The Big Sky

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The Big Sky

Released Aug 19, 1952

2h 2m

Adventure

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Popcornmeter

89%

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9 Reviews

67%

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500+ Ratings

In 1830, two tough Kentucky mountaineers join a trading expedition from St. Louis up the Missouri River to trade whisky for furs with the Blackfoot Indians. They soon discover that there is much more than the elements to contend with. Based on the novel by AB Guthrie, Jr.

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Richard Brody

The New Yorker

Howard Hawks's loose-limbed 1952 Western ...

Nov 4, 2013

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A.H. Weiler

New York Times

A saga as long as the day and as big as all outdoors.

Rated: 4/5

May 20, 2003

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Jonathan Rosenbaum

Chicago Reader

Though this sublime 1952 black-and-white masterpiece by Howard Hawks is usually accorded a low place in the Hawks canon, it's a particular favorite of mine -- mysterious, beautiful, and even utopian.

Jan 1, 2000

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Yasser Medina

Cinefilia

A rather anodyne western that, despite having the atypical aesthetic of Hawks, advances at the rhythm of an empty stagecoach for two hours in which nothing exciting or significant happens. [Full review in Spanish]

Rated: 5/10

Apr 10, 2021

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Jeffrey M. Anderson

Combustible Celluloid

This is a rousing, good-time adventure tale with two Hawksian buddies making their way through the untamed wild.

Apr 3, 2009

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Dennis Schwartz

Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews

This is not one of Hawks' great films, but it's one of his most visually satisfying.

Rated: B

Aug 11, 2005

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Mark B

It does show the west at its cinematic best. Kirk Douglas is charming and some of the dialogue in scenes is good. Now the but this is boring about 45-50 minutes of oh my god I still have how much of this movie to go? The accordion sing along the ridiculous we are French trappers o la la let’s talk like the French in a Monty Python movie. The launching of a deer into the river from a tree catapult……… maybe this is where Monty Python got the idea to launch a cow. I wonder? Ok I was going to go 2 1/2 stars but I will add 1/2 a star for the deer.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/28/25

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John H

Good adventure movie

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/12/24

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Audience Member

Good movie right here Kirk Douglas does a good job, James Welch, Henderson, Arkansas, July 7, 2023

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

07/05/23

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Audience Member

I am a lifelong fan of kirk douglas, i really think this is one of his most underrated movies, the filming of the teton national park sceanery along with his strong acting performance makes this a top 10 must see Douglas movie it is my personal favorite. Howard hawks directed only improves the already strong book onto film.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/23/23

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William L

An old-school American frontier adventure film, The Big Sky isn't necessarily deep but it's got Kirk Douglas, plenty of on-location shooting, and Hawks' typical sensitivity for female and (to a more limited extent here) Native American characters; there's plenty of variety to the latter, but also a very Stepin Fetchit-esque comic relief in Worden's 'Poordevil'. Though well-shot at considerable effort, it's not necessarily the most exciting of films given that it is supposed to be a Western odyssey about exploration and perserverance. Plenty of talk about camaraderie and opportunity in the wide-open wilderness, enough conflict and development to keep the film going, decent piece of entertainment but not an all-time classic. Dewey Martin's hair gel must have been half the total budget, keeping that pompadour standing tall in the Western frontier. (3/5)

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

05/17/21

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Audience Member

It could have been so much better if it wasn't that long.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/22/23

Full Review

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Synopsis

In 1830, two tough Kentucky mountaineers join a trading expedition from St. Louis up the Missouri River to trade whisky for furs with the Blackfoot Indians. They soon discover that there is much more than the elements to contend with. Based on the novel by AB Guthrie, Jr.

Director: Howard Hawks
Producer: Howard Hawks
Screenwriter: Dudley Nichols
Distributor: RKO Radio Pictures
Production Co: RKO Pictures
Genre: Adventure
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Aug 19, 1952, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 1, 2009
Runtime: 2h 2m

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