Search - These Thousand Hills on DVD

Great, Thoughtful Western

Terence Allen | Atlanta, GA USA | 10/05/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"These Thousand Hills is a well-made, well-acted Western that also has a great message about being true to yourself and not losing sight of what is important in life.

Don Murray stars as a young, but strong-willed cowboy who settles in Oregon in the late 1800's. Along with a fellow cowboy, played by Stuart Whitman, they attempt to make enough money to buy their own ranch. After a brush with misfortune, Murray is nursed back to health by a bordello girl played by Lee Remick. Remick's character also spends lots of time with the town's rich bully, played with gusto by Richard Egan.

After he recovers, Murray borrows enough money from Remick to buy his ranch. He then becomes a leading citizen, is befriended by the town banker, and marries the banker's daughter, completely forgetting about Remick and all she has done to help him. He also shuns Whitman when Whitman tells him of his impending marriage to the town madam.

But events overtake Murray, just as he is running for the Senate, sending him toward tragic consequences for all involved.

This movie is forthright and powerful in its exchange of ideas, and proves that Westerns can be about a lot more than just horse chases and gunfights, although it has enough action to round out the story.

It is great that this film has been released on DVD. It is worth the time for Western and non-Western lovers alike."

"People get changed. Nobody ends like he started."

Roberto Frangie | Leon, Gto. Mexico | 02/11/2009

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Lat Evans (Don Murray) is an ambitious lonesome cowboy who is figuring on hanging around for a while in Fort Brock, Montana... He is a good name back home... He is out to make it mean something here... He saves some money and wants to buy a ranch... So he went to the bank to see about making a loan... But Marshal Conrad (Albert Dekker) can't afford to back gamblers... For him, it's too much of a risk... He advises Lat to get himself some security--a piece of land, a deed, something to put up--then they'll talk about a loan...

But Callie (Lee Remick), the dance hall girl, who is doing it to keep him with her, gave him her savings--with the promise to pay it back-- to buy the ranch he wants...

Meantime another girl appears, the pretty Joyce (Patricia Owens)... She's the niece of the banker... Tidy, educated, she has been to college and all that... Of course Lat owes his start to Callie but he got to finish by himself... What he wants is a starched wife and a starched home and a starched reputation and Callie is spoiling his chances of getting it...

Murray is fine as the man with a future... He doubts if he goes in there his political chances are finished...

Lee Remick hasn't cared for anybody in such a long time... She's honest enough to say she's not worth risking anything for...

Richard Egan is the man who breaks his word, double-crosses his friends and beats up his woman...

Filmed in CinemaScope and color, this big-scale Western is very entertaining with enough action around..."