The Rare Breed (1966)

A very offbeat subject gives this Western its beefy flavor: English lady Maureen O'Hara brings a prize Hereford bull to the Wild West, where she plans to introduce its hardy bloodline into longhorn country. Cattle puncher James Stewart finds the idea suspect, but he likes this redhead, so he manages to tag along through stampede, gunfight, and blizzard. Director Andrew V. McLaglen generally steers a pleasing course, although the movie occasionally stumbles between brawling comedy and western drama. One stunt sequence, a run of longhorns through a desert canyon, qualifies as a hair-raiser. Brian Keith, wearing a gigantic red beard, does a Scots accent as a cattle baron, and veteran cowhands Ben Johnson and Jack Elam are around to lend atmosphere. The big bull's name is Vindicator, and he obeys whenever Juliet Mills whistles "God Save the Queen"--did we mention this is a very offbeat subject for a Western? --Robert Horton Amazon.com

Good Story

I enjoyed this movie a lot. If you like the actors James Stewart and Maureen O'Hara, you will like this movie as well. It is a heartwarming western that I truly enjoyed. April 4, 2008

rare breed

excellent condition, thought it was a vcr though, and took forever to get...maybe I was just anxious.. would shop there again AAA+++ March 24, 2008

Far Country

I bought 6 movies all westerns with Jimmy Stuart. In my opinion the best actor over all in any type of movie. You can't go wrong getting anything with jimmy in it. Also you get many other great actors supporting him, GO for it, I did and loved them all. March 22, 2008

Don't Waste Your Time

I don't know where to start with this miserable piece of dreck. You have to be, HAVE TO BE , a diehard Jimmie Stewart or Maureen O'Hara fan to sit through this. Brian Keith's performance / Scottish accent is so laughable, I'm surprised he ever showed his face again after making this movie. The whole film feels like it was made without benefit of a script or a director. We'll just stick Stewart and O'Hara in this, wink at the camera and that will be enough to make everybody happy. HAHAHAHAHA, don't waste your time on this. March 22, 2008

Maureen O'Hara in a very different type of western

THE RARE BREED certainly lives up to it's title. A western drama with the emphasis on character and not the typical mix of "guns and cowboys". Maureen O'Hara reunited with her "McLintock!" director Andrew V. McLaglen and her "Parent Trap" co-star Brian Keith for this oddball combination of western thrills and human drama.

Martha Price (Maureen O'Hara) and her teenaged daughter Hilary (Juliet Mills) have arrived in America with their prized Hereford bull, in an attempt to cross-breed it with the traditional long-horn. She is met with resistance by bulldogger Sam Burnett (James Stewart), but he reluctantly agrees to accompany her to the estate of Alexander Bowen (Brian Keith), the most powerful cattle baron in the district.

The emphasis is on simple human drama in this enjoyable period piece; yet there is still some room for a spectacular action sequence involving an horrific long-horn stampede. Maureen O'Hara gives a very grounded and sensitive performance as the pioneering Martha, and Juliet Mills is a delight as her spunky, forthright daughter. James Stewart and Brian Keith play off each other beautifully in their rivalry for O'Hara's affection.

To the best of my knowledge, Maureen O'Hara is the only actress to have played opposite both Juliet Mills and her younger sister Hayley Mills (in 1961's "The Parent Trap"). THE RARE BREED is truly that rare western that dares to go beyond the cliched confines of the genre. Highly-recommended. August 26, 2007

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