Sea of Grass (1947)
The highly melodramatic western begins with St. Louis resident Katharine
Hepburn marrying New Mexico cattleman Spencer Tracy after a short courtship.
When she arrives in "Salt Pork, NM" she finds that her new husband is
considered by the locals to be a tyrant who uses force to keep homesteaders
off the government owned land he uses for grazing his cattle--the so-called
Sea of Grass. Hepburn's character, Lutie, has difficulty reconciling her husband's
beliefs and passions with her own, and eventually leaves him just long
enough to conceive a child with her husband's moral enemy. Two years
later, in the midst of a crisis, her husband discovers her infidelity and forces
her to leave--without her two children (husband's daughter and other man's son).
Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy star as a husband and wife on
America's frontier; cattlemen in a "sea of grass". The wife has an affair
which produces a child, and she is ostracized from the community.
Meanwhile, the farmers watch helplessly as the sea of grass is exploited
until it becomes a dust bowl.
Brewton's cattle empire includes a million acres of grazing land. Lutie marries
him and they have a daughter Sara Beth. Lutie goes alone to Denver where she
and lawyer Chamberlainconceive a son Brock whom Jim later accepts with
resignation. Long afterward Brock is killed by a posse and Sara Beth brings
Lutie and Jim together once more.
Directed by Elia Kazan
Writing credits: Vincent Lawrence, Conrad Richter, Marguerite Roberts
Cast:
Spencer Tracy .... Col. James B. Brewton
Katharine Hepburn .... Lutie Cameron Brewton
Robert Walker .... Brock Brewton
Melvyn Douglas .... Brice Chamberlain
Phyllis Thaxter .... Sara Beth Brewton
Edgar Buchanan .... Jeff, Cook on Brewton Ranch
Harry Carey .... Doc J. Reid
Ruth Nelson .... Selina Hall, Sam Hall's Wife
William 'Bill' Phillips .... Banty, Brewton Ranch Hand
Robert Armstrong .... Floyd McCurtin (Brewton's attorney)
James Bell .... Sam Hall, Homesteader
Robert Barrat .... Judge Seth White, Salt Fork
Charles Trowbridge .... George Cameron
Russell Hicks .... Major Harney
Trevor Bardette .... Andy Boggs, Homesteader
Morris Ankrum .... A.J. Crane, Attorney
Eddie Acuff .... Cattleman
Henry Adams .... Gambler
Erville Alderson .... First Station Agent
Myrtle Anderson
Stanley Andrews .... Bill the Sheriff
Frank Austin .... Second Station Agent
Polly Bailey .... Woman
Dick Baron .... Newsboy
Jack Baxley .... Homesteader
Vangie Beilby .... Woman
Joseph E. Bernard .... Homesteader
Margaret Bert .... Woman
Robert Bice .... Brewton Ranch Hand
Whit Bissell .... Ted, the Clerk
Joe Brockman .... Cattleman
Marietta Canty .... Rachael
ora Cecil .... Mrs. Ryan, Nurse
William Challee .... Deputy Sheriff
Wheaton Chambers .... Dean
Ruth Cherrington
Naomi Childers .... Woman
Gertrude Chorre .... Brewton's Indian Nurse
Davison Clark .... Cattleman
Joseph Crehan .... Colorado Senator
Sidney D'Albrook .... Man
Frank Darien .... Minister
Jack Davis .... Jury Foreman
Vernon Dent .... Train Conductor
Helen Dickson
Mike Donovan .... Nester
Franz Dorfler .... Man
Budd Fine .... Brakeman
Douglas Fowley .... Joe Horton
Fred Gilman .... Cattleman
Ann Gowland .... Sarah Beth at Age 2 1/2
Fred Graham .... Poker Game Spectator
Jesse Graves .... Luke
Frank Hagney .... Poker Game Spectator
John Hamilton .... Denver Politician
Jimmy Hawkins .... Brock at Age 5 1/2
Pat Henry .... Brock at Age 1
Earle Hodgins .... Brewton Ranch Hand
William Holmes .... Gambler
Bob Ingersoll .... Station Loafer
Rose Langdon .... Woman
Larry Lathrop .... Messenger
Nolan Leary .... Homesteader
Ralph Littlefield .... Homesteader
Leota Lorraine
George Magrill .... Homesteader
Robert Malcolm .... Man
Chief Many Treaties .... Indian
Mickey Martin .... Newsboy
Charles McAvoy .... Homesteader
Charles Middleton .... Charley, Saloon Owner
Howard M. Mitchell .... Conductor's Voice
Skeets Noyes .... Beady-Eyed Man
Carol Nugent .... Sarah Beth at Age 7
James O'Rear .... Piano Tuner
J.L. Palmer .... Man
Frank Pharr .... Station Loafer
Lee Phelps .... Homesteader
Obed 'Dad' Pickard .... Man
Bernice Pilot .... Maid
George Reed .... Uncle Nat
John Rice .... Cowboy
Duncan Richardson .... Brock at Age 3
Dick Rich .... Loud-Mouthed Salt Fork Townsman
Buddy Roosevelt .... Ike Randall, Brewton Ranch Hand
Gene Roth .... Homesteader
Dick Rush .... Cattleman
Irving Smith .... Black Servant
Patty Smith .... Sarah Beth at Age 4 1/2
Wyndham Standing .... Gambler
Jack Stoney .... Man
Glenn Strange .... Bill Roach, Brewton Ranch Hand
Henry Sylvester .... Man
Forrest Taylor .... Homesteader
Ray Teal .... Cattleman
Laura Treadwell
William Van Vleck .... Nester
Dorothy Vaughan .... Mrs. Hodges
John Vosper .... Hotel Clerk
Eddy Waller .... Homesteader
Dan White .... Wake, Brewton Ranch Hand
Guy Wilkerson .... Brewton Ranch Hand
Rocky Woods .... Cattleman
Hank Worden .... Bill, Salt Fork Townsman
Produced by Pandro S. Berman .... producer
Original Music by Herbert Stothart, Alberto Colombo, Hugo Frey, David Snell
Cinematography by Harry Stradling Sr.
Film Editing by Robert Kern
Art Direction by Cedric Gibbons, Paul Groesse
Set Decoration by Edwin B. Willis
Costume Design by Walter Plunkett
Valles (men's costumes)
Makeup Department Jack Dawn .... makeup artist
Sydney Guilaroff .... hair stylist
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Sid Sidman .... assistant director
Art Department Mildred Griffiths .... associate set decorator
Sound Department Douglas Shearer .... recording director
Special Effects by A. Arnold Gillespie .... special effects
Warren Newcombe .... special effects
Other crew:
Irene .... costume supervisor
Carl 'Major' Roup .... script clerk
Albert Sendrey .... orchestrator
Runtime: 123 min
Country: USA
Language: English
Color: Black and White
Sound Mix: Mono (Western Electric Sound System)
Certification: Argentina:Atp / Finland:S / USA:Approved
(PCA #11861, Adult Audience) / USA:Passed (National Board of Review) /
USA:TV-PG (TV rating)
Trivia: In his autobiography, Elia Kazan said of this film: "It's the only
picture I've ever made that I'm ashamed of. Don't see it."
Quotes: Brice Chamberlain: Why do women insist on loving men for
what they want them to be instead of what they are?
Tagline: Big As Its Stars!
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