The Rare Breed

• Directed by Andrew V. McLaglen
• February 2, 1966
• Loosely based on the life of rancher Col. John William Burgess

A woman is on a quest to fulfill her late husband’s dream of introducing Hereford cattle to the American West.

I’ve mentioned the economy of storytelling in older films but The Rare Breed one came out beyond the era when such things were common yet within the first couple of minutes we have not only the basics of the story set up but all major characters effectively introduced. And there is still an excessive amount of film left. Andrew V. McLaglen may not be a directing legend, but he was a competent director that could keep things tight.

One thing often featured in McLaglen’s films is a comedic fistfight. No matter how dramatic or comedic a film, you could practically guarantee physical assault would be played for laughs in something directed by him. Steven Spielberg has his dramatic zoom. Quentin Tarantino has his foot shots. Joss Whedon photographs every woman’s butt in his movies. And here McLaglen gives us one such fight just to keep things silly.

This pairs Jimmy Stewart and Maureen O’Hara as Sam Burnett and Martha Evans respectively in a mild Western comedy. Sam Burnett is a somewhat crooked cattleman and Martha Evans is a member of British high Society who is coming to America to sell her Hereford cattle which eventually replace the Texas longhorn to an extent. Her husband had come with her but died along the way leaving her free to be wooed. Really. Alexander Bowen (Brian Keith) and Burnett both make moves on her. But you don’t really mind that because it’s a good execution of the story.

Burnett is a strong-willed ruffian. Martha is the stronger willed woman who is really running the show no matter how much Burnett or his mildly inept cohorts in his character’s scheme try. He’s in over his head long before he even knows it. Martha is a determined powerhouse who will fulfill her task no matter what.

Jimmy Stewart was never a physically imposing individual. Just a very slight man yet being the actor that he was he could convey tough and manly without having a massive build. He would walk on screen and be the toughest of the tough. And in a story that eventually becomes about he and another man fighting for the affection of Maureen O’Hara you know Jimmy Stewart’s going to win because he’s Jimmy Stewart. He’s the truest and most authentic of the group. Sure the other guy may have more money or more whatever but ultimately he is the truest individual and the one who definitely has Martha’s best interest at heart.

Burnett becomes invested in the dream of Martha largely because it’s Maureen O’Hara. He’s attracted to her and listens to what she has to say and because of a nearly blind faith adheres to it even when she falters. It borders on obsession but clearly it pays off.

Don’t think too deeply about how Martha after the death of her husband during the travel over to the US immediately is seeking a new man or how those new men have no qualms about her doing such. I couldn’t stop thinking about that. If you think about it in the terms of the era (and I’m talking the 1800s) then it might make sense but that’s a really tough sell in any movie that’s not a presentation of something that actually happened.

Even though you know clearly who’s going to come out on top, The Rare Breed manages to generate some question of how that will happen. It’s fun and gets you invested with a nice balance of humor and drama. You won’t laugh but you will smile. The thing is I feel their chemistry never gets to strongly romantic. Unlike O’Hara and Wayne, O’Hara and Stewart do not have that great screen chemistry that hints at more. They like each other but maybe not deeply love.

There is not one but two romances with only one being significant. The other comes off more as a time filler in my opinion to stretch the presentation to feature length. The lovin’ occurs between Martha’s daughter Hilary (Juliet Mills) and Alexander Bowen’s son Jamie (Don Galloway). It feels a little weird and like something you might find on Jerry Springer. Maybe Ricki Lake. It does very little to move the story forward. Maybe I’ve reached a point where not every film needs multiple romances. One is enough.

Jack Elam was one of the greatest character actors of all time. An individual with range. He could play the weird nice guy as well as the threatening villain with equal skill. I just wish he had been in this a little longer. I’m not sure how he could’ve been, but I thought his character wasn’t given enough time.

This is a mixture of sets and location shooting. And it works much better here than it does in the present day. Mostly because this was all filmed on, well, film and not any kind of high-definition equipment which only serves to highlight the difference.

The Rare Breed is yet another great movie starring Jimmy Stewart and helmed by Andrew V. McLaglen. Maybe not a great screen romance but a fun Western that all fans of the genre should check out.