The Night of the Grizzly (1966) User Reviews (25)

Exciting Adventure yarn for Entire Family!

[cariart · 7/10 · 14 November 2000]

Although 'Night of the Grizzly' was released by Paramount, it's easy to mistake it as a Disney film! Long on family values and gentle humor, this adventure yarn is the kind of 'live-action' feature that the studio specialized in throughout the fifties. If you don't think a film that kids can enjoy will be your 'cup of tea', you might be in for a surprise! This is a terrific movie!

Ex-Marshal Jim Cole (played with rugged charm by 'Cheyenne' Clint Walker) moves his family onto a small ranch, hoping to get away from the dangers of his previous line of work. His loving wife, Angela (popular '60s star Martha Hyer) is overjoyed by their new life, and the kids soon develop a bond with the beautiful countryside, and the small town nearby.

Not EVERYONE is happy about the arrangement, however; town bigshot Jed Curry (Keenan Wynn) wants Cole's land, and his sons are soon attempting to provoke Cole, in an unsuccessful attempt to force him to leave. When a monstrous killer grizzly appears, and starts killing off Cole's livestock, Curry sees his opportunity; as the primary shareholder at the bank, he makes it nearly impossible for the rancher to get loans to replace stock.

The grizzly, nicknamed 'Satan', terrorizes the countryside, killing men, horses, and farm animals, and Cole methodically begins hunting it, in hopes of getting the $750 bounty that would 'save' his ranch!

The arrival of bounty hunter Cass Dowdy (played with cold-blooded menace by veteran screen villain Leo Gordon) further muddies the waters; Cole had once arrested him, and Dowdy spent two years in the 'pen', vowing revenge! Adored by the eldest Cole child, Charlie (Kevin Brodie), Dowdy announces he will kill the grizzly and accept the bounty, simply to ruin Cole! The pieces are now in place for a thrilling finale, as Cole, Charlie, and Dowdy confront the enraged beast, in a scene eerily similar to the climax of 'Jaws'!

The film offers a supporting cast of Hollywood 'pros', including Jack Elam ('Cannonball Run'), as bizzare but sweet Hank, who is 'adopted' by Cole's young daughter, Gypsy (the wonderful Victoria Paige Meyerink, in her second film); Nancy Kulp (TV's 'The Beverly Hillbillies') as the spinster owner of the local mercantile store; Ron Ely (TV's first 'Tarzan') and Sammy Jackson (TV's 'No Time for Sergeants') as Dowdy's sons; and Regis Toomey ('Burke's Law'), as the sympathetic banker.

This is a film to cherish, and enjoy, again and again! Gather the family...They'll thank you for it!

Bringing Down Old Satan

[bkoganbing · 7/10 · 28 May 2007]

I'm in complete agreement with another reviewer in that this Paramount production might well have been done by the Disney Studio. It certainly has that look and feel about it. But that doesn't mean that The Night of the Grizzly can't be enjoyed by adults as well.

Clint Walker and Martha Hyer are a pair of marrieds with children, one of them being a teenage niece. He's a sheriff who's now retired and they've inherited a ranch from his late brother.

Unfortunately the ranch is also loaded down with a financial obligations they've inherited as well. They have a rapacious neighbor in Keenan Wynn who'd like the property with a pair of lunkhead sons, Ron Ely and Sammy Jackson.

But that's not all facing Clint and Martha. There's a local grizzly named Old Satan who's terrorizing the ranches and farms in the area. He's doing far more damage to them than anything Keenan Wynn and his sons are doing. Actually Wynn for a screen villain is a rather mild one, he much prefers working with finances to get what he wants than any violence.

There's one more in the mix here. Leo Gordon has one of his best screen roles in this film, in fact he steals the film whenever he's on screen. He plays a bounty hunter and former deputy to Walker who served two years in prison due to his killing an innocent man and Walker's testimony of same. He's been hired to kill Old Satan by Wynn, setting the stage for the climax.

The Night of the Grizzly does have some very nice outdoor camera work, no studio shots at all in this one of a dwindling group of B westerns.

It's unfortunate that there is no market for films like The Night of the Grizzly any more.

