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The Kentuckian

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5.7/10 • 51

1955-07-221h 44m

DramaWestern

Hunter...Frontiersman...Adventurer!

A frontiersman and his son fight to build a new home in Texas.

Directors
Burt Lancaster
Editors
George E. Luckenbacher

Top Billed Cast

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  1. Burt Lancaster

    Burt Lancaster

    Elias Wakefield

  2. Dianne Foster

    Dianne Foster

    Hannah Bolen

  3. Walter Matthau

    Walter Matthau

    Stan Bodine

  4. Diana Lynn

    Diana Lynn

    Susie Spann

  5. Donald MacDonald

    Donald MacDonald

    Little Eli Wakefield

  6. John McIntire

    John McIntire

    Zack Wakefield

  7. Una Merkel

    Una Merkel

    Sophie Wakefield

  8. John Carradine

    John Carradine

    Ziby Fletcher

  9. John Litel

    John Litel

    Pleasant Tuesday Babson

Reviews1

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CinemaSerf Avatar

CinemaSerf

Nov 14, 2022

6/10

Burt Lancaster starred in, and directed, this story of a well meaning traveller ("Big Eli") and his young son "Little Eli" (Donald MacDonald) heading to Texas hoping to make a decent living for him and his son. Along the way he encounters (and buys) an indentured slave "Susie" (Diana Lynn) who only complicates their already interesting journey as he fights his own demons with women, booze and a particularly nasty Walter Matthau ("Bodine"). It's a beautifully shot piece of cinema, this, and the mischievous charm of the star is writ large. It's too long, though - frequently sagging as the romantic elements go quickly from humorously hostile to schmaltzy just a bit too quickly. Matthau and his whip are the stuff of cinema legend though, and the young MacDomald plays his part well. Fans of Burt will love this, but I found I was bored by the half way mark as what pace it does have it doesn't really sustain.

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Status
Released
Original Language
English
Budget
--
Revenue
--
Keywords
texasfrontiersman