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The Big Country Overview:

The Big Country (1958) was a Drama - Romance Film directed by William Wyler and produced by William Wyler, Gregory Peck and Robert Wyler.

The film was based on the novel Ambush at Blanco Canyon and also Saturday Evening Post Serial written by Donald Hamilton published in 1958 (novel); Feb 1957 (magazine).

SYNOPSIS

Wyler's powerful Western covers a lot of territory with Peck a fish out of water as a sea captain who travels west to marry and settle, but finds himself in the middle of a bitter dispute over water rights and a jealous clash with the ranch foreman (Heston). He also discovers his fiancee isn't who he imagined and finds true romance with the local schoolmistress (Simmons).

(Source: available at Amazon AMC Classic Movie Companion).

Academy Awards 1958 --- Ceremony Number 31 (source: AMPAS)

AwardRecipientResult
Best Supporting ActorBurl IvesWon
Best Music - ScoringJerome MorossNominated

The Big Country BlogHub Articles:

The Big Country 60th Anniversary Blu-Ray Giveaway (now-Aug 4)

The Big Country 60th Anniversary Special Edition Blu-Ray Giveaway “Kino Lorber’s majestic Blu-ray presentation of The Big Country is nearly an essential presentation of William Wyler’s masterpiece, on a disc loaded with enough extras to satisfy casual and rabid collectors alike.&... Read full article


FAVORITE DIRECTOR BLOGATHON: William Wyler - Hell's Heroes (1929) and The Big Country (1958)

William Wyler (1902 - 1981) Phyllis Loves Classic Movies and The Midnite Drive-In are hosting The Favorite Director Blogathon running from May 26th to 29th. Click here or here for contributions. For me, William Wyler is a director who rarely puts a foot wrong. His dramas from These Three to D... Read full article


FAVORITE DIRECTOR BLOGATHON: William Wyler - Hell's Heroes (1929) and The Big Country (1958)

William Wyler (1902 - 1981) Phyllis Loves Classic Movies and The Midnite Drive-In are hosting The Favorite Director Blogathon running from May 26th to 29th. Click here or here for contributions. For me, William Wyler is a director who rarely puts a foot wrong. His dramas from These Three to D... Read full article


The Big Country (1958)

The Big Country (1958) Directed by William Wyler Written by James R. Webb, Sy Bartlett, and Robert Wyler from a novel by Donald Hamilton 1958/USA United Artists/Anthony Productions/Worldwide Productions Repeat viewing/Netflix rental William Wyler directed in more genres than just about any direct... Read full article


James Webb's babies: Raton Pass (1951) and The Big Country (1958)

Screenwriter James R. Webb was twice awarded the Bronze Wrangler by the Western Heritage Awards, in 1964 for How the West Was Won (also Oscar nominated) and 1965 for Cheyenne Autumn. The Writer's Guild of America honoured him three times with the Valentine Davies Award in 1965, the Morgan Cox Award... Read full article


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The Big Country Quotes:

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

Major Henry Terrill: If there's anything I admire more than a dedicated friend, it is a dedicated enemy.

Patricia Terrill: Well, even when you rode Old Thunder, everybody knew it. Ramon knew it. Julie knew it. But me? Not a word. Why? You know how much it meant to me... with everybody laughing at me. And don't tell me they weren't. But you wouldn't do it for me. Why not? Why not for me?
James McKay: There's some things a man has to prove to himself alone... not to anyone else.
Patricia Terrill: Not even to the woman he loves.
James McKay: Least of all her... if she loves him.

Major Henry Terrill: What do you want Hannassey?
Rufus Hannassey: Just payin' back the call that you and your men did to my boys this mornin'... sorry I wasn't there to give you the proper welcome. I got me something to say that's about thirty years overdue. This is a mighty fine house, Major Terrill, a gentleman's house. Those are mighty fine clothes your wearin'. Well, maybe you got some of these folks fooled, but you ain't got me fooled, not by a damn sight! The Hannassey's know and admire a real gentleman when they seen one, and they recgonize the smell of a high tone skunk when they smell one. Now, I'm not here tonight complaining about twenty-three of your brave men, beating three of my boys until they couldn't stand. Maybe they had it coming anyway - they're full grown and can take their lickin's. I'm also not here complaining that you're trying to buy the Big Muddy, to keep my cows from water. It's interesting to see the daughter of a genuine gentleman like Glenn Maragon under this roof! I'll tell you why I'm here, Major Terrill. The next time you come a busting and blazing into my place scaring the kids and the women folks, when you invade my home, like you was the law or God Almighty... then I say to you, I've seen every kind of critter God ever made, and I ain't never seen a more meaner, lower, pitiful, yellow, stinking hyprocrite than you! Now you can swallow up a lot of folks and make them like it, but you ain't swallowing me, I'm stuck in your crawl, Major Terrill, and you can't spit me out! You hear me now! You've rode into my place and beat my men for the last time and I give ya warning, you step foot in Blanco Canyon once more and this country goin' to run red with blood until there ain't one of us left! Now I don't hold mine so precious, so if you want to start, here, start now!

[Buck Hannassey is about to shoot the weaponless James McKay until Buck's father intercedes]
Rufus Hannassey: You don't shoot an unarmed man... not while I'm around.
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The Big Country Facts
Only film to feature Gregory Peck and his sons Jonathan Peck, Carey Paul Peck and Stephen Peck.

Alfonso Bedoya's last film. A longtime alcoholic, he died before it was released.

Gregory Peck and director William Wyler clashed repeatedly during filming. After Peck stormed off the set one day following a blazing row Wyler told the press, "I wouldn't direct Peck again for a million dollars and you can quote me on that.".

Gregory Peck and co-star Charlton Heston both played the infamous Nazi war criminal Dr. Josef Mengele: Peck in The Boys from Brazil, Heston in My Father, Rua Alguem 5555.

The film is credited with starting the trend for pacifist westerns.

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