A colorful sage of high adventure and West conquest , compellingly starred by Clint Walker

[ma-cortes · 6/10 · 25 October 2019]

Big Cole (Clint Walker) is an ex-lawman who wants a peaceful existence as a rancher heads to Wyoming along with his family formed by wife (Marta Hyer) and children with aim to begin a new life in wild country left him by a relative. He faces off opposition from a neighbor (Keenan Wynn) who wishes that land for his own sons , and especially is threatened by a killer grizzly bear, nicknamed "Satan", that goes on a murderous rampage , attacking his family , friends and keeps killing Cole's livestock. Big Jim Cole had come to the rim of Hell and nobody but nobody was going to push him over! The story of a night lengthened by a thousand terrors!...Big Jim Cole Had Come to Stay!!!

Nice Western contains adventures , thrills , brawls , swoops , an enjoyable family life and colorful outdoors well filmed by top-notch cameramen . A decently paced , well made and decidedly action Western in which normal human lives are intertwined correctly with just that proportion of natural tragedy that have haunted families in the old West . Clint Walker gives a good acting as Marshal "Big Jim" Cole who turns in his badge attempting to forge a new life in order to settle on some land inherited from a relative . The highlights of the movie are the creepy appearances of the marauding killer bear terrorizing the residents of the Wyoming countryside that have a savage realism and some funny scenes as a drunken cockered . Support cast is pretty good , such as : Keenan Wynn ,Nancy Kulp , Ellen Corby , Jack Elam , Ron Ely , Don Haggery , Regis Toomey , and especial mention for Leo Gordon as a bounty hunter . It contains colorful and evocative cinematography by Loyal Griggs and Harold Lipstein, the photography catches perfectly the feel of countryside . Lively and stirring musical score by Leith Stevens , including songs by Jay Livingstone .

The motion picture produced by Burt Dunne was professionally directed by Joseph Pevney . This veteran filmmaker Joseph Pevney was a good artisan , being well known as a very organized and precise filmmaker who was nonetheless relaxed on the set . He was even a singer kid and participed at WWII , subsequently he acted in only five films (1946-1950) , all of them films noir, his first as a piano-playing killer in Nocturne (1946). He spent most of his career behind the camera and his first film as a director was Shakedown (1950) in which he makes a Hitchcock-style cameo as Keller the reporter, his last on-screen part. After spending the 1950s as a contract director at Universal, he switched to television where his early credits include five episodes of Alfred Hitchcock presnts (1962) , and many others . He directed a lot of movies of all kinds of genres such as Wartime : Torpedo run , Away all boats , Air cadet . Adventures as Yankee Pasha , Tammy , Twilight for the God, Congo crossing ,Ring circus , Legion of desert . Western : Lady from Texas , The plunderers . Thriller : Undercover girl , Flesh and fury , Man of a thousand faces , Iron Man , Shakedown , The strange Door , 6 bridges to cross , Istanbul. Rating : 6.5/10 . Passable and decent adventure movie . The flick will appeal to Clint Walker fans .

in the sixties it was special

[smoothdude17325 · 14 November 2008]

We often look at movies from past decades through the prism of modern eyes. You can't do that, considering the amount of sophistication the movie going public has now compared to those times. What I remember about this movie was being a young boy and being in awe of Clint Walker, Leo Gordon and that massive bear. Remember, this was before Jaws and most modern special effects. Also, we could only get a few channels on our TV and the big three networks were IT!!. The networks each had a movie of the week back then, and that was what we looked forward to watching when we were kids. Ahhh, it was such a simple life then.

A well-mounted production

[Leofwine_draca · 6/10 · 29 April 2016]

NIGHT OF THE GRIZZLY is a fun traditional western with a few horror trappings. Amusingly enough, upon the release of THE REVENANT in cinemas early this year, a couple of TV channels took the opportunity to show other 'bear attack' movies, including GRIZZLY and CLAWS. I took the opportunity to watch this one, a film I'd never heard of previously.

What's refreshing is that from the very outset NIGHT OF THE GRIZZLY is a well-mounted production with much to recommend it. It has plenty of fine cinematography and great colourful establishing shots of the western terrain. The characters are traditionally drawn (read: stereotyped) but the casting director draws in established talents (Jack Elam, Keenan Wynn) who give assured performances. And the hulking Clint Walker is an excellent choice for the lead, a man you have to believe can go up against a grizzly bear himself.

