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Paul Newman, Melvyn Douglas, Patricia Neal, Brandon De Wilde, John Ashley ... see more see more... , Whit Bissell , Graham Denton , Val Avery , Sheldon Allman , Pitt Herbert , Peter Brooks , Curt Conway , Yvette Vickers , George Petrie , David Kent , Frank Killmond , Robert Hinkle , John Indrisano , Don Kennedy , Carl Low , Montie Montana , Carl Saxe , Sharyn Hillyer , John Michael Quijada , Crahan Denton

Having been burned by compromises to censors on his earlier films Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and Sweet Bird of Youth, Paul Newman decided to star in as uncompromising a property as he could find. That prop... read more read more...erty was Hud, inspired by a portion of Larry McMurtry's novel, Horseman Pass By. Hud Bannon (Newman) is a young Texas rancher who lives with his cattleman father Homer (Melvyn Douglas) and his hero-worshipping nephew Lon (Brandon DeWilde). Hud is an amoral, cold-hearted creature; his father, who holds Hud responsible for the death of his other son, tries to imbue Lon with a sense of decency and responsibility to others, but Lon is devoted to Hud and isn't inclined to listen. When hoof and mouth disease shows up in one of the elder Bannon's cows, Hud is all for selling the herd before the government inspectors find out. But Homer orders the cattle destroyed (the film's most harrowing sequence), driving an even deeper wedge between himself and Hud. Finally, Hud steps over the line by attempting to rape Alma (Patricia Neal), the earthy but warm-hearted housekeeper. Paul Newman was so repellantly brilliant as an unregenerate heel that his Oscar nomination for Hud was a foregone conclusion. Although Newman lost the Oscar to Sidney Poitier in Lilies of the Field, Oscars did go to Neal for Best Actress, Douglas for Best Supporting Actor, and cinematographer James Wong Howe. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

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79% liked it

24 critics

Unrated, 1 hr. 52 min.

Directed by: Martin Ritt

Release Date: January 1, 1963

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DVD Release Date: December 2, 2003

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Flixster Reviews (486)

  • danperry17
    December 29, 2011
    danperry17
    I can't get enough of Larry McMurtry's West Texas, and Hud is yet another excellent film based on his novels (see: Last Picture Show, Lonesome Dove, Terms of Endearment, and note that he wrote the screen adaptation of E. Annie Proulx's short story Brokeback Mountain, too). Paul N... read moreewman plays one of the angriest young men you'll ever see on screen, a farm boy too wild for his home who has a terrible relationship with his father, and maybe a drinking problem. Brilliant for its esoteric nods to remote, small town life, and memorable for the Oscar-winning performances by Patricia Neal and Melvyn Douglas, Hud tells a classic story that, though it slows a little by times, frequently punches you in the gut like only McMurtry can. The writing is incredibly economical, too. As Chekhov said, if there's a gun on the mantle in Act I, it had better go off in Act III. Every new element that comes into the story pays off, to the point that, with every new revelation, you ask, "Now where is THIS going to go," and you're never disappointed. It's a very good film.
  • axadntpron
    June 2, 2011
    axadntpron
    Bleak, beautiful, and well acted = my kind of film.
  • ythelastman89
    March 7, 2011
    ythelastman89
    Paul Newman at his best, managing to make a severely flawed character incredibly charming and sympathetic. This has some extremely beautiful black and white images and definitely sets the mood for a very depressing story. At first glance, this isn't even something I would conside... read morer a western. However, the story is such an important step in the western genre because it goes beyond the cowboys and indians scenario. I would say that this is the most important modern western in that it analyzes the idea of a true cowboy and proves that they are a dying breed and incompatible with current morals and values.
  • sononothing
    November 30, 2009
    sononothing
    Movies always portrayed cattlemen as married to their life as if it was the only thing they thought about and their life was caught in a time warp of only having a horse or maybe an old pick up truck. Hud shatters that American image of the rancher as married to his land, to a de... read moregree. It's like a new generation has come to take the reigns of what once was, even if the old generation wants it to happen or not.

