403. HUD (1963)

Running Time: 112 minutes
Directed By: Martin Ritt
Written By: Harriet Frank Jr., Irving Ravetch, from the novel Horseman Pass By by Larry McMurtry
Main Cast: Paul Newman, Melvyn Douglas, Patricia Neal, Brandon de Wilde, John Ashley

NEWMANIA!: PART II

Moving right along with "NEWMANIA!", we jump two years into the future, to 1963 and "Hud" - a Western set in it's own time and one that I definitely enjoyed.

Paul Newman is the titular character Hud Bannon, the beer drinking, woman chasing, son of ranch owner Homer Bannon (Douglas). Upon the films opening, Hud's nephew Lon (de Wilde) is trying to track him down, as it seems there is trouble on the ranch. When Hud is finally located and brought to the ranch, two things are made evident immediately - 1) Hud and his father don't get along and 2) the cattle at the Bannon ranch are sick. The veterinarian is called in on the subject of the cattle and foot and mouth disease is expected. On the subject of Hud and his father, it seems it all stems from a particular night, many years ago when Hud and his brother were involved in a car accident, leading to the death of Homer's eldest son (and Lon's Dad) - Hud was driving. Despite Homer and Hud's weakened relationship and Lon's loyalty to his grandfather, Lon still looks up to Hud and has a tendency to follow him around wherever he goes. Also, the maid at the Bannon household, Alma (Neal) is the object of both Hud and Lon's desire and she's a pretty good flirt, at that.

I really don't have a whole lot to say regarding "Hud", so maybe I can keep this short & sweet. I thought "Hud" was a fine film. I wouldn't go so far as to call it exceptional or outstanding, but when factoring in the breathtaking cinematography, the fantastic acting from everybody involved and the generally smooth flow of the entire picture, it's not hard to understand why it was included in a book of "MUST SEE" movies. Paul Newman will always be a favorite of mine and watching his films are so easy for me. Even when I don't like a particular film of his, it's still easy for me to just sit back and watch him perform and soak it all in...and think about how sad it is that he's passed away.

What was going on with Patricia Neal in this movie though? It seemed like whenever her character appeared on screen, sexual innuendos were being thrown around like baseball's. Did anyone else find it a little odd that the character of Alma seemed to be flirting with Lon? While going into his room to wake him up, she continues to tickle him and she coddles him when he doesn't feel well, sitting next to him loyally and holding a cold glass of lemonade on his head. For 1963, you didn't see a whole lot of sexual innuendo, but "Hud is packed with it. Check out this exchange between Hud and Alma:

Hud Bannon: Man like that sounds no better than a heel. Alma Brown: Aren't you all? Hud Bannon: Honey don't go shooting all the dogs 'cause one of 'em's got fleas. Alma Brown: I was married to Ed for six years. Only thing he was ever good for was to scratch my back where I couldn't reach it. Hud Bannon: You still got that itch? Alma Brown: Off and on. Hud Bannon: Well let me know when it gets to bothering you.

In fact, beyond that, this film is actually filled with great little pieces of dialogue. I especially enjoyed this line that Newman delivered: "It happens to everybody, kid. Nobody gets out of life alive". Great stuff.

RATING: 7/10 Nothing terrible on display here and with some time, that rating could rise, but for now I'll play it safe and stick to my gut - '7'. Next up for Newman: "Hombre".

MOVIES WATCHED: 326
MOVIES LEFT TO WATCH: 675

August 17, 2011 6:01pm