The bear action is quite limited, but that makes it more effective, and the bear himself is a believable performer. The other western staples, like romance and rivalry and of course more than a few fist fights, are present and correct here. NIGHT OF THE GRIZZLY will never be the kind of movie to set the world on fire, but it certainly proves to be a fun little watch.

"If that beast ain't Lucifer in person, he's sure his first cousin."

[classicsoncall · 7/10 · 27 June 2015]

Just a few years after his successful run as Cheyenne Bodie, Clint Walker returns in all his hunky glory as a former lawman attempting to settle down to ranch life with wife Angela (Martha Hyer), two kids and an older niece Meg (Candy Moore). I thought it just a bit too gratuitous that the film makers would have him take his shirt off for the wood chopping scene but I guess the Sixties had their own way of demonstrating sex appeal on screen. I certainly wouldn't mess with a guy having a physique like that.

Most of the other reviews here are generally positive for the film as a family friendly movie experience, and though I agree, I couldn't help but notice that a lot of the situations and set ups seemed awkward and didn't flow very naturally. A case in point was the jump off the cliff by Cole (Walker) and his son Charlie (Kevin Brodie) when an early confrontation with Satan could have gone the wrong way. And the bear killing Sam (Don Haggerty) was probably uncalled for, I mean why mess with a potential romance for Miss Wilhelmina (Nancy Kulp) like that?

But the film had a few nice touches as well. I could be wrong but I don't think Clint Walker ever sang a song during the Cheyenne series run, and whoever came up with the drunken rooster idea deserves a drink on the house. The picture's depiction of family togetherness through good times and bad is a commendable one for present day, and might even have a teachable moment if it keeps just one youngster out there from getting skunked.

More "cuddly" than "grizzly"

[dinky-4 · 6/10 · 12 April 2001]

Back in the early 1950's, this "family western" might have met with success, but by 1966, television had taken over most of that market, making "Night of the Grizzly" seem a bit soft and old-fashioned for the big screen. For adult viewers, it needs more of an edge to cut through some of its overly-sentimental tone, but most children will probably watch it without complaint. The supporting cast is better than average, (Nancy Kulp being especially enjoyable), and the well-photographed scenery gives the proceedings a pleasing "outdoorsy" quality. And for those interested in another kind of scenery, Clint Walker takes off his shirt at regular intervals, thus giving one and all a look at his famously fabulous chest.

Great Wester, but another (yawn) Martha Hyer movie

[Colonial-Oak · 6/10 · 13 June 2022]

I loved this movie -- Clint Walker is great -- but I have to admit, every movie I see with Martha Hayer in it "is a downer".

While she is very beautiful, she is always so condescending, she just dumps a gallon of water on every exciting movie.

I seriously wonder if this woman was ever really happy in her life. Probably a liberal.

Excellent childhood memory!

[takwakin · 8/10 · 9 August 2006]

This movie will no doubt seem dated and somewhat simple compared to today's overblown productions, however, it has charm and remains a childhood favorite of mine through the years. The story is engaging. It has humour, action, and suspense.

When I was a child living on a farm in the woods of Alberta, my father used to be called on by his uncle to go hunt bears that were killing too many calves. This movie sparked my imagination and I often wondered just what my dad would do if a GIANT bear came down out of the hills and started creating terror in our small community.

If you like wilderness tales or adventure stories you will enjoy this film. Perhaps Hollywood should think about a remake, today's special effects would thoroughly enhance this great story.

Exciting and funny family adventure drama.

[paulclaassen · 7/10 · 21 February 2024]

Big Jim Cole (Clint Walker) inherited land from his Grandfather, which he won in a poker game. Jed Curry (Keenan Wynn), the original land owner, now wants it back, but Jim is not about to give up this prime land and plans to settle and farm together with his family.

But Jim and his family has bigger problems than Curry: a huge black bear named Satan roams the land, killing the animals and posing a threat to the Cole family. When his animals are killed and with no money to buy new ones, Jim risks losing everything - until a reward is offered to kill the bear. But Cass Dowdy (Leo Gordon) - a man from their past - arrives and is also interested in the reward money, and will do anything to prevent Jim from getting to the bear first.

