her land, promising to continue her policy of unrestricted access to the river. A search party spends two days looking for McKay, believing he has gotten lost. McKay explains that he was not in danger, but Leech calls him a liar. When McKay again refuses to be goaded into a fight, he sees that Patricia is disappointed in him; they agree to reconsider their engagement. Early the next morning, before anybody else is up, McKay settles his quarrel with Leech. They fight, without witnesses, to an exhausted draw.
Later, Julie tells her friend Patricia that he bought the Big Muddy for her. Patricia goes to see him, but when he tells her his plans to give Hannassey access to his water, she breaks their engagement.
Meanwhile, on Terrill's orders, Leech and his men chase Hannassey's cattle away from the Big Muddy. Hannassey, in retaliation, kidnaps Julie and uses her as bait to lure Terrill into an ambush in the narrow canyon leading to Hannassey's homestead. Buck tries to force himself on Julie, but his father stops him. Buck, furious, tries to strangle his father, but is overpowered. His father states, "One day I know I'm going to have to kill you".
When McKay finds out about Julie, he rides to the Hannassey place with Ramon. McKay shows Hannassey the deed to Big Muddy and promises him equal access to the water. When Hannassey says he intends to fight Terrill anyway, McKay tells him that it is just a personal vendetta between two old men.
When it becomes obvious that McKay and Julie have feelings for each other, Buck attacks McKay. They fight, but Hannassey steps in when Buck draws his gun on the unarmed McKay, and insists on a formal duel. After walking apart ten paces, Buck fires before the signal, grazing McKay's forehead. Hannassey is furious. Then McKay slowly takes aim. Buck drops to the ground in terror and crawls behind a wheel. After McKay fires into the dirt, Hannassey spits on Buck in disgust. As McKay and Julie start to leave, Buck grabs a gun, forcing Hannassey to shoot his son dead.




"The Big Country"







Main theme from the film by Jerome Moross.

Problems playing this file? See media help.
Meanwhile, Terrill insists on riding into the canyon. Initially, Leech and the rest of his men refuse to accompany him. However, after Terrill rides out alone, Leech joins him, followed by the rest of the outfit. They are quickly pinned down. However, Hannassey acknowledges the truth of McKay's accusation, orders his men to stop shooting and challenges Terrill to a one-on-one showdown. Terrill promptly agrees. Hannassey and Terrill, armed with rifles, then kill each other.
McKay and Julie ride off to start a new life together.
Cast[edit]
Gregory Peck as James McKay
Jean Simmons as Julie Maragon
Carroll Baker as Patricia Terrill
Charlton Heston as Steve Leech
Burl Ives as Rufus Hannassey
Charles Bickford as Maj. Henry Terrill
Alfonso Bedoya as Ramón Gutierrez
Chuck Connors as Buck Hannassey
Chuck Hayward as Rafe Hannassey
Buff Brady as Dude Hannassey
Jim Burk as Blackie / Cracker Hannassey
Dorothy Adams as Hannassey Woman
Chuck Roberson as Terrill Cowboy
Bob Morgan as Terrill Cowboy
John McKee as Terrill Cowboy
Peter Lawman as Terrill Cowboy
Reception[edit]
The film was a big hit, being the second most popular movie in Britain in 1959.[3]
Ives won the Academy Award as Best Supporting Actor as well as the Golden Globe Award. The film was also nominated for an Academy Award for the musical score by Jerome Moross.
President Dwight D. Eisenhower liked the movie very much and screened it on four successive evenings in the White House during his second administration.[4]
In a poll of 500 films held by Empire Magazine, it was voted 187th Greatest Movie of all time.[5]
American Film Institute Lists
AFI's 100 Years of Film Scores—Nominated[6]
AFI's 100 Years...100 Cheers—Nominated[7]
AFI's 10 Top 10—Nominated Western Film[8]
Comic book[edit]
Main article: The Big Country (comics)
A comic book adaptation of the novel and tie-in to the movie was first released in 1957.
Locations[edit]
The Blanco Canyon scenes were filmed in California's Red Rock Canyon State Park. The ranch and field scenes with greenery were filmed in the central California Sierra foothills near the town of Farmington.[9]
References[edit]
1.Jump up ^ "All-Time Top Grossers", Variety, 8 January 1964 p 69
2.Jump up ^ "Detail view of Movies Page". Afi.com. Retrieved 2014-08-19.
3.Jump up ^ FOUR BRITISH FILMS IN 'TOP 6': BOULTING COMEDY HEADS BOX OFFICE LIST Our own Reporter. The Guardian (1959-2003) [London (UK)] 11 Dec 1959: 4.
4.Jump up ^ Coyne, Michael (1997). The Crowded Prairie: American National Identity in the Hollywood Western. New York, New York: I. B. Tauris. p. 92. ISBN 978-1-86064-259-3.
5.Jump up ^ "Empire Features". Empireonline.com. 2006-12-05. Retrieved 2014-08-19.
6.Jump up ^ AFI's 100 Years of Film Scores Nominees
7.Jump up ^ AFI's 100 Years...100 Cheers Nominees
8.Jump up ^ AFI's 10 Top 10 Ballot
9.Jump up ^ Orvis Cattle Company page about the film locations
External links[edit]
The Big Country at the Internet Movie Database
The Big Country at the TCM Movie Database
The Big Country at AllMovie


[hide]
v ·
 t ·
 e
 
Films directed by William Wyler


Straight Shootin' (1927) ·
 Anybody Here Seen Kelly? (1928) ·
 The Shakedown (1929) ·
 Hell's Heroes (1930) ·
 A House Divided (1931) ·
 Tom Brown of Culver (1932) ·
 Counsellor at Law (1933) ·
 Glamour (1934) ·
 The Good Fairy (1935) ·
 The Gay Deception (1935) ·
 These Three (1936) ·
 Dodsworth (1936) ·
 Come and Get It (1936) ·
 Dead End (1937) ·
 Jezebel (1938) ·
 Wuthering Heights (1939) ·
 The Westerner (1940) ·
 The Letter (1940) ·
 The Little Foxes (1941) ·
 Mrs. Miniver (1942) ·
 Memphis Belle: A Story of a Flying Fortress (1944) ·
 The Best Years of Our Lives (1946) ·
 Thunderbolt! (1947) ·
 The Heiress (1949) ·
 Detective Story (1951) ·
 Carrie (1952) ·
 Roman Holiday (1953) ·
 The Desperate Hours (1955) ·
 Friendly Persuasion (1956) ·
 The Big Country (1958) ·
 Ben-Hur (1959) ·
 The Children's Hour (1961) ·
 The Collector (1965) ·
 How to Steal a Million (1966) ·
 Funny Girl (1968) ·
 The Liberation of L.B. Jones (1970)
 

  


Categories: 1958 films
English-language films
1950s Western (genre) films
American films
American Western (genre) films
American epic films
Films directed by William Wyler
Films featuring a Best Supporting Actor Academy Award winning performance
Films featuring feuds
Films shot in Arizona
Films shot in California
United Artists films
Films based on Western (genre) novels
Films based on American novels







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