Excellent, a Must See

While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.

The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

Recently widowed, Martha Price {Maureen O'Hara} and her daughter Hilary {Juliet Mills} travel from England to Texas to sell their prized Hereford Bull, Vindicator. Along the way, a drifter, Sam Burnett, aids them on their journey and is very tempted to bluff the duo and bag himself some easy cash. But as the journey starts to become perilous, Sam finds himself strongly drawn to Martha, but he's also not the only one.The Rare Breed is a fictionalised account of how British bred cattle came to be part of the American beef industry. Coming as it did in James Stewart's late 60s mellow period, it has an air of cartooned dramatics, it works to a degree, but the joke quickly wears thin and the drama never has the desired impact. Directed by Andrew V. McLaglen and tidily shot by William H. Clothier {tho the cheap shots are evident}, the picture appears to have been cut in one or two places because we lurch from a couple of scenes to completely different scenarios, and its quite off putting. The acting is fine, all the cast give it gusto, with Brian Keith having a ball playing a raging Scotsman, i mean swigging whiskey in the bath at frequent intervals has to be a bonus to me!. One or two punch ups are safely handled by McLagen, and a stampede is watchable if a touch let down by the sloppy editing from Russell F. Schoengarth, to leave us with a fare little film that is instantly forgettable afterwards. 4/10

This isn't a bad film. But, considering that it starred Jimmy Stewart and Maureen O'Hara, I really expected so much more! Instead of the exciting and well-acted film I hoped to see, it was a dull script with few good surprises. In fact, if it hadn't been for the stars, I would have given the film a 4.Jimmy Stewart is a man who has been hired by Maureen and her daughter to help transport her prize stud bull out west to sell. En route to America, Maureen's husband apparently died. We don't see this but are told by the characters that this occurred. Oddly, Ms. O'Hara seems pretty willing to let Brian Keith (in a very broad portrayal) and later, Stewart to woo her. So much for feeling a great loss! Anyway, the film just slowly slogs along until it gets to a very expected conclusion. This could have been so much better, believe me.

Under the direction of Andrew V. McLaglen, who understood the John Ford mystique, "The Rare Breed" is a Western of consummate integrity which misses fire by not coming down firmly as either drama or comedy; it does however pass the time amiably enough… Stewart again plays a cynical, hard-bitten man who has become disillusioned with human nature… But his insight and understanding are well transmitted… The title refers to a certain breed of cattle, and not to men, rare, courageous, or other-wise… O'Hara is an Englishwoman who comes to America with her daughter, Juliet Mills, bringing a prize Hereford bull named Vindicator… Her husband has died on the way, and she is delivering the bull to a cattle baron (Brian Keith) in Dodge City… Her late husband has always declared that the Hereford could be successfully interbred with the indigenous American Longhorns…Originally Stewart had planned to kidnap the bull and hand it over to a rival dealer, but he falls under the spell of O'Hara's womanly integrity, and becomes her ally… Soon a triangle is set up between Stewart, O'Hara and Keith, with predictable results…The dramatic elements are not totally neglected in the film… The rivalry between the ranchers, the poignant situation of the young lovers, O'Hara's attempts to set right to the surroundings that she, a new widow, finds extraneous, are all set forth skillfully by McLaglen's directorial hand

The Rare Breed I saw this movie in the theatre when it came out in 1966 (I was 12 years old). I just today on American Movie Classics. I suppose that 37 years of growth has changed my perspective a little bit. When I was 12 I was not too much into westerns. The closest I came to liking westerns was Cat Ballou, which may succeed more as a comic western than The Rare Breed does. Still I liked, and still like, any-thing with James Stewart. I think, however, that The Rare Breed succeeds as a romance. In 1966 I might have seen the romance as `mushy stuff.' Although James Stewart did Westerns (`Classic' and `Modern') as well as Fantasy (It's A Wonderful Life) and biography (Charles Lindbergh, Glenn Miller) I think of him as a comic actor (The Philadelphia Story; Mr. Hobbs Takes a Vacation; Take Her, She's Mine). For this reason, I have to view The Rare Breed as a Comedy as much as a Western.I can see the phoniness of the fist fights now and I might have seen them in 1966 as well. I also have one observation: Even after Brian Keith shaves off his beard, he sometimes doesn't look like the Brian Keith we all know and love from, say, Family Affair. He certainly doesn't SOUND the same because he does a VERY strong Scottish brogue in The Rare Breed.