    Paul Newman plays the title character, a life long rancher by day and a gigolo by night, drinking and fighting and leaving Mrs. Whoever's house at six in the morning. He lives and works with his father Homer (Melvyn Douglas). Their relationship is as estranged as you can get while living together. There's a definite chill in the air when both are present. Also on the ranch is Hud's teenage nephew Lon (Brandon De Wilde), an impressionable young man who is torn between the influence of his uncle and his grandfather. Patricia Neal plays the housekeeper Alma, a presence that represents the opinion of the opposite sex in a world full of men and causes some sexual tension within the household.

    The film begins with one of the herd dying of an unknown ailment that suddenly becomes a dire situation when the fear of foot and mouth disease suddenly becomes a possible reality. Homer is despondent, worrying throughout the film while Hud continues trolling around in his pink Cadillac and drinking and fighting and screwing throughout the town. It's like a morality piece between the old ways and the new ways.

    What Hud represents is actually the battle for Lon's soul. Homer shows his grandson that work and dedication are the ways to get where you want in life. Hud's philosophy is to take as much as you can. When the first talk of foot and mouth Hud's plan is to make a quick sell of the cattle and be damned if their sick or not, much to the displeasure of his father. The two are polar opposites with Lon stuck in the middle. The question that this film offers is what path will Lon follow? Is he strong enough to follow his grandfather's example or is Hud to much of an influence on the young boy.

    Paul Newman gives a stellar performance as what is essentially the bad guy. Of course he was written as the bad guy, but in an era that was post James Dean and Marlon Brando you can see him as more of a rebel than an opportunist, though it can be said that Brando learned a lesson during the Wild One. Hud learns nothing from start to finish. Melvyn Douglas is Newman's equal as the old and broken down Homer. Homer is still calm and cool, even in the face of everything he's up against. He's old school all the way.

    Directed with a great eye for the landscapes by Martin Ritt, the film doesn't let them overtake the film. There are no sweeping John Fordesque Monument Valley shots that become the centerpiece of the film, but there is some terrific landscape that fills in the areas that the actors aren't taking up. It's really a mesmerizing film based on the work of Larry McMurtry, whose work would later show the real life in a Texas town with The Last Picture Show.

    Hud is really the first gleam of Paul Newman's excellence as an actor. His portrayal of Hud is a hypnotic piece of acting. Is Hud a bad man? It's hard to say. He could just be like every cattleman's son in Texas. Maybe no one ever fought for his soul?
  • Saxia
    December 25, 2008
    Saxia
    Paul Newman is Hud, a cowboy-player and a bad boy. I happen to like Paul Newman, and bad boys, so I guess we are a perfect match ;)

    Ok, I promise this is the last time I've mentioned Paul Newman's hotness, I don't want to be a girl like that.
    He's more than his looks, he's not... read more an outstanding actor, but he adds flavor to every movie he's in.

    I like movies like this, the focus is on the characters and their relationships -no fast chases or complicated plots- just people with their day to day problems.
    Without knowing their past in detail, you sense there is more, and that gives the characters the depth I look for.
  • kenstachnik
    November 7, 2008
    kenstachnik
    A gorgeously shot B&W film with a tour-de-force performance by Newman.

    Hud is a character you should hate, but over the course of the film you really grow to feel for him (but I wouldn't say you end up liking him)He's the kind of asshole all men secretly want to be like. A pure ... read morebred Alpha Male.

    The supporting cast are all stellar and even more impressive given the rolls don't have the bravado of the lead. Patricia Neal is particularity good with an understated & complex performance that's both protectively maternal and fiercely sexual.

