''The Wild and the Innocent'' is a 1959 American

CinemaScope CinemaScope is an anamorphic lens series used, from 1953 to 1967, and less often later, for shooting widescreen films that, crucially, could be screened in theatres using existing equipment, albeit with a lens adapter. Its creation in 1953 by ...

Western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...

film directed by

Jack Sher John Jacob Sher (16 March 1913 – 23 August 1988) was an American newspaper columnist, songwriter, film director, film writer, and producer. Career Born in Minneapolis, Sher wrote for several magazines, including the '' Saturday Evening Post,' ...

and starring

Audie Murphy Audie Leon Murphy (20 June 1925 – 28 May 1971) was an American soldier, actor and songwriter. He was one of the most decorated American combat soldiers of World War II. He received every military combat award for valor available from t ...

and

Sandra Dee Sandra Dee (born Alexandra Zuck; April 23, 1942 – February 20, 2005) was an American actress. Dee began her career as a child model, working first in commercials, and then film in her teenage years. Best known for her portrayal of ingénue ...

as two inexperienced young people who get into trouble when they visit a town for the very first time. The film was the final Universal-International film shot in CinemaScope.

Plot

Shy and naive mountain trapper Yancy (

) travels through

Wyoming Wyoming () is a U.S. state, state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered by Montana to the north and northwest, South Dakota and Nebraska to the east, Idaho to the west, Utah to the south ...

with his uncle and his Indian wife. After Uncle Lije (George Mitchell) is injured by a bear, Yancy is sent to trade their beaver pelts for money and supplies. When he arrives at the

trading post A trading post, trading station, or trading house, also known as a factory, is an establishment or settlement where goods and services could be traded. Typically the location of the trading post would allow people from one geographic area to tr ...

, he finds it has been burnt down by an Indian who was sold moonshine by a lazy sneak thief, Ben Stocker (Strother Martin). The trading post owner tells Yancy that he will have to ride two more days to

Casper, Wyoming Casper is a city in, and the county seat of, Natrona County, Wyoming, United States. Casper is the second-largest city in the state, with the population at 59,038 as of the 2020 census. Only Cheyenne, the state capital, is larger. Casper is nic ...

, the nearest town to trade his furs. Stocker tries to trade his oldest daughter Rosalie (Sandra Dee) to Yancy for some furs, but is rebuffed. The next day, Yancy finds that Rosalie has run away from her father and wants him to take her to town. When they reach the town and he trades his furs, Yancy gets Rosalie some new clothes so she will be presentable to look for a job. Paul Bartell (Gilbert Roland), the town's corrupt sheriff, says he will find Rosalie a job at the dance hall, and Yancy believes that this will be alright. He later finds out what really goes on at the dance hall and goes to get Rosalie. Bartell, who intends to earn good money with Rosalie, refuses to let the girl go, and Yancy is forced to shoot him in self-defense. The next day, Yancy is loading up to leave for the mountains, while he intends for Rosalie to stay at the general store and be cared for by Mr. Forbes (Jim Backus) and his wife (Betty Harford). However, Rosalie refuses to part with him, and in the end Uncle Lije and Yancy head into the mountains with Rosalie riding on the back of Yancy’s horse.

Cast

as Yancy Hawks *

Joanne Dru Joanne Dru (born Joan Letitia LaCock;Known as Joan Lacock in th1930 United States census/ref> January 31, 1922 – September 10, 1996) was an American film and television actress, known for such films as '' Red River'', ''She Wore a Yellow Ribbo ...

as Marcy Howard *

Gilbert Roland Luis Antonio Dámaso de Alonso (December 11, 1905 – May 15, 1994), known professionally as Gilbert Roland, was a Mexican-born American film and television actor whose career spanned seven decades from the 1920s until the 1980s. He was twice no ...

as Sheriff Paul Bartell *

Jim Backus James Gilmore Backus (February 25, 1913 – July 3, 1989) was an American actor. Among his most famous roles were Thurston Howell III on the 1960s sitcom '' Gilligan's Island,'' the father of James Dean's character in ''Rebel Without a Cause ...

as Cecil Forbes *

as Rosalie Stocker * George Mitchell as Uncle Lije Hawks *

Peter Breck Joseph Peter Breck (March 13, 1929 – February 6, 2012) was an American character actor. The rugged, dark-haired Breck played the gambler and gunfighter Doc Holliday on the ABC/Warner Bros. Television series ''Maverick'' as well as Victoria Bark ...

as Chip *

Strother Martin Strother Douglas Martin Jr. (March 26, 1919 – August 1, 1980) was an American character actor who often appeared in support of John Wayne and Paul Newman and in Western films directed by John Ford and Sam Peckinpah. Among Martin's memorable pe ...

as Ben Stocker * Wesley Marie Tackitt as Ma Ransome *

Betty Harford Betty Harford (born January 28, 1927) is an American actress. She appeared in numerous classic television shows such as ''Gunsmoke'', ''The Alfred Hitchcock Hour'', '' The Paper Chase'' and ''Dynasty''. Career Harford appeared in numerous Joh ...

as Mrs. Forbes * Mel Leonard as Pitchman *

Lillian Adams Lillian Adams (May 13, 1922 – May 25, 2011) was an American actress who appeared in over 100 film and television roles. Born in Chicago, Adams appeared in movies such as '' Private Benjamin'' and '' Bruce Almighty'' as well as televisio ...

as Kiri Hawks * Val Benedict as Richie *

Jim Sheppard James Patrick Sheppard (born May 8, 1961) is an American musician. He was the bassist and founding member of the progressive metal band, Nevermore, and its predecessor, Sanctuary.Mustica, Giorgio.An Interview with Jeff Loomis: Cooling The Burn ...

as Henchman *

Edson Stroll Edson Stroll (January 6, 1929 – July 18, 2011) was an American actor who appeared in over 20 film and television programs beginning in 1958. Career Born in Chicago to Charles Stroll and Estelle Rose Stroll in a Jewish family, Stroll enlisted in ...

as Henchman (as Ed Stroll) * John Qualls as Henchman * Frank Wolff as Henchman * Rosemary Eliot as Dancehall Girl * Barboura Morris as Dancehall Girl * Louise Glenn as Dancehall Girl * Stephen Roberts as Bouncer *

Karyn Kupcinet Karyn Kupcinet (born Roberta Lynn Kupcinet; March 6, 1941 – November 28, 1963) was an American stage, film, and television actress. She is the daughter of Chicago newspaper columnist and television personality Irv Kupcinet. Karyn Kupcinet ...

as Townswoman (as Tammy Windsor)

Production

Filming took place in

Big Bear Lake, California Big Bear Lake is a small city in San Bernardino County, California, located in the San Bernardino Mountains along the south shore of Big Bear Lake, and surrounded by the San Bernardino National Forest. The city is located about 25 miles (40&nb ...

References

External links

* * * 1959 films 1950s Western (genre) comedy films Audie Murphy 1959 romantic comedy films Films directed by Jack Sher American Western (genre) comedy films Films scored by Hans J. Salter Films with screenplays by Jack Sher Films set in Wyoming Films shot in Big Bear Lake, California 1950s English-language films 1950s American films {{1950s-Western-film-stub

Plot

Cast

Production

See also

References

External links