The Big Country **** (1958, Gregory Peck, Jean Simmons, Carroll Baker, Charlton Heston, Burl Ives, Charles Bickford) – Classic Movie Review 2574

Producer-director William Wyler’s big 1958 epic Western stars Gregory Peck as wealthy retired New England sea captain James McKay, who arrives in the Old West on the range to marry his spoiled fiancée Patricia Terrill (Carroll Baker). But he meets a ton of trouble from ranch foreman Steve Leech (Charlton Heston), his rival in love,  his new crusty father-in-law Major Henry Terrill (Charles Bickford), and his business foe Rufus Hannassey (Burl Ives).

Peck’s McKay soon finds himself in the middle of a vicious feud over a valuable patch of land in which Ives’s Hannassey and Bickford’s Terrill embroil themselves. Jean Simmons also stars as Julie Maragon, who owns the land that both Terrill and Hannassey want for watering rights for cattle.

As suggested by the title, Wyler’s Western delivers with scale, sweep, size and length aplenty; committed, striking performances from an excellent cast, thrilling cinematography by Franz Planer; and a rousing, quintessential, Oscar-nominated Western movie score by Jerome Moross.

Everything about it is thoroughly professional and enjoyable, with Peck and Heston on good form. But it is especially notable for the scene-stealing Bickford and the 1959 Best Supporting Actor Oscar- and Golden Globe-winning Ives.

Also in the cast are Alfonso Bedoya, Chuck Connors, Chuck Hayward, Jim Burk, Buff Brady and Dorothy Adams.

The screenplay by James R Webb, Sy Bartlett and Robert Wilder was intended to be a left-wing allegory for the Cold War and started a trend for pacifist westerns.

US President Dwight D Eisenhower gave the movie four consecutive showings at the White House and called it ‘simply the best film ever made, my number one favourite film.’ He might have been a bit prejudiced: Bickford’s character was supposed to represent him.

It was the only film to feature Peck and his sons Jonathan, Carey Paul and Stephen.

© Derek Winnert 2015 Classic Movie Review 2574

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