The Kentuckian | Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes

Movies / TV

    Celebrity

      No Results Found

       View All       Movies Tv shows Shop News Showtimes

      The Kentuckian

      Released Jul 22, 1955 1 hr. 44 min. Western Drama List
      14% 7 Reviews Tomatometer 43% 250+ Ratings Audience Score Upstanding widower "Big Eli" Wakefield (Burt Lancaster) decides to move from Kentucky further west to Texas. He undertakes the journey with just his young son "Little Eli" (Donald MacDonald), but en route they pick up friends like indentured servant Hannah (Dianne Foster) and schoolmarm Susie (Diana Lynn), a potential love interest. This motley crew's path is difficult, and they face many obstacles, not the least of which is nasty frontiersman Stan Bodine (Walter Matthau). Read More Read Less Watch on Fandango at Home Premiered Oct 10 Buy Now

      Where to Watch

      The Kentuckian

      Fandango at Home Prime Video Apple TV

      Rent The Kentuckian on Fandango at Home, Prime Video, Apple TV, or buy it on Fandango at Home, Prime Video, Apple TV.

      Audience Reviews

      View All (18) audience reviews
      Lennon C Okay.. folks have been WAY too hard on this movie. First off.. it looks absolutely gorgeous if you watch the remaster. The technicolor makes Burt’s eyes look like swimming pools. You should watch this as if it were a kids movie. A Davey Crockett Disney Father/Son type movie. It’s hokey, corny, and sure dated in some parts. I feel like it has charm, and warms the heart. Plenty of lessons on class, conformity, and the good parts of change. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 04/23/24 Full Review Steve D Forgettable Western with a great star. Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars 01/24/24 Full Review Audience Member A good 'lesson' movie for youngsters just learning about life's essential principles. The plot is fairly simple, but effective. The acting is the same. Does it stand up to timeless great movies? Nope. But put a thoughtful grandparent and a curious-minded 8-10 year old together for a weekend and it could be fuel for some interesting discussions about life, American history, slavery, opportunities and the choices people make. Not bad for a 60 year-old movie. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/13/23 Full Review Audience Member Mediocre Western. Yawner. I did get a kick out of the old time dancing and awkward speaking style of Burt Lancaster. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 01/25/23 Full Review Frances H Not Burt's best by far, especially if you compare it to a similarly themed film like Rachel and the Stranger. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 10/05/16 Full Review Audience Member It would make a good slow Sunday afternoon flick, so long as the kid doesn't irritate you too much. It is certainly worth a watch just for a young Walter Matthau whipping Burt Lancaster! Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/18/23 Full Review Read all reviews Post a rating

      Cast & Crew

      Show Less Cast & Crew Show More Cast & Crew

      Discover

      Best Movies to Stream at Home

      View All Best Movies to Stream at Home
      % % Fern Brady: Autistic Bikini Queen % % Tiger % % Hip-Hop and The White House % % Tigers on the Rise 88% 84% Monkey Man TRAILER for Monkey Man 69% 97% Arthur the King TRAILER for Arthur the King 93% % Something You Said Last Night % % Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths Part Two % % The Moon and Back % 92% La Cha Cha Discover more movies and TV shows. View More

      Photos

      View All The Kentuckian photos

      The Kentuckian

      The Kentuckian (1955) The Kentuckian (1955) View more photos

      Critics Reviews

      View All (7) Critics Reviews
      Variety Staff Variety The footage is long and often slow, with the really high spots of action rather scattered. Mar 18, 2020 Full Review James Morgan Sight & Sound The Kentuckian, though its plot is almost tenuous and its action slight, is a long and ambitious kind of Western. Mar 18, 2020 Full Review Tom Milne Time Out In general the direction tends to get bogged down in not very interesting characters and relationships while neglecting to deliver the action. Jun 24, 2006 Full Review TV Guide Staff TV Guide An occasionally brutal, but generally plodding western from Lancaster (his first as a director), who fails to pump much life into the anemic script, giving the cast little to do. Rated: 2.5/5 Mar 26, 2009 Full Review Dennis Schwartz Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews Burt Lancaster's only effort as solo director is this slow-moving, flat, so-so western. Rated: C Mar 24, 2007 Full Review Film4 Staff Film4 Although the film is small scale, Lancaster's many talents come to the fore here. May 24, 2003 Full Review Read all reviews

      Movie Info

      Synopsis Upstanding widower "Big Eli" Wakefield (Burt Lancaster) decides to move from Kentucky further west to Texas. He undertakes the journey with just his young son "Little Eli" (Donald MacDonald), but en route they pick up friends like indentured servant Hannah (Dianne Foster) and schoolmarm Susie (Diana Lynn), a potential love interest. This motley crew's path is difficult, and they face many obstacles, not the least of which is nasty frontiersman Stan Bodine (Walter Matthau).
      Director
      Burt Lancaster
      Screenwriter
      A. B. Guthrie Jr.
      Production Co
      Hecht-Lancaster Productions
      Genre
      Western, Drama
      Original Language
      English
      Release Date (Theaters)
      Jul 22, 1955, Limited
      Release Date (Streaming)
      Sep 16, 2008
      Most Popular at Home Now