' The Big Country ' - (1958)

[Roger Dyer]

An epic Western with an unforgettable soundtrack. Directed by William Wyler and co-produced by him and the star of the film, Gregory Peck, it tells the story of a wealthy Sea Captain, James McKay (Peck) who heads west to marry his fiance Patricia (Carroll Baker) the daughter of a rich Cattle Baron, Henry Terrill (Charles Bickford). Terrill is in bitter conflict with the patriarch of a less refined clan, Rufus Hannassey (Burl Ives) in a running battle over water rights and grazing land. Caught in the middle of all this is Patricia's friend, Julie Maragon (Jean Simmons) who has her own ranch and all the water rights, which she allows the two antagonists free use of. Things get muddled when McKay and Julie are attracted to one another......and so it goes. This film is full of incident and highly entertaining. We are treated to the spectacle of vast rollin country (filmed in California), a troubled love triangle and witness the fistfight to end all fistfights as McKay and Terrill's foreman, Steve Leech (Charlton Heston) knock seven buckets out of one another on their way to an exhausting 'score draw'. Also in the film playing, Buck Hannassey (Rufus' son) is Chuck Connors who, when the film was completed, became television's 'The Rifleman', a successful western series that ran for five years until 1963. However, it is Burl Ives 'Rufus' whose growling menace makes the greatest impact in this film. It is hard to equate this huge bear of a man with the gentle giant who tweeted his way through 'A Little Bitty Tear' just three years later and found himself No.1 on the U.S. Easy Listening Chart. For his acting performance in this film he won the 'Best Supporting Actor' Oscar.

If you love westerns (and I do) then this is one I think you will like....until then here is a clip of the opening titles and the magnificent theme,

Roger

[Doc Vernon]

One of the good Westerns that was Roger!
But then there were many as you know!
How all these old Movies bring back such great memories of my
years as a Young Lad and a bit later on too!
Cheers

[happy daze john in oz]

I think there is a bit of 'Cowboy and Indian' in all men that is why we like the westerns. This one was good and the music still played today a great tune to it somehow stirs the emotions

[John Pruden]

john {stirs the emotions} tell us more john? lol jp