The Big Cat – 1933. A city boy arrives in his late mother’s birthplace to discover the locals have been pestered by drought, old fights and a cougar. He turns out to be pivotal in all of these.
The Big Cat (1949)
Director: Phil Karlson
Writers: Morton Grant, Dorothy Yost
Stars: Lon McCallister, Peggy Ann Garner, Preston Foster
Genre: Western, Drama, Romance, Action, Adventure
Country: USA
Language: English
Release Date: April 1949 (United States)
Also Known As: Die Raubkatze
Filming Locations: Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah, USA
Story:
Drought during the 1930s forces a large cougar to come down from the high country in Utah to prey on farmers’ cattle. This has prompted many farmers to pursue and attempt to kill the cat, but so far all have failed.
Danny Turner (Lon McCallister) arrives in the area to move into his mother’s birthplace now owned by his stepfather Tom Eggars (Preston Foster). Tom is constantly threatened by a hostile neighbor, Gil Hawkes (Forrest Tucker). Shortly after Danny arrives Tom and Gil have a scuffle, a sure sign of a soon-to-be war. When Danny arrives he meets Doris Cooper (Peggy Ann Garner), whom he develops a crush on. After some close calls with Gil, the drought and the cougar become such big issues that the mayor of a nearby town announces that a hunt be started for the big cat. The hunt is unsuccessful, with the Eggars’ dog chasing the cougar back to its lair and the party left behind. Tom tells Danny that he may have to move away and live with the Hawkes family due to the troubles he is having around the farm.
Review:
Immensely Satisfying
A young easterner returns to the drought affected valley where his mother grew up, aggravating the already intense feud between his mother’s ex-fiancé and his estranged uncle. Complicating things even more is a huge mountain lion that holds the small community virtually hostage, killing precious livestock.
Though not exactly politically correct, this is an outdoor adventure with a whole lot of heart. A simple folksy script, earnest performances, and excellent location photography make this almost impossible to resist.
With all the limited resources of a low-budget film in nineteen-forty-nine, director Phil Karlson managed to pull off a minor miracle by getting believable performances out of the animals. Written by FightingWesterner on imdb.com
Also Known As (AKA):
(original title) The Big Cat
Argentina Pantera brava
Austria Die Raubkatze
Brazil A Pantera
Brazil O Gato Selvagem(reissue title)
Canada The Big Cat(English)
Denmark Manddræberen
Finland Kissan jälki
Greece Thryloi tou vounou(transliterated title)
Italy La montagna rossa
Japan 荒原の死鬪(Japanese)
Mexico Pantera brava
Portugal O Leão da Montanha
Romania Puma
Spain The Big Cat
Spain El gran gato
Sweden Vilddjuret
United Kingdom The Big Cat
United States The Big Cat
West Germany Die Raubkatze
West Germany Raubkatze(alternative spelling)
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