DramaWestern

Giant

- Sometimes any man can be a giant . . .

Wealthy rancher Bick Benedict and dirt-poor cowboy Jett Rink both woo Leslie Lynnton, a beautiful young woman from Maryland who is new to Texas. She marries Benedict, but she is shocked by the racial bigotry of the White Texans against the local people of Mexican descent. Rink discovers oil on a small plot of land, and while he uses his vast, new wealth to buy all the land surrounding the Benedict ranch, the Benedict's disagreement over prejudice fuels conflict that runs across generations.

Release Date : 1956-11-08

Language :SpanishEnglish

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : Warner Bros. PicturesGeorge Stevens Jr. Productions

Production Country : United States of America

Alternative Titles :

Cast

Character Name : Leslie Lynnton Benedict

Original Name : Elizabeth Taylor

Gender : Female

Character Name : Jordan "Bick" Benedict Jr.

Original Name : Rock Hudson

Gender : Male

Character Name : Jett Rink

Original Name : James Dean

Gender : Male

Character Name : Luz Benedict II

Original Name : Carroll Baker

Gender : Female

Character Name : Vashti Synthe

Original Name : Jane Withers

Gender : Female

Character Name : Uncle Bawley

Original Name : Chill Wills

Gender : Male

Character Name : Luz Benedict

Original Name : Mercedes McCambridge

Gender : Female

Character Name : Jordan "Jordy" Benedict III

Original Name : Dennis Hopper

Gender : Male

Character Name : Angel Obregón II

Original Name : Sal Mineo

Gender : Male

Character Name : Sir David Karfrey

Original Name : Rod Taylor

Gender : Male

Character Name : Mrs. Nancy Lynnton

Original Name : Judith Evelyn

Gender : Female

Character Name : 'Bob' Dace

Original Name : Earl Holliman

Gender : Male

Character Name : Mort 'Pinky' Snythe

Original Name : Robert Nichols

Gender : Male

Character Name : Dr. Horace Lynnton

Original Name : Paul Fix

Gender : Male

Character Name : Old Polo

Original Name : Alexander Scourby

Gender : Male

Character Name : Judge Oliver Whiteside

Original Name : Charles Watts

Gender : Male

Character Name : Juana Guerra Benedict

Original Name : Elsa Cárdenas

Gender : Female

Character Name : Lacey Lynnton

Original Name : Carolyn Craig

Gender : Female

Character Name : Bale Clinch

Original Name : Monte Hale

Gender : Male

Character Name : Gabe Target

Original Name : Sheb Wooley

Gender : Male

Character Name : Adarene Clinch

Original Name : Mary Ann Edwards

Gender : Male

Character Name : Angel Obregón Sr.

Original Name : Victor Millan

Gender : Male

Character Name : Sarge

Original Name : Mickey Simpson

Gender : Male

Character Name : Mrs. Obregón

Original Name : Pilar Del Rey

Gender : Female

Character Name : Dr. Guerra

Original Name : Maurice Jara

Gender : Male

Character Name : Lona Lane

Original Name : Noreen Nash

Gender : Female

Character Name : Watts

Original Name : Ray Whitley

Gender : Male

Character Name : Jefferson Swazey

Original Name : Napoleon Whiting

Gender : Male

Character Name : Judy Benedict

Original Name : Fran Bennett

Gender : Female

Character Name : Minor Role

Original Name : Elsa Aguirre

Gender : Female

Character Name : Mary Lou Decker

Original Name : Barbara Barrie

Gender : Female

Character Name : Wedding Guest

Original Name : Bert Stevens

Gender : Male

Character Name : Guest at Jeff Rink's Banquet

Original Name : Bess Flowers

Gender : Female

Character Name : Wedding Guest

Original Name : Harold Miller

Gender : Male

Character Name : Older Beauty Operator

Original Name : Claudia Bryar

Gender : Female

Character Name : Guest at Jett Rink's Banquet

Original Name : Marion Gray

Gender : Female

Character Name : Judy Benedict - Age 4

Original Name : Dana Dillaway

Gender : Female

Character Name : War Winds the Horse (uncredited)

Original Name : Highland Dale

Gender : Male

Character Name : Governor's Ball Guest (uncredited)

Original Name : Tom Ferrandini

Gender : Male

Character Name : Governor's Ball Guest (uncredited)

Original Name : Charles Fogel

Gender : Male

Character Name : Security Guard (uncredited)

Original Name : Rudy Germane

Gender : Male

Character Name : Governor's Ball Guest (uncredited)

Original Name : Dick Gordon

Gender : Male

Character Name : Guest (uncredited)

Original Name : Herschel Graham

Gender : Male

Character Name : Governor's Ball Guest (uncredited)

Original Name : Sam Harris

Gender : Male

Reviews

CinemaSerf

@Geronimo1967

2022-12-28

This is essentially three stories that George Stevens has rolled into one, long, family melodrama. It all starts when "Bick" (Rock Hudson) travels from his massive Texas ranch to buy an horse from "Dr. Lynnton" (Paul Fix). The first thing he sees though is not the beautiful black stallion, but the man's daughter "Lesley" (Elizabeth Taylor) riding it. After a sticky start, she is on her way to his home, as his wife, where she must settle into a life where women like her are expected to provide children and live otherwise fairly ornamental lives. Needless to say, she isn't really up for that and the next portion of the film follows her efforts to find a purpose. "Jett Rink" (James Dean) is a general factotum on their place. Disliked by "Bick" but protected to an extent by his sister "Luz" (Mercedes McCambridge). Tragedy strikes and "Jett" finds himself the beneficiary of that to the tune of a small plot of land where he quickly discovers oil. That changes the dynamic of the relationships and with the onset of WWII, the traditional lives of all concerned are shaken to the core. The final third, if you like, has probably the strongest message: those who fought together during the war regardless of race or creed are now (largely) back home, victorious, but are expected to fit back into their social demographic - and Stevens uses a swathe of new characters, including their son (Dennis Hopper) and the briefest of appearances from Sal Mineo to illustrate the hypocrisy and double standards that entailed. This third is, in my view, also the weakest section of the story. Perhaps because a degree of ennui was setting in after two hours already, but the flawed characterisation of Dean is a bit too superficial and Miss Taylor - who really does dominate this film - takes too much of a back seat as the familial discord and the effects of the bottle start to dominate the plot. Though Hudson is maybe not the strongest of character actors, here he does provide a degree of accruing decency to his character and at times there is a spark of chemistry between the two leads who, despite themselves, do actually love each other. It's certainly a grand piece of cinema with some spectacular photography. The make-up artistes make a decent stab at facilitating the ageing process as the film progresses and Dimitri Tiomkin manages to adapt his score from the initial Western style genre to a modern modern one creatively. It really does need a big screen and a comfortable seat to get the best out of the performances, but it is definitely worth it.