Unlike most of today's films, 'The Night of the Grizzly' doesn't have a prologue teasing us what to expect with regards to the bear. In fact, the bear doesn't make it's appearance until well into the movie. This allowed ample time to get to know the family. I must also add, the movie is mostly a family drama - about a family desperately trying to make it work in a new town. But even without the bear, this was a very interesting movie. I actually enjoyed every moment - with or without the bear.

I really enjoyed the characters. The youngest Cole daughter, Gypsy, is absolutely adorable. I also so enjoyed Hank, whom Gypsy made friends with at a store and who became a family friend. I enjoyed the way he cared about and spent time with Gypsy. That was rather sweet, actually. Then there's Sam Potts (Don Haggerty), a faithful family friend who travelled with and settles on the farm with them, and store owner Wilhelmina (Nancy Kulp), who falls head over heels in love with Sam.

The film delivers so many humorous moments - especially the drunk chicken!! And Clint Walker is an absolute hunk of a man!! This prime beef is a huge man, but such a gentle, good-hearted soul. He is a feast for the eyes every scene he is in!

I absolutely loved 'The Night of the Grizzly', and was thoroughly entertained. This is actually a darn good movie.

female eye candy

[sandcrab277 · 1/10 · 9 August 2019]

Warner brothers discovered early on that by baring clint walker's hairy chest they could get millions of female viewers so it became the game plan to get his shirt off as often as possible... unfortunately there was little upstairs to back up the eye candy ... this film was but one of many that tried to exploit clint but it didn't work ...he could have been a legend had the bear killed him

From my childhood

[thepenncrew-1 · 8/10 · 15 September 2007]

When I first saw this movie I was at the drive-in with my parents. I remember hiding behind the back of the seat scared out of my wits! My father is a gunsmith and I've always had a healthy respect both for guns and wildlife. And I know for a fact that there are things in the woods that are much bigger than I am. And the fact that what occurs in this movie could actually happen without aide of CG or any other technical assistance makes it even scarier. OK, the acting itself could have been better but you have to remember the age of the movie.

I hate to think how it would be "gorified" if remade. It was gory enough as it was.

Clint Walker Vs. A Rogue Grizzly Bear

[zardoz-13 · 7/10 · 30 May 2023]

As "Away All Boats" director Joseph Pevney's final cinematic outing, "The Night of the Grizzly" amounts to a solid but unsurprising western about the trials and tribulations Clint Walker faces as a rancher plagued by a grizzly name nicknamed 'Satan' by the locals. "Cry Vengeance" scenarist Warren Douglas, who penned several episode of Walker's tv western "Cheyenne," has written a predictable, occasionally exciting oater. Our ex-lawman hero Jim Cole (Clint Walker of "Fort Dobbs") has given up his badge and relocated his family, including his wife, Angela Cole (Martha Hyer of "The Sons of Katie Elder"), his nearly adult daughter, Meg (Candy Moore of "Raging Bull"), and his younger son Charlie (Kevin Brodie of "The Giant Spider Invasion") to a ranch that was left him by a relative. When the family arrives, they find the ranch needs a severe case of remodeling. Meantime, lurking on the periphery is back-up villain, Jed Curry (Keenan Wynn of "The War Wagon"), is an affluent local business man with his own outfit who is bursting at the seams to get the land bequeathed Jim. Curry's two lame-brained sons, Tad (Ron Ely of "Tarzan") and Cal (Sammy Jackson of "The Fastest Guitar Alive"), aggravate the situation for their father by hazing the Cole family. Eventually, Jim refuses to tolerate their shenanigans and whips them in a rough & tumble fistfight. The local banker Cotton Benson (dependable character actor Regis Toomey of "The Big Sleep") tries to help out Jim with his struggles. Inevitably, one of Cotton's stockholders, predictably Jed, objects to his extending credit to our protagonist. Were this not trouble enough, Cotton warns big Jim about Satan, a treacherous grizzly that has made everybody's life miserable.

