The Kentuckian

Rating:
Summary: Not bad, not classic, but all Lancaster...
Review: One of only two films directed by Lancaster, "The Kentuckian" is neither a rousing success nor a glaring disaster. The direction is not all that stylish, but it is no embarrassment. Bernard Herrmann adds to the picture with his musical score.

The story is about Kentucky frontiersman Big Eli, and his son Little Eli, fleeing an infamous family feud and looking for a new life in Texas. They stop along the way to free a bondswoman from her contract, which costs them all of their "Texas money", the funds set aside for passage to Texas.

Big Eli goes to work for his brother (John McIntire), in the tobacco business, and life among townspeople changes his plans, much to his son's dismay.

There is romance, and some pretty fair action with Lancaster in a whip fight. The best moment is Lancaster rushing to reach a shooter as he reloads his flintlock rifle in real-time.

Walter Matthau has a good turn as a menacing town boss, and John Carradine does a marvelous portrayal of a medicine man/snake oil salesman. Una Merkel plays Eli's sister-in-law.

Dianne Foster is ravishing as the freed bondswoman Hannah. She guest-starred in a ton of TV classics in the 50's and 60's, including "Wagon Train", "Perry Mason", "The Fugitive", "Honey West", "Petticoat Junction", and "Route 66".

At times, the picture does not seem to know where it's going. At other times, the picture is very cohesive. The DVD transfer isn't bad, either. Well worth a viewing, "The Kentuckian" is a real treat for Lancaster fans.

Rating:
Summary: Not bad, not classic, but all Lancaster...
Review: One of only two films directed by Lancaster, "The Kentuckian" is neither a rousing success nor a glaring disaster. The direction is not all that stylish, but it is no embarrassment. Bernard Herrmann adds to the picture with his musical score.

The story is about Kentucky frontiersman Big Eli, and his son Little Eli, fleeing an infamous family feud and looking for a new life in Texas. They stop along the way to free a bondswoman from her contract, which costs them all of their "Texas money", the funds set aside for passage to Texas.

Big Eli goes to work for his brother (John McIntire), in the tobacco business, and life among townspeople changes his plans, much to his son's dismay.

There is romance, and some pretty fair action with Lancaster in a whip fight. The best moment is Lancaster rushing to reach a shooter as he reloads his flintlock rifle in real-time.

Walter Matthau has a good turn as a menacing town boss, and John Carradine does a marvelous portrayal of a medicine man/snake oil salesman. Una Merkel plays Eli's sister-in-law.

Dianne Foster is ravishing as the freed bondswoman Hannah. She guest-starred in a ton of TV classics in the 50's and 60's, including "Wagon Train", "Perry Mason", "The Fugitive", "Honey West", "Petticoat Junction", and "Route 66".

At times, the picture does not seem to know where it's going. At other times, the picture is very cohesive. The DVD transfer isn't bad, either. Well worth a viewing, "The Kentuckian" is a real treat for Lancaster fans.

Rating:
Summary: Hysteriously bad
Review: The Kentuckian is a bad movie but one that is enjoyable because of this. This is the only film Burt Lancaster directed and he knew when to quit. The writing is stiff, and the plot is completely pieced together from every imaginable "Go West" movie cliche. Burt also sings a couple of songs and uses genuine frontier Kentuckian colloquialisms throughout the movie. His character also runs the gamut from dumb woodsman to suddenly smart gambler. There is a fantastic fight scene where Walter Matheau is whipping an unarmed Lancaster towards the end of the movie. It's obvious by the way Matheau's flailing around that he didn't know how to use a whip. Thankfully generous amounts of whipcracking sound effects were used to cover this. DVD transfer is poor with bleeding colors. Fuzzy at times though in widescreen. Not to be taken seriously.

Rating:
Summary: they sure dont make em like this anymore!
Review: wow, we've got some pretty heavy critics here! my guess is that anyone who doesnt like the kentuckian is either a sissy or reviews way to many movies and needs to get some sunshine. as a boy i was fasinated by this movie. it was easy to be romanced by this film because of the boy and his dog and how he prefered hannah over the school marm, and is ultimatly right about her in the in the end. the movie knows exactly where its going(if you are paying attention)and has a beautiful way of showing you what things must have been like back then,i.e. the singing black entertainers prompting lancaster of "texas""texas" texas"!, when the boat comes to town. this is a wonderful movie for children that havent yet been polluted by the endless amount of crap that unfortunatly is in abundance nowadays. this film still has enough drama and human interest with an actual, real substance for any age. its a mere record of what life was like in one part of the world at one time and its done quite well if you let the movie take you instead of find whats wrong with it.