I agree with one of the persons who commented on this movie that this is a good period piece. This movie is true in showing the speech, habits, attitudes, clothing, and just life in general, in the backwoods of the Kentucky/Indiana area of the 1820's. I should know. My family moved across the Ohio River into Indiana from Kentucky, near where this movie was filmed, during this same time period of the 1820's, and I have family correspondence showing the life of this areas people of the 1820's.
I love this movie, but then, I might be prejudice. It was made in 1954 just before my 12 birthday, and my family and I were in it. My brother and I played school kids, my dad was a farmer, and my mother was one of the ladies on the river boat. I loved being on the set in the Lincoln Village in Rockport, Indiana and watching Burt striding around in his period costume. He always acted as if he knew exactly what he was doing. Everybody give Walter lots of room while he got lessons from Lash LaRue, an expert bullwhipper from old Hollywood westerns, on how to use the bullwhip. He learned some but, it was Lash who did the big scenes. Miss Lynn was kind and sweet to all of us kids when we did the schoolroom scenes. John Caradine was always golly and cheerful and seemed to love everybody, and what he was doing.
I could go on, and on. I have tons of behind the scene pictures my dad took, a lovely picture of my lovely mother in a beautiful period costume on the boat, and a copy of "Gabriel's Horn," the book from which the movie was taken, as well as a copy of the movie.
As an adult 53 years later, I look at this movie and see a decent, true, period movie, with lessons to be learned, that anyone of the 1950's would have enjoyed. Some of the parts could have been cast better, but, do not judge it by today's standards. Lancaster, et al, worked hard and stayed true to the times they were portraying, and credit is due.
I love this movie, but then, I might be prejudice. It was made in 1954 just before my 12 birthday, and my family and I were in it. My brother and I played school kids, my dad was a farmer, and my mother was one of the ladies on the river boat. I loved being on the set in the Lincoln Village in Rockport, Indiana and watching Burt striding around in his period costume. He always acted as if he knew exactly what he was doing. Everybody give Walter lots of room while he got lessons from Lash LaRue, an expert bullwhipper from old Hollywood westerns, on how to use the bullwhip. He learned some but, it was Lash who did the big scenes. Miss Lynn was kind and sweet to all of us kids when we did the schoolroom scenes. John Caradine was always golly and cheerful and seemed to love everybody, and what he was doing.
I could go on, and on. I have tons of behind the scene pictures my dad took, a lovely picture of my lovely mother in a beautiful period costume on the boat, and a copy of "Gabriel's Horn," the book from which the movie was taken, as well as a copy of the movie.
As an adult 53 years later, I look at this movie and see a decent, true, period movie, with lessons to be learned, that anyone of the 1950's would have enjoyed. Some of the parts could have been cast better, but, do not judge it by today's standards. Lancaster, et al, worked hard and stayed true to the times they were portraying, and credit is due.