The Kentuckian (1955)

★ 5.7 1h 44m IMDb

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

The Kentuckian

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Cast

Burt Lancaster
Burt Lancaster as Elias Wakefield Died 1994 · New York City, New York, USA Burton Stephen "Burt" Lancaster (November 2, 1913 – October 20, 1994) was an American film actor noted for his athletic physique and distinctive smile (which he called "The Grin"). Later he took roles...
Dianne Foster
Dianne Foster as Hannah Bolen Died 2019 · Edmonton, Alberta, Canada Dianne Foster (born Olga Helen Laruska; October 31, 1928 – July 27, 2019) was a Canadian actress of Ukrainian descent..
Walter Matthau
Walter Matthau as Stan Bodine Died 2000 · New York City, New York, USA Walter Matthau (born Walter John Matthow; October 1, 1920 – July 1, 2000) was an American actor, comedian and film director. He is best known for his film roles in A Face in the Crowd (1957), King Cr...
Diana Lynn
Diana Lynn as Susie Spann Died 1971 · Los Angeles, California, USA She was a child prodigy, pianist, at age 10, and her first movie role was one of the children in, "They Shall Have Music" (1939). You see her playing the piano. She made another movie using her 'rea...
John McIntire
John McIntire as Zack Wakefield Died 1991 · Spokane, Washington, USA From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia John Herrick McIntire (June 27, 1907 – January 30, 1991) was an American character actor who appeared in 65 theatrical films and many more television series. McI...
Una Merkel
Una Merkel as Sophie Wakefield Died 1986 · Covington, Kentucky, USA Southerner Una Merkel was a popular American stage, screen, and television actress. In movies, while often cast as the female lead, she more typically appeared in prominent supporting roles..

Audience Reviews

CinemaSerf 6/10 Nov 14, 2022
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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