Producer: Jerry Wald. A Company of Artists Production for 20th Century-Fox. Copyright 1959 by 20th Century-Fox Film Corp. New York opening at neighborhood cinemas: 27 April 1960. U.S. release: November 1959. U.K. release: May 1960. Australian release: 4 February 1960. 7,817 feet. 87 minutes.
SYNOPSIS: Based on Fred Gipson's classic novel of the same name, "Hound Dog Man" begins with the lone figure of Blackie Scantling (Stuart Whitman) ambling up a country road. When this happy-go-lucky ne'er-do-well, whose life is one round of raccoon hunts and fishing holidays, turns into the farm of Aaron and Cora Kinney (Arthur O'Connell and Betty Field), he finds that he has acquired two idolaters in the persons of young Clint Kinney (Fabian) and his eight-year-old brother Spud (Dennis Holmes).
Off on a holiday hunt with their new-found hero, the boys are dismayed to witness the "Hound-Dog Man" showing more than a passing interest in Dony Waller (Carol Lynley). Clint has little time for women and considers Nita Stringer (Dodie Stevens), whom they meet on the trip, a nuisance.
NOTES: Film debuts of Fabian Forte and Dodie Stevens.
COMMENT: Big Bear, California, has never looked so attractive as through the lens of Clarke's CinemaScope camera here. The players are surprisingly winning too. The slice-of-Americana story by Fred "Old Yeller" Gipson holds the interest, both despite and because of Don Siegel's controlled but uncharacteristically leisurely direction.
OTHER VIEWS: It was nice to do a picture that children could go and see. I wish I could do more. My reputation may be as a director of violence, but that doesn't mean I can't, or don't want to, do comedy or love stories. My favorite picture is David Lean's "Brief Encounter". I might add that the film was based on a very good book, "Hound Dog Man", by Fred Gipson. Sam Peckinpah, who had been my dialogue director and assistant, wanted to do a picture based on the book. I'm sorry he didn't do it. He would have done it the way it should have been done: small! — Don Siegel.
SYNOPSIS: Based on Fred Gipson's classic novel of the same name, "Hound Dog Man" begins with the lone figure of Blackie Scantling (Stuart Whitman) ambling up a country road. When this happy-go-lucky ne'er-do-well, whose life is one round of raccoon hunts and fishing holidays, turns into the farm of Aaron and Cora Kinney (Arthur O'Connell and Betty Field), he finds that he has acquired two idolaters in the persons of young Clint Kinney (Fabian) and his eight-year-old brother Spud (Dennis Holmes).
Off on a holiday hunt with their new-found hero, the boys are dismayed to witness the "Hound-Dog Man" showing more than a passing interest in Dony Waller (Carol Lynley). Clint has little time for women and considers Nita Stringer (Dodie Stevens), whom they meet on the trip, a nuisance.
NOTES: Film debuts of Fabian Forte and Dodie Stevens.
COMMENT: Big Bear, California, has never looked so attractive as through the lens of Clarke's CinemaScope camera here. The players are surprisingly winning too. The slice-of-Americana story by Fred "Old Yeller" Gipson holds the interest, both despite and because of Don Siegel's controlled but uncharacteristