The Rare BreedThe Rare Breed
An english widow her daughter and a drifter go to texas to breed her hereford bull with a ranchers longhorns. Studio: Uni Dist Corp. (mca) Release Date: 08/23/2005 Starring: James Stewart Brian Keith Run time: 97 minutes Rating: Nr Director: Andrew V. MclaglenA very offbeat subject gives this Western its beefy flavor: English lady Maureen O’Hara brings a prize Hereford bull to the Wild West, where she plans to introduce its hardy bloodline into longhorn country. Cattle puncher James Stewa
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(out of 26 reviews)
Review by Roberto Frangie for The Rare Breed
Rating:
Under the direction of Andrew V. McLaglen, who understood the John Ford mystique, “The Rare Breed” is a Western of consummate integrity which misses fire by not coming down firmly as either drama or comedy; it does however pass the time amiably enough…
Stewart again plays a cynical, hard-bitten man who has become disillusioned with human nature… But his insight and understanding are well transmitted…
The title refers to a certain breed of cattle, and not to men, rare, courageous, or other-wise…
O’Hara is an Englishwoman who comes to America with her daughter, Juliet Mills, bringing a prize Hereford bull named Vindicator… Her husband has died on the way, and she is delivering the bull to a cattle baron (Brian Keith) in Dodge City… Her late husband has always declared that the Hereford could be successfully interbred with the indigenous American Longhorns…
Originally Stewart had planned to kidnap the bull and hand it over to a rival dealer, but he falls under the spell of O’Hara’s womanly integrity, and becomes her ally… Soon a triangle is set up between Stewart, O’Hara and Keith, with predictable results…
The dramatic elements are not totally neglected in the film… The rivalry between the ranchers, the poignant situation of the young lovers, O’Hara’s attempts to set right to the surroundings that she, a new widow, finds extraneous, are all set forth skillfully by McLaglen’s directorial hand…
Review by Patrick Doherty for The Rare Breed
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THE RARE BREED is a film about the delivery of a white-faced Hereford bull from England to the Texas range for breeding purposes. The man responsible for the task is James Stewart. The women who own the bull are Maureen O’Hara and her daughter played by Juliet Mills. THE RARE BREED is a fairly good Western with strong performances by Stewart and O’Hara. A fine supporting cast includes Brian Keith, Don Galloway and David Brian.Andrew V. McLaglen directed many other good movies such as MCLINTOCK and SHENANDOAH.
Review by John A Lee III for The Rare Breed
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This film has some first rate talent. Jimmy Stewart and Maureen O’Hara are first rate stars and they made first rate westerns but this is not one of them. It is merely passable.
Maureen O’Hara plays a British widow whose husband was a cattle breeder in Herefordshire. They have brought their prize Hereford bull to the American west in an effort to both make money and improve the wild longhorn cattle being raised in the American west. The two women are about the only ones who have faith in the breed. Everyone else seems to think they cannot survive the harsh conditions in America.
Jimmy Stewart plays a cowboy hired to get the bull to its purchaser. He is also hired to steal the bull for someone else. When he is unexpectedly accompanied by women his plans go awry because they are very strong willed and because he is beginning to fall in love with Maureen.
In time, even the women lose faith in the bull but Jimmy Stewart does have faith. Good triumphs over evil and faithfulness pays off. That is the old western formula. The part of the formula that is missing is excitement and interest. All in all, it is just barely passable.
Review by Byron Kolln for The Rare Breed
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THE RARE BREED certainly lives up to it’s title. A western drama with the emphasis on character and not the typical mix of “guns and cowboys”. Maureen O’Hara reunited with her “McLintock!” director Andrew V. McLaglen and her “Parent Trap” co-star Brian Keith for this oddball combination of western thrills and human drama.
Martha Price (Maureen O’Hara) and her teenaged daughter Hilary (Juliet Mills) have arrived in America with their prized Hereford bull, in an attempt to cross-breed it with the traditional long-horn. She is met with resistance by bulldogger Sam Burnett (James Stewart), but he reluctantly agrees to accompany her to the estate of Alexander Bowen (Brian Keith), the most powerful cattle baron in the district.
The emphasis is on simple human drama in this enjoyable period piece; yet there is still some room for a spectacular action sequence involving an horrific long-horn stampede. Maureen O’Hara gives a very grounded and sensitive performance as the pioneering Martha, and Juliet Mills is a delight as her spunky, forthright daughter. James Stewart and Brian Keith play off each other beautifully in their rivalry for O’Hara’s affection.
To the best of my knowledge, Maureen O’Hara is the only actress to have played the mother for both Juliet Mills and her younger sister Hayley Mills (in 1961′s “The Parent Trap”). THE RARE BREED is truly that rare western that dares to go beyond the cliched confines of the genre. Highly-recommended.
Review by Dan Cox for The Rare Breed
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Jimmy Stewart had a habit of making good movies and this is one of them. It tells the story of introducing hereford(or herford) cattle to the united states and it does it partly lighthearted and partly serious. Brian Keith shows up as well as absolutely wonderful former scottish highlander soldier who’s taken up ranching in the west. Keith is just great as the old cantankerous scottsman. The herford bull(named vindicator) is cleverly portrayed as well without being silly.