Horizons of greatness

Horizons of Greatness (The Big Country) is a 1958 American film of the western genre, based on in the novel of the same name written by Donald Hamilton based on his story Ambush at Blanco Canyon and published in installments in 1957 in The Saturday Evening Post with the same title as the story.

The film was directed by William Wyler and featured Gregory Peck as the lead actor and produced by both of them and Robert Wyler.

The film had a great cast made up of prominent artists such as Burl Ives, Charlton Heston, Jean Simmons, Carroll Baker, Charles Bickford, Chuck Connors and Alfonso Bedoya.

Burl Ives won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor, as well as a Golden Globe. In addition, the film received another Oscar nomination for Best Music, for composer/conductor Jerome Moross.

Plot

A refined man from the East, retired sea captain James McKay (Gregory Peck), comes to the deep west to meet the family of his fiancée, Patricia Terrill (Carroll Baker). Against his will, McKay will find himself immersed in the disputes between his future father-in-law, Henry Terrill (Charles Bickford), whom everyone calls "El Mayor", and the patriarch of a rival family, Rufus Hannassey (Burl Ives), for control of of some lands through which a river crosses that provides the essential water for their respective ranches, lands that are owned by Patricia's teacher and friend, Julie Maragon (Jean Simmons). McKay will also see his eastern mindset inevitably clash with that of his fiancée, when it falls to him to respond to taunts from Terril's foreman, Steve Leech (Charlton Heston), and Hannassey's son, Buck (Chuck Connors).

Cast

• Gregory Peck as James McKay
• Jean Simmons like Julie Maragon
• Carroll Baker as Patricia Terrill
• Charlton Heston as Steve Leech
• Burl Ives like Rufus Hannassey
• Charles Bickford as Maj. Henry Terrill
• Alfonso Bedoya as Ramón Gutiérrez
• Chuck Connors like Buck Hannassey
• Chuck Hayward as Rafe Hannassey
• Buff Brady as Dude Hannassey
• Jim Burk as Blackie / Cracker Hannassey
• Dorothy Adams like Hannassey Woman
• Chuck Roberson like Terrill Cowboy
• Bob Morgan like Terrill Cowboy
• John McKee as Terrill Cowboy
• Peter Lawman as Terrill Cowboy