The Big Country.

It has everything. Every cliché that was ever in any Western movie is in this movie. Two ranchers in an on-and-off dispute over water rights. A fist fight between the misfit newcomer, a former sea captain (Gregory Peck) and the ranch foreman (Charleton Heston) over the rich rancher's lovely, spoiled daughter (Carol Bakker). A pretty schoolmarm (Jean Simmons), who just happens to own a piece of land that both the rich rancher and the poor rancher (Burl Ives) want. The disputed water source runs through her property. A face to face shoot-out between Peck and Ives's lecherous, ne'er-do-well son (Chuck Connors), but not like any "fast-draw" shoot-out that you've ever seen in any Western. The range war between the two ranchers soon turns into a real shooting war—and it, too, ends in an unpredictable way.

Stock Western characters. But each one is a bit skewed, and play beautifully by very good actors. And it was this role (not "Big Daddy" in "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof," as everyone seems to think) that earned the Best Supporting Actor Oscar for Burl Ives. He was absolutely brilliant in this role.

Gotta see it!!

Don Firth