Douglas and Pevney make good use of their 102-minute running time and never let the action grind to a halt. The theme of man versus animal alone, however, doesn't generate enough tension, even though Jed's sons harass Jim at every turn. Indeed, this grizzly mauls Charlie's pooch, destroys all of Jim's best-laid traps, and constitutes a major thorn in Jim's side. Indeed, Satan slays all of Jim's livestock. Just when things are looking less than interesting, the filmmakers enliven the drama and have one of Jim's former deputies, Cass (Leo V. Gordon of "Tobruk"), who served time for killing an innocent man in cold blood, show up. At this point, stretched for cash as he is, Jim figures he can kill the troublesome grizzly and receive a hefty reward which will settle all his debts. Cass vows to beat Jim to the Bear, but the wily creature tears up Cass' dogs (off-screen) and Jim and he tangle when Cass tampers with Jim's traps. Meantime, Jim's impatient wife Angie threatens to leave him if he pits himself against the bear. Of course, big Jim remains adamant about killing the bear and getting the bounty. Things take a turn for the predictable worse when Jim's son Charlie decides to hunt the bear so his parents won't split up. A family oriented epic sans profanity, blood in copious quantities, and just enough suspense to make you grit your teeth, the above-average "The Night of the Grizzly" boasts a stellar cast of character actors, including Jack Elam, Ellen Corby, and Don Haggerty, and was lensed on some awesome locales in and around Big Bear Valley, San Bernardino National Forest, California, USA.

Probably belongs in goofs.

[edenine · 1/10 · 19 November 2019]

In the conclusion of the movie, the son goes out to kill the bear alongside his previously deceased dog.

This movie actually scared me

[StreepFan126 · 13 November 2002]

I remember watching this film when I was about three years old the first time, and being scared to death. In fact, every time I watch this film a part of me gets a little scared at the thought of a giant grizzly terrorizing a farm.

movie buff

[fatmanp · 10/10 · 28 August 2006]

This was one of the best movies I remember seeing when I was younger. Please let me know if there is any way I could purchase it so I could bring back those fond memories. One of best parts I liked in the movie is the parts for the little girl. Like when she saw the skunk and called it kitty.Another with her is how she always called her dad big Jim.I think overall most all the actors and actress's acted very well in this movie.Again thank you for this chance to voice my opinion on this movie and its actors.Also let me know if there is anyway that I can purchase a copy of this movie for myself. I have tried to be nice by putting my comments in about this movie but you seem to have to many guidelines for your comments. Try not to have so many rules and you will more than likely get more of them!

digger barnes revival

[sandcrab277 · 1/10 · 9 August 2019]

Well, this was way before digger barnes but keenan wynn was playing the same part he always did ...he was so despicable he made a habit of it and then throw in leo gordon who was just as despicable and you get egg roll ...i've been close enough to have a grizzly breathing down the back of my neck ...this was totally gogus

Great movie from my youth...

[jmsfan · 8/10 · 23 October 2010]

Like another reviewer, I saw this film at a drive-in and was completely captivated by it. Even seeing it on cable a few years back, I was sucked in again. The plot, by now, you know but "bear" with me. Sorry! Clint Walker and Martha Hyer, with their three kids (one is a niece), start a ranch, with designs on raising cattle. But a monstrous grizzly bear soon makes that impossible. It's true that some of the bear-effects are somewhat quaint by now, but it doesn't make the movie any less enjoyable. Clint is his usual stoic self, like his Cheyenne character only on the big screen. Martha Hyer is fine (and fine to look at!) as his wife who tries to be understanding about "Big" Jim's (Walker) dreams of owning his own ranch, but understandably blanches when the bear starts to make life a terror, not only for them, but for every farmer/rancher around. Also as said by a reviewer, Leo Gordon is terrific in this film as the human villain, someone from Big Jim's past, when Jim was a lawman. This is an action-packed Western, but also makes room for good character moments and comic relief, mostly in the form of Jack Elam as a local character and soon-to-be family friend, and Nancy Culp as the local store owner. There is a great sequence with a dance in town, with kids pulling pranks, Keenan Wynn's sons getting into trouble, and Elam taking care of some of the pranksters. Also providing fun is Big Jim's youngest daughter, who gets into trouble with a certain "kitty" and some wet bloomers. But the bear provides the real goods, with the marauding beast killing not for food, but for the pure joy of it. Having seen it so many times, I truly wish that it would be released on DVD. Other, lesser films have been on DVD for years, yet here is a film that truly deserves a good transfer.

Not for the sophisticated, but darn entertaining, by gum!

[gregcouture · 28 April 2003]

Watched this on TV a few months ago and was eventually more entertained than I expected to be as the story elements began to fall into place during the first reel or two. The script builds to an exciting and suspenseful climax, one that rivals quite well, indeed, some of today's overwrought nailbiters.

At first I thought Clint Walker and Martha Hyer were an odd pairing as an Old West couple with a family. But Clint, of the awesome physique, was actually quite a winning performer when he had the good fortune to be directed by a good director with, at least, an acceptable script. And Martha, after playing spoiled and elegant socialites and jealous ladies who often didn't get the objects of their dreams in several of her earlier roles, is warm and convincing as a wife in love with her husband and who deeply cares for her children.

With terrifically capable performers like Keenan Wynn, Ellen Corby, and the inimitable Nancy Culp to round out the cast, this one had quite a bit going for it. The Techniscope (the Technicolor Corporation's bargain-basement version of CinemaScope and Panavision) and Technicolor cinematography looks a bit overlit in some of the interior scenes (a common practice back then), and now the 2.35:1 ratio is probably lost forever. (The TV broadcast I saw was, of course, "formatted" and the VHS version is, no doubt panned-and-scanned.)

The Night of the Grizzly was another obscure movie I highly enjoyed watching on Netflix streaming

[tavm · 8/10 · 26 August 2012]

Just watched this obscure western on Netflix streaming. It stars Clint Walker as a former lawman with wife Martha Hyer and children buying a ranch in order to start a new life. But a bear threatens to make things hell for anyone crossing his path...This was quite a thrilling movie, in fact, I was surprised at how much gore there was for a movie made before the ratings system that went into effect a couple of years later. But there was also some good comic relief especially whenever Nancy Culp appeared with her big crush on Dan Haggerty and her singing "Beautiful Dreamer". Also, Keenan Wynn does his trademark bellowing whenever things don't get his way that I always found always made me laugh. He wants the land Walker owns but is more gentlemanly when trying to get it at least in the way he doesn't try to threaten him directly. And then there's Leo Gordon as a former associate of Walker's who ended up doing some jail time because of the latter's testimony against him for killing an innocent person. Really, all I'll say now is I highly recommend The Night of the Grizzly. P.S. I always like to cite whenever a player from my favorite movie, It's a Wonderful Life, appears in something else. Here, it's Ellen Corby who was the one Jimmy Stewart kissed on the cheek at the end of the run-on-the-bank sequence playing one of Walker's neighbors.

The Grizzly bear was so very convincing and scary

[California_Girl_2058 · 10/10 · 26 June 2014]

Hollywood use to make movies with muscle guys like Clint Walker and Steve Reeves. To my surprised, Clint Walker used to work out because his arms are massive in this movie and his chest must be 52 inches wide at least. The Night of the Grizzly is an older film. I thought the grizzly bear did a great performance and he should have won some type of award for his acting skills because he was very convincing and scary, in this movie. I loved the little girl and Jack Elam's character. The brutal attacks from the grizzly bear is not for children then again, depends on your children. I think this movie should have been rated at least a PG 13. The bounty hunter played a good role and the lady at the general store added a little giggle or two to this blockbuster movie. I bought the Night of the Grizzly movie on DVD, from amazon, I thought it was that good.

Yet another anti-AMC rant!

[gregcouture · 28 August 2003]

Was skimming through some videotapes I'd made from past TV broadcasts yesterday and, lo and behold!, came across one I'd recorded (but failed to label, oops!) of this title from an American Movie Classics broadcast quite some time ago. It was uninterrupted by commercials and promotional tidbits AND it was letterboxed, as any widescreen film, of whatever quality, deserves to be.

Ever since AMC opened the floodgates to commercial advertisers, dispensed with presenters like Bob Dorian, Nick Clooney, Cesar Romero, et al., and generally cheapened this venue into an unwatchable rival to the worst of its cable TV bedfellows, it has made the presentation of a widescreen film in the letterbox format a rarity on a par with, let's say, a politician telling the truth and/or admitting a mistake.

