A Kentucky widower (Burt Lancaster) bound for 1820s Texas with his young son (Donald MacDonald) is thwarted in his efforts by a corrupt constable (Rhys Williams), a long-standing family feud, and a beautiful indentured servant (Dianne Foster).
Big Eli has to deal with the villainous Stan Bodine (Walter Matthau), who cracks a bullwhip. This is crucial in retrospect because it marked the film debut of Matthau, who is probably more familiar to audiences today (2017) than Lancaster is. Obviously Lancaster is the bigger star in the grand scheme of things, but that is not how time and fame works.
Also of note, the movie also features an appearance by the famed sternwheel riverboat Gordon C. Greene, the same steamboat used in "Gone with the Wind" and "Steamboat Round the Bend".
Big Eli has to deal with the villainous Stan Bodine (Walter Matthau), who cracks a bullwhip. This is crucial in retrospect because it marked the film debut of Matthau, who is probably more familiar to audiences today (2017) than Lancaster is. Obviously Lancaster is the bigger star in the grand scheme of things, but that is not how time and fame works.
Also of note, the movie also features an appearance by the famed sternwheel riverboat Gordon C. Greene, the same steamboat used in "Gone with the Wind" and "Steamboat Round the Bend".