I've never read the William Humphrey novel on which this movie is based, though I don't know why. I love the movie, and it's been a big influence on me. Home from the Hill is a big, glossy melodrama set in East Texas. Robert Mitchum is great as the best-known and most powerful man in his small town, and Eleanor Parker is his beautiful wife who's locked him out of the bedroom for many years because of his unfaithful ways. George Hamilton and George Peppard get their first big roles as half brothers (Hamilton is Mitchum's legit son and Peppard is the wild oat), and they prove that they could really act if given the chance.
Everything about the movie is exaggerated, but it's exaggeration in the service of truth. Anybody who grew up in East Texas in the '50s will recognize the characters and situations. It's slick and soapy, but plenty of fun to watch.
As for its influence on me, the central episode of the movie is a hunt for a wild hog.
The Kingston Trio recorded the title song, and while it's really nice, it's not used in the movie for some reason.
2 comments:
Oddly, I've never seen this. I will now. Thanx!
When I was around 12, our church group took a trip to NY and this was the film we went to see. I think we were in that theater about ten minutes.
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