    The dialog is also killer.
  • rubystevens
    October 13, 2008
    rubystevens
    paul newman plays an absolute bastard in this great modern day western with beautiful b&w cinematography
  • tsigur
    September 22, 2008
    tsigur
    This is probably one of my favorite movies. Every line, every shot is pitch perfect. As good as Newman is (what do you expect from one of the greatest actors of all time), the best performance in this movie is Melvyn Douglas who is amazing. From opening to close, it had me captiv... read moreated.
  • binky013
    February 16, 2007
    binky013
    I am always thankful that the cattle executions are kept off camera. Man, can Newman play an absolute SOB well. Now we know that couldn't be easy for him : ) What a talent.

    Patricia Neal took best actress honors for this in 1963. This is well-deserved, but it's also ironi

    ... read morec. McMurtry's novel calls for an African American woman to play the character whom Neal portrays, Alma Brown. Undoubtedly the powers that be figured the public was not ready for Newman and a Black female actress -- although I'll bet that if Newman had carried the weight then that he does now, he would have insisted on having a Black actress play the part. It's a shame that so many people thought the way they did back then. Really, nowadays this would be a no-brainer.

    But imagine this, flixsters. What if they had decided to stay absolutely true to the story and had cast an African American woman in this role? And what if this woman's performance had been as strong as Neal's, and she had won the best actress Oscar? Well, it would have been an historic night. 1963 is the same year Sidney Poitier won his best actor award for Lillies of the Field.

    I am so glad that we now live in a much more progressive age.

    If not for the animal slaughter, albeit off-screen slaughter, this would be five stars. Hey, guys, if you've read my stuff before, you know how I feel about the treatment of living creatures on screen.
  • mjgildea
    October 24, 2006
    mjgildea
    Paul Newman during the height of his best years. Almost enough to make a man turn gay. ALMOST...!

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Critic Reviews

October 1, 2008
TIME Magazine

The four principal actors -- Newman, Neal, Douglas, and de Wilde -- are so good that they might well form the nucleus of a cinematic repertory company. Full Review

Variety Staff
January 7, 2008
Variety Staff, Variety

Where it falls short of the mark is in its failure to filter its meaning and theme lucidly through its characters and story. Full Review

Dave Kehr
January 1, 2000
Dave Kehr, Chicago Reader

Martin Ritt directed, putting a little too much dust in the dust bowl for my taste. Full Review

Adam Lippe
August 9, 2010
Adam Lippe, Examiner.com

An interview with Patricia Neal, RIP. Full Review

Josh Larsen
October 6, 2008
Josh Larsen, LarsenOnFilm

...a Western Gothic, where everyone is headed for trouble. Full Review

January 7, 2008
TV Guide's Movie Guide

A blistering adult western which broke ground in its depiction of an unglamorous West and in the decidedly anti-heroic nature of its lead. Full Review

Nick Davis
October 15, 2006
Nick Davis, Nick's Flick Picks

These questions are richer than they might have been in Hud because Newman...creates Hud as a sum of conscious choices, not an animal or an icon. Full Review

Dennis Schwartz
October 4, 2006
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews

Paul Newman established himself as a superstar in this uncompromising antihero role. Full Review

Tom Milne
June 24, 2006
Tom Milne, Time Out

One of Ritt's best films. Full Review

Emanuel Levy
December 30, 2005
Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com

Violating the the Producion Code, Martin Ritt's best film, which features Paul Newman in top form, includes forbidden words such as bastard and SOB, heard for the first time in American movie. Full Review

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Facts

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    • Homer Bannon: You're an unprincipled young man Hud.
    • Hud Bannon: Don't let that worry you none. You got enough for both of us.
    • Hud Bannon: I'll remember you, honey. You're the one that got away.
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Hud Trivia

  • Who played the leading role in the film "Hud"?  Answer »
  • Which actor links the movies "Absence of Malice", "Hud", "Road to Perdition", "The Hudsucker Proxy", "Somebody Up There Likes Me" and "The Hustler"?  Answer »
  • Legendary performer,with 10 Oscar nominations, but only won once for Colour of Money. Starred in Towering Inferno, Hud, Hombre, The Verdict, Message in a Bottle, Road to Perdition. and Cars. My name is___  Answer »
  • Patricia Neal won an Oscar for which film?  Answer »
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