The Rare Breed

1966 "Young lovers ... restless, bold, ready to meet the brawling dangers of the raw West ... Head On !"
6.3| 1h37m| NR| en| More Info
Released: 02 February 1966 Released
Producted By: Universal Pictures
Country: United States of America
Budget: 0
Revenue: 0
Official Website:
Synopsis

When her husband dies en route to America, Martha Price and her daughter Hilary are left to carry out his dream: the introduction of Hereford cattle into the American West. They enlist Sam "Bulldog" Burnett in their efforts to transport their lone bull, a Hereford named Vindicator, to a breeder in Texas, but the trail is fraught with danger and even Burnett doubts the survival potential of this "rare breed" of cattle.

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Reviews

SparkMore n my opinion it was a great movie with some interesting elements, even though having some plot holes and the ending probably was just too messy and crammed together, but still fun to watch and not your casual movie that is similar to all other ones.
Hulkeasexo it is the rare 'crazy' movie that actually has something to say.
ChanFamous I wanted to like it more than I actually did... But much of the humor totally escaped me and I walked out only mildly impressed.
Billy Ollie Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable
Wuchak RELEASED IN 1966 and directed by Andrew V. McLaglen, "The Rare Breed" chronicles events in St. Louis and Texas in 1884-85 when an English woman (Maureen O'Hara) and her daughter (Juliet Mills) conscript a lanky cattleman (James Stewart) to try and get their hornless British bull to mate with the longhorns of Texas, but they have to deal with venal thugs (Jack Elam), a curmudgeon ranch mogul (Brian Keith) and the harshness of nature itself.The film meshes drama with lighthearted amusement in the manner of a screwball Disney family comedy, "fun" brawls reminiscent of John Wayne Westerns of that era, dead-serious sequences and romance. I didn't feel this inconsistent tone marred the movie; after all, doesn't real life include all of these things? The exception would be the "fun" brawling scenes which, while lively, are not true to life. In real fights people get broken noses, black eyes, bruises and broken bones. Anyway, the cast is great, but I didn't find the drama that engaging, especially the entire last act. Furthermore, the indoor sets substituting for outdoors are obvious and smack of old-fashioned movies & TV Western fare of the time period.About a third of the way in there's an exceptional stampede sequence that includes a heart-stopping on-set accident involving the wagon carrying Martha (O'Hara) and Hilary (Mills) ahead of the stampede. The stunt women were supposed to be thrown clear, but the wagon rolled over them. Thankfully, the dipping ground underneath the wagon allowed the stuntwomen, Stephanie Epper and Patty Elder, enough room to survive without being crushed, although they did experience minor wounds and shock. In the same sequence a young man is forced to try to run UP the canyon wall in stark terror as the charging cattle threaten.THE FILM RUNS 97 minutes and was shot in Jamestown, Mecca, Coachella Valley, Mojave Desert and Universal Studios, California. WRITER: Ric Hardman.GRADE: C
thinker1691 Director Andrew V. McLaglen takes an original story by western writer Ric Hardman and set out to mix history with southwestern lore. A young girl and her mother (Juliet Mills and Maureen O'Hara), travel from England to Texas with their prize Hereford Bull to Crossbreed a new species. Along the way they meet Sam Burnett (James Stewart) who plans to deceive them. The Bull is suppose to go to Alexander Bowen (Brian Keith) who has other plans. To help his scheme is Deke Simons (Jack Elam) and Jeff Harter (Ben Johnson). The movie is set in the old west and there is plenty of spacious open range for all things western. Such things as horses, Cowboys, fistfights, rough-an-tumble mayhem, free-for-all, wild gun play, rugged frontier life and free-range Long-horn Cattle. Together, the entire film is a tribute to a good yarn and should stand up well as a good movie for the entire family. Easily recommended to any seeking a movie of frontier life in the early west. ****
moonspinner55 Curious western handled in cartoony fashion: it's all fired-up, though it ultimately misfires. Fiesty Brit Maureen O'Hara and daughter Juliet Mills bring a royal bull for breeding to Old West America, where both ladies wind up with suitors. Capable cast holds interest but, despite some pleasurable moments, Andrew V. McLaglen's perplexing direction is way over-the-top. The screenplay by Ric Hardman keeps all the characters spouting off and hopping mad, turning the movie into a western parody (culminating in a laughable blizzard sequence which McLaglen stages on a set--with the results looking far worse than the typical blue-screen effect). O'Hara juggles the affections of both James Stewart (completely rote) and Brian Keith (hamming with abandon as a wild-eyed Scotsman). She was better off with the bull. ** from ****
Stu-42 I enjoyed the movie "The Rare Breed" despite the fact that it was a tad silly at times. I don't think that it was an attempt to make an extremely powerful, gut wrenching story, but rather some great actors doing a film that mixed some serious moments with a lot of fun. Instead of knocking Mr. Stewart for doing this movie I would just as soon sit back and have a good time watching this "modern" western. I must agree however with Leonard Maltin who says that the only thing wrong with it was too much studio footage. It really would have helped the credibility factor to go out more to the open range. As a major Jimmy Stewart fan, I acknowledge that this was not his best, but who cares!