source: The Rare Breed

Trailer—The Rare Breed

The Rare Breed

I enjoyed the movie "The Rare Breed" despite the fact that it was a tad silly at times. I don't think that it was an attempt to make an extremely powerful, gut wrenching story, but rather some great actors doing a film that mixed some serious moments with a lot of fun. Instead of knocking Mr. Stewart for doing this movie I would just as soon sit back and have a good time watching this "modern" western. I must agree however with Leonard Maltin who says that the only thing wrong with it was too much studio footage. It really would have helped the credibility factor to go out more to the open range. As a major Jimmy Stewart fan, I acknowledge that this was not his best, but who cares!

Having made it thru the Red Pony this is alot better. Odd but better. A touch humorous a touch reality. And an abrupt ending kinda defeat the movie a bit but it hangs in there as well as the random brawl. Like yes I'll hit you too. Don't know why but why not. Kinda like another movie with with the Bowie knife . Random fight. Now what happened to Jamie and Hillary. Not a clue :) They were featured lovers for a larger part of the movie. And some decent acting there. Not entirely sure about any chemistry between Jimmy and Maureen , then again the trivia area kinda gives that an obvious wink. Think this was a McLintock! wannabe. At least in the humor area. Then it wanted to be something else. eh but John Wayne had more fun with Maureen than Jimmy did. Quality: 6/10 Entertainment: 9/10 Re-Playable: 5/10

James Stewart made this film at Universal with a very very beautiful Maureen O Hara as his leading lady reprising their teaming for 20th's Mr. Hobbs Takes A Vacation. Andrew McLaglen who was part of the James Stewart-John Wayne fraternity of action movies directs well this story of cattle breeding. Lots of familiar Universal back lot locations add to my enjoyment of this film. I respect both James Stewart and Maureen O Hara for keeping their careers in high gear even in the troubled 60's. With Maureen O Hara she outpaced many of her peers who retired due to lack of work, only Susan Hayward and Lana Turner were as active as the beautiful Irish Ms. O'Hara was in her steady stream of work as leading lady to John Wayne, Henry Fonda, James Stewart stalwart's of the American screen. Don Galloway a Universal contract player is also cast. Always thought Don Golloway would be a star. Is this movie great? No! Is it enjoyable yes! And Maureen O Hara one of the great Beauties of the Screen!

This isn't a bad film. But, considering that it starred Jimmy Stewart and Maureen O'Hara, I really expected so much more! Instead of the exciting and well-acted film I hoped to see, it was a dull script with few good surprises. In fact, if it hadn't been for the stars, I would have given the film a 4. Jimmy Stewart is a man who has been hired by Maureen and her daughter to help transport her prize stud bull out west to sell. En route to America, Maureen's husband apparently died. We don't see this but are told by the characters that this occurred. Oddly, Ms. O'Hara seems pretty willing to let Brian Keith (in a very broad portrayal) and later, Stewart to woo her. So much for feeling a great loss! Anyway, the film just slowly slogs along until it gets to a very expected conclusion. This could have been so much better, believe me.

Average western that has a good story but bad screenplay,script,cinematography and directing.Stewart and O'Hara deliver very well as always but the bad production just weighs their performance down.Too bad for the subject matter of the story is very interesting and historically educational with a lot of action,drama and even comedic potentials.Only for big western fans and fans of the lead actors......

I just saw bits of this film for the first time today and kept at it because all of the leads were some of my all time favorite actors. I can't speak for the quality of the film since I didn't see it all, but it seems apparent that no lesser light than James A. Michener not only saw it, but liked it a lot since the basic plot line about the great British bull being brought to America by an English widow and then dying in a record blizzard after leaving his stamp on a new generation of crossbreeds is used almost verbatim in "Centennial" which was published nine years after this film was released. Anyway, what I saw I enjoyed. I can't not enjoy O'Hara, Stewart and Keith!!!

Utterly inconsequential western from genre-mainstay director Andrew V. McLaglen, who handles this scenario in a curious, cartoony fashion. Feisty Brit Maureen O'Hara and daughter Juliet Mills bring a royal bull for breeding to Old West America, where both ladies wind up with suitors (O'Hara with two: plodding James Stewart and wild-eyed Scotsman Brian Keith, her ex-husband from 1961's "The Parent Trap"). Capable cast holds interest but, despite some pleasurable moments, this perplexing effort is way over-the-top. Ric Hardman's screenplay keeps all the characters spouting off and hopping mad, giving the movie a parodist slant where one is not called for (culminating in a laughable blizzard sequence which McLaglen stages on a set). Keith, hamming with abandon, doesn't even appear to realize O'Hara has a daughter, leaving one with the impression that Maureen is better off with the bull. ** from ****