   the big country is a 1958 american western film directed by william wyler. it stars gregory peck, who also co-produced the film with wyler, plus jean simmons, carroll baker, charlton heston, burl ives, charles bickford, and chuck connors. it was based on the serialized magazine novel ambush at blanco canyon by donald hamilton. the opening title sequence was created by saul bass. ives won the academy award as best supporting actor as well as the golden globe award. the film was also nominated for an academy award for the musical score by jerome moross. ==plot== wealthy sea captain james mckay (gregory peck) travels to the american west to join his fiancÃ©e patricia (carroll baker) at the enormous ranch owned by her father, major henry terrill (charles bickford). terrill has been feuding with rufus hannassey (burl ives), the patriarch of a poorer, less refined ranching clan, over water rights in the arid grazing lands of the high plains. patricia's friend, schoolteacher julie maragon (jean simmons), owns the "big muddy", a large ranch itself, with a source of water that is vital to hannassey. hannassey would lose his herd if he were cut off from the big muddy, julie allows hannassey to water his cattle and refuses to sell or lease big muddy to either side, so as to keep the fragile peace. meanwhile, mckay refuses to be provoked into proving his manhood, having sworn off such behavior since his father died in a meaningless duel. he does nothing when hannassey's trouble-making son buck (chuck connors) harasses him, and he declines a challenge by terrill's foreman, steve leech (charlton heston), to ride an unruly horse. as a result, patricia, terrill, and leech consider him to be a coward. when terrill and the men ride to the hannasse
1950s_Western_(genre)_films 1958_films American_Western_(genre)_films American_films English-language_films Epic_films Films_based_on_Western_(genre)_novels Films_directed_by_William_Wyler Films_featuring_a_Best_Supporting_Actor_Academy_Award_winning_performance Films_featuring_feuds Films_shot_in_Arizona Films_shot_in_California United_Artists_films