The Rare Breed

"Young lovers ... restless, bold, ready to meet the brawling dangers of the raw West ... Head On !"

1966 1h 37m EN

😐

6.2

MID

★6.2TMDB · 83

Western

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

When her husband dies en route to America, Martha Price and her daughter Hilary are left to carry out his dream: the introduction of Hereford cattle into the American West. They enlist Sam "Bulldog" Burnett in their efforts to transport their lone bull, a Hereford named Vindicator, to a breeder in Texas, but the trail is fraught with danger and even Burnett doubts the survival potential of this "rare breed" of cattle.

“Young lovers ... restless, bold, ready to meet the brawling dangers of the raw West ... Head On !”

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Cast

James Stewart
Sam Burnett
Maureen O'Hara
Martha Price
Brian Keith
Alexander Bowen
Juliet Mills
Hilary Price
Don Galloway
Jamie Bowen
David Brian
Charles Ellsworth
Jack Elam
Deke Simons
Ben Johnson
Jeff Harter

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Andrew V. McLaglen
Writers: Ric Hardman
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

ERA

Did you know

60 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Andrew V. McLaglen, shot by William H. Clothier. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by John Williams. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Russell F. Schoengarth shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

CAST

Did you know

James Stewart and Maureen O'Hara and Brian Keith carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Young lovers ... restless, bold, ready to meet the brawling dangers of the raw West ... Head On !".

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0060884 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

Only 83 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Andrew V. McLaglen directs. William H. Clothier behind the camera. John Williams scores. Russell F. Schoengarth cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

160 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
2Directed by Andrew V. McLaglen, shot by William H. Clothier. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
3Original score by John Williams. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
4Editor Russell F. Schoengarth shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
5James Stewart and Maureen O'Hara and Brian Keith carry the top of the cast.
6Marketing tagline: "Young lovers ... restless, bold, ready to meet the brawling dangers of the raw West ... Head On !".
7IMDB entry: tt0060884 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
8Only 83 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

The technical file

Cinematography: William H. Clothier
Original score: John Williams
Editing: Russell F. Schoengarth
Costume design: Rosemary Odell
Makeup / hair: Larry Germain
Stunt coordinator: Hal Needham
Runtime: 97 min · 1h 37m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Original language: EN
Certification (US): NR
IMDB: The Rare Breed (1966)

Also by

Andrew V. McLaglen

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Community reviews

What people are saying

CinemaSerf2026-03-09
★ 6/10
The lately widowed “Martha” (Maureen O’Hara) is travelling with her daughter “Hilary” (Juliet Mills) and cowhand “Sam” to St. Louis where they hope to introduced the hardy British Hereford breed of cow to the United States. Their prize possession is “Vindicator” whom they sell to the curmudgeonly old Scot “Bowen” (Brian Keith). On their way to his remote ranch, “Sam” and “Martha” start to bond a little, but upon arrival nobody reckons the bull has what it takes to survive the harshness of the winter and so “Bowen” and the dejected “Martha” talk marriage whilst “Sam” spends the winter trawling through the snow looking for the bull. As spring approaches, so do some nuptials and “Sam” knows that if he can somehow prove that “Vindicator” succeeded in breeding then maybe, just maybe, “Martha” will change her mind. This is all perfectly watchable stuff with a degree of chemistry between Stewart and an O’Hara who doesn’t quite convince as an English lady, but quite where Brian Keith got his Scots accent from is anyone’s guess. Even with his tongue in his cheek, he’s always out-acted by his four-hooved co-star. There’s some fine cinematography - I’m a sucker for a snowy scene, of which there are plenty here; and with a genuine looking stampede thrown in for good measure this is quite a gently engaging comedy that marries the pluckiness of us Brits with the hardiness of some longhorn cattle and a Jimmy Stewart just being himself. It’s not exactly memorable, but it’s an easy ninety minutes.

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