Classic Lancaster
Added 6/4/2009
I am a middle-aged man now, but I have never forgotten the scene in this movie where Lancaster races through a pond to reach his would-be killer before that man can reload his flintlock. As a kid, I was captivated by this. It is still a remarkable scene. And when, later, I saw Matthau in comedies, I always recalled his menacing character in this picture. This is a fun picture with no disappointments.
1 out of 1 people found this helpful.
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Good directorial debut for star Lancaster.
Added 5/26/2009
The Kentuckian(1953) is a fairly well made pseudo-Western/Adventure/Drama from first time director, Lancaster.
He stars in this as a Kentucky backwoods man travelling with his son and dog through the country in an attempt to start a new life in Texas. There's trouble along the way as society tries to make Lancaster conform to a much more "stable" form of life. Meanwhile, two killers are on his trail, gunning for him due to an old family feud.
Lancaster directs the film well, employing lots of beautiful natural scenery to create a great sense of place. Technicolor was just right for this film and highlights the adventure.
The acting is just fine, particularly the star. He gets good support from Walter Matthau(in his film debut) as a villainous, whip cracking scoundrel and John Carradine as a bombastic, medicine man.
However, the film seems dis-jointed at times. Despite two really good action set pieces(Lancaster's fight against Matthau and a whip and Lancaster rushing across a stream to stop a killer loading his rifle in real time) the film at times moves a sluggish pace. The romance is stiffly handled and just ignored eventually. Even the film's main purpose seems to get lost amongst many episodic moments.
While the film is entertaining and worth seeing for the performances and those two action sequences, it's not an essential.
DVD is presented in letterbox and it's a pretty good print. There's also a Theatrical Trailer.
1 out of 1 people found this helpful.
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A nice find
Added 5/9/2009
If you don't have this movie, buy it and give it a watch. You won't be disappointed.
1 out of 1 people found this helpful.
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A Western that takes place in Kentucky
Added 10/18/2008
Released in 1955, "The Kentuckian" is one of only a couple films directed by Burt Lancaster.
THE STORY takes place during the presidency of James Madison circa 1815. Lancaster plays Eli Wakefield, a Kentuckian who desires more room to breath in Texas. Still in Kentucky, they blow their "Texas money" on freeing a beautiful indentured servant, Hannah (Dianne Foster). They don't get past the next frontier town where Eli takes up with his brother in the tabacco business and Hannah gets a job as a bar matron. Eli's dreams of Texas are sidetracked when he meets up with a school marm (Diana Lynn) who encourages him to settle down and make a family with her. The problem is that Eli's son prefers Hannah and doesn't want to give up their Texas dream. Meanwhile feuders are hot on Eli's trail, not to mention malevolent local businessman Walter Matthau with a whip.
Some of the highlights include:
-- Lush Eastern locations. The film was shot in Levi Jackson State Park, Kentucky (near London), as well as Owensboro, Kentucky, which is on the Ohio River, and Rockport, which is just across the river in Indiana. The river depicted in the film is supposed to be the Tennessee River (I think), but it was shot on the Ohio. In any event, although "The Kentuckian" is classified as a Western, it's actually an Eastern.
-- The film offers a good glimpse of what the Eastern USA was like back when it was still a frontier -- the cabin-style houses, sleeping in the woods, etc. No internet, cable, video games, dvds or microwaves. People actually sat down with other people and communed.
-- The story is realistic. You don't have to worry about any goofiness or unbelievable bits that plague some 50's Westerns.
-- Back then a huge riverboat coming to town was an exciting attraction. Americans today, by contrast, get all excited over the shenanegans of Britney Spears and whether or not her sister is having another baby.
-- Dianne Foster (Hannah) is a beautiful redhead. One wonders how a woman like this would stay single very long on the frontier.
-- The whip fight with Matthau is great. Lancaster is almost whipped to shreds (!).
-- Loyalty is a sub-theme here. Eli's son is loyal to Hannah and never warms up to the school marm. Hannah is loyal to the man who delivered her from bondage (Eli), despite his infatuation with the marm.
-- I liked the bit on Eli being a laughing stock because of a worthless freshwater pearl, but he gets the last laugh with a letter from the President (or is it?) and additional help.
-- Lastly, Lancaster is a likable protagonist with his charismatic joy-of-living persona, the antithesis of Eastwood's amoral and lifeless 'man with no name.'
The film runs an hour and 44 minutes.
BOTTOM LINE: "The Kentuckian" is breath of fresh air which I enjoyed from beginning to end for all the above reasons; it's sort of like "The Last of the Mohicans" (1992) of its era, albeit not as good. It's innocuous and easy-going, but it's as good as practically any 50's Western out there.
PERSONAL GRADE: B+ or A-
2 out of 2 people found this helpful.
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Good, But Not Great Lancaster Film
Added 1/10/2007
The Kentuckian is the only film that Burt Lancaster ever directed, and while it is not a bad film, it is not up to the caliber of Lancaster's many great Westerns.
In The Kentuckian, Lancaster plays the titular character, a 17th century frontiersman on his way to take his son to live in wide-open Texas country. He stops along the way to visit his brother, played by John McIntire. But Lancaster gets involved with a former indentured servant, and runs afoul of a mean Walter Matthau (who likes to brandish a whip, no less), and Lancaster and the boy's plans are altered.
The Kentuckian is entertaining in several ways, but not as good as Apache, Gunfight at The OK Corral, and his other Westerns. But the acting is very good, and this movie was nothing for Lancaster to be ashamed of, so watch this film when you have a chance. It's not the best, but you won't feel like you've wasted your time.
3 out of 3 people found this helpful.
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Classic Lancaster
Added 6/4/2009
I am a middle-aged man now, but I have never forgotten the scene in this movie where Lancaster races through a pond to reach his would-be killer before that man can reload his flintlock. As a kid, I was captivated by this. It is still a remarkable scene. And when, later, I saw Matthau in comedies, I always recalled his menacing character in this picture. This is a fun picture with no disappointments.
1 out of 1 people found this helpful.
|
Good directorial debut for star Lancaster.
Added 5/26/2009
The Kentuckian(1953) is a fairly well made pseudo-Western/Adventure/Drama from first time director, Lancaster.
He stars in this as a Kentucky backwoods man travelling with his son and dog through the country in an attempt to start a new life in Texas. There's trouble along the way as society tries to make Lancaster conform to a much more "stable" form of life. Meanwhile, two killers are on his trail, gunning for him due to an old family feud.
Lancaster directs the film well, employing lots of beautiful natural scenery to create a great sense of place. Technicolor was just right for this film and highlights the adventure.
The acting is just fine, particularly the star. He gets good support from Walter Matthau(in his film debut) as a villainous, whip cracking scoundrel and John Carradine as a bombastic, medicine man.
However, the film seems dis-jointed at times. Despite two really good action set pieces(Lancaster's fight against Matthau and a whip and Lancaster rushing across a stream to stop a killer loading his rifle in real time) the film at times moves a sluggish pace. The romance is stiffly handled and just ignored eventually. Even the film's main purpose seems to get lost amongst many episodic moments.
While the film is entertaining and worth seeing for the performances and those two action sequences, it's not an essential.
DVD is presented in letterbox and it's a pretty good print. There's also a Theatrical Trailer.
1 out of 1 people found this helpful.
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A nice find
Added 5/9/2009
If you don't have this movie, buy it and give it a watch. You won't be disappointed.
1 out of 1 people found this helpful.
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