''Tess of the Storm Country'' is a 1960 American

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super-g ...

directed by

Paul Guilfoyle Paul Vincent Guilfoyle () (born April 28, 1949) is an American television and film actor. He was a regular cast member of the CBS crime drama ''CSI: Crime Scene Investigation'', on which he played Captain Jim Brass from 2000 to 2014. He retu ...

, written by Charles Lang and starring

Diane Baker Diane Carol Baker is an American actress, producer and educator who has appeared in motion pictures and on television since 1959. Early life Baker was born in 1938 at Hollywood Presbyterian Hospital in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California a ...

Jack Ging Jack Lee Ging (November 30, 1931 – September 9, 2022) was an American actor. He was best known as General Harlan "Bull" Fulbright on NBC's television adventure series ''The A-Team'', and for his supporting role in the final season of ''Tales ...

Lee Philips Lee Philips (born Leon Friedman; January 10, 1927 – March 3, 1999) was an American actor, film director and television director. Life and career Philips was born in New York. His acting career started on Broadway, and peaked with a starring ...

, Archie Duncan, Nancy Valentine and Bert Remsen. It is based on the novel with the same title by

Grace Miller White Grace Miller White (1868–1957) was an American author. She began her writing career novelizing plays,

and its adaptation for the stage by

Rupert Hughes Rupert Raleigh Hughes (January 31, 1872 – September 9, 1956) was an American novelist, film director, Academy Award, Oscar-nominated screenwriter, military officer, and music composer. He was the brother of Howard R. Hughes Sr. and uncle of bi ...

. The film was released on December 8, 1960 by

20th Century-Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc. (previously known as 20th Century Fox) is an American film production company headquartered at the Fox Studio Lot in the Century City area of Los Angeles. As of 2019, it serves as a film production arm of Walt Disn ...

Plot

The move starts with small rural town in. Pennsylvania where a feud simmers between farmer Fred Thorson and the Graveses, the

Mennonite Mennonites are groups of Anabaptist Christian church communities of denominations. The name is derived from the founder of the movement, Menno Simons (1496–1561) of Friesland. Through his writings about Reformed Christianity during the Radic ...

family who sold their mill to the Foley chemical company that is now contaminating the river with toxic wastes. Tess MacLean accompanied by her uncle Capt. Hamish MacLean arrives from Scotland to marry John Faulkner. Tragedy strikes when Tess arrives in

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

and is told that her fiancée is dead. This starts a series of events that are the main plot of the novel. Peter Graves a member of the town hurries to tell Tess that his family did not kill Faulkner, however Eric Thorson a member of the rival family and a close friend of John tells Tess that Peter's dad killed John. Tess also learns that John has left his farm to her, so she starts a new life on the farm. However, due to the poisoned water the farm starts dying. When one of the newborn calves dies from poisoning on Tess's farm, she lashes out at Peter telling him to close down the mill. Realizing that they can drive the mill out of business with a dam, Eric's father Fred petitions the Graves to build a dam, but they refuse because only the government can petition a

dam A dam is a barrier that stops or restricts the flow of surface water or underground streams. Reservoirs created by dams not only suppress floods but also provide water for activities such as irrigation, human consumption, industrial use ...

. After all this the Graveses invite the MacLeans to dinner, where Tess comments on the strange Mennonite customs. However dinner comes to an end when Fred arrives and says his prize Angus steer has fallen ill and vows vengeance if the animal dies. Eric goes to ask Foley to shut down the mill, and when refused gets drunk. While drunk he kisses Tess who retaliates for he is being too forward. In a day after this Tess rides her bike to the river that crosses the Graveses land. When a bull attacks her Peter saves her. Tess kisses him and admits she respects him. After Fred's bull dies he and Captain McLean plot to blow up the plant. Tess arrives at the plant just after Fred plants the bomb and it explodes. The guards only seeing Tess thinks that she blew up the plant, but Peter helps her into a boat and accepts responsibility for blowing up the plant. After Peter is arrested, Tess visits him in prison and says he is the most wonderful man she knows and kisses him. Then Eric, Captain MacLean, and Foley arrive where Foley lies and says the exploded due to a faulty faulty steam boiler, freeing Peter. Once Freed Peter asks MacLean for Tess's hand in marriage, he consents but refuses to attend the wedding when he learns it will be held in a Mennonite church and Tess will like a life of a Mennonite wife. As Tess and Peter repeat their vows, MacLean and Fred peer through the church window. When the newlyweds go outside, MacLean meets them and gives his blessing.

Cast

as Tess MacLean *

as Peter Graves *

as Eric Thorson * Archie Duncan as Hamish MacLean *Nancy Valentine as Teola Graves * Bert Remsen as Mike Foley *

Wallace Ford Wallace Ford (born Samuel Grundy Jones; 12 February 1898 – 11 June 1966) was an English-born naturalized American vaudevillian, stage performer and screen actor. Usually playing wise-cracking characters, he combined a tough but friendly-face ...

as Fred Thorson *

Grandon Rhodes Grandon Rhodes (born Grandon Neviers Augustine Rolker; August 7, 1904 – June 9, 1987) was an American actor. Early years Rhodes was born in Jersey City, New Jersey. Career Early in his career, Rhodes acted in repertory theatre with troupe ...

as Mr. Foley *

Robert F. Simon Robert Frank Simon (December 2, 1908 – November 29, 1992) was an American character actor. Earlier years Simon began acting with Mansfield's Community Players organization when he worked as a clerk in a meat market. Following that experience ...

as Mr. Graves

Production

The film was produced by Robert L. Lippert's outfit Associated Producers Inc. In August 1960,

Millie Perkins Millie Perkins (born May 12, 1938) is an American film and television actress known for her debut film role as Anne Frank in ''The Diary of Anne Frank'' (1959), and for her supporting actress roles in two 1966 Westerns, '' The Shooting'' and '' ...

was suspended by 20th Century-Fox for refusing to play the lead, and

took the role.

References

External links

* *{{TCMDb title, 92616
''Tess of the Storm Country''
at BFI 1960 films Films based on American novels Films based on works by Grace Miller White Films based on works by Rupert Hughes 20th Century Fox films American drama films CinemaScope films 1960 drama films Films with screenplays by Rupert Hughes Films scored by Paul Sawtell 1960s English-language films Films directed by Paul Guilfoyle 1960s American films