"The Night of the Grizzly," though it's not a work of deathless cinematic art, is a good example of what entertained us almost forty years ago: a good cast, a serviceable script, modest but not skimpy production values, and direction that builds the tension to a genuine climax, all without fiery explosions and violence that brutalizes its potential audiences

How to be a man

[Wuchakk · 9/10 · 20 May 2014]

"Night of the Grizzly" is an outstanding and underrated Western from 1966. As ex-sheriff Jim Cole, Clint Walker embodies the substance of manhood, so rare in our current generation. He models bravery, honor, integrity, fidelity, strength, compassion, self-reliance, mercy, love and respect. He possesses the stamina and boldness to face an array of threats poised to wreck him and his loved ones, including a greedy neighbor who wants his ranch and a rogue grizzly dubbed "Old Satan." He says to his wife: "Angie, there ain't a man alive that doesn't have trouble. How he handles that trouble is what counts. In every man's life there's a Cass or a Satan, one kind or another, trying to whip him, beat him down, destroy him. He can't run away from it. He's got to stand strong and fight! Whatever it is he's got to fight! That's how God made a man."

It took forever but -- thankfully -- this was finally released on DVD.

The film runs 102 minutes and was shot in the Big Bear region of San Bernardino National Forest, California.

GRADE: A

The Further Adventures of Cheyenne

[JenExxifer · 10/10 · 17 November 2022]

I give this movie 10 stars for the cast, the story, and because I just enjoy the movie!

A handful of the cast members were in various episodes of the Clint Walker series Cheyenne (Leo Gordon, Jack Elam, Ellen Corby, Nancy Kulp), so I see this movie as an extended Cheyenne episode, only instead of him being a roaming cowboy he's a retired lawman with a family.

Of course Clint Walker, as Big Jim Cole, takes his shirt off just like in Cheyenne, and that doesn't hurt the movie or my eyes; he even sings a song which is quite nice.

Jack Elam, Nancy Kulp, and Ellen Corby give enjoyable performances with good laughs.

Keenan Wynn is excellent as the human villain, and so is Leo Gordon; and then there's ol' Satan the villainous bear with fun effects from the time.

While Satan causes some strife at home for Big Jim Cole and his wife Angela, the two get through it, and that's what I like most about the story.

I'd recommend this movie for anyone who enjoys Clint Walker, family westerns, bad bears, and clean humor!

Better Than Expected

[dougdoepke · 22 August 2015]

Surprisingly good family drama. From the title, I was expecting something on the order of cheezy horror. True, the real menace here is the grizzly, but his menace is pretty well done in non-cheezy fashion. Jim Cole (Walker) moves his family (Hyer, et al.) onto a run-down ranch on the frontier. Trouble is he has to hock all his belongings to buy the nuts and bolts a working ranch needs. That would be okay if skinflint Jed Curry (Wynn) and his boys weren't trying to get the same ranch. And, by golly, they're hoping the grizzly kills off enough of Cole's livestock that he'll go bankrupt, and they can move in. So it's Cole against the big bear (Satan) who seems impervious to 30-30's. Complicating things is bounty hunter Dowdy (Gordon) who's got a grudge against Cole, and has been hired by Curry to get the grizzly first. If he does, he'll get the reward before Cole does. If this sounds complicated, it is. But the strands weave together pretty well thanks to director Pevney and writer Douglas.

Walker's convincing as the steadfast homesteader. No swagger or ego to his character. Hyer plays the doubting wife in pretty blonde fashion, while Elam gets a subdued role as lie-about turned loyal helper, Hank. The values are solidly conservative in God-fearing family fashion, for those who care. Fortunately the salute is not done in a sappy way. Gordon, one of the era's best tough-guys, makes a worthy rival to the towering Walker, even if his ravaged ankle makes a miraculous recovery in his lakeside fist-fight. My only gripe is with Kulp (Wilhelmina or is it 'Bill'). She goes way over the top with her "comedy relief". I guess she figured she'd otherwise be overlooked in a crowded screenplay. Nonetheless, the sum total's a generally rewarding 100- minutes, and a good showcase for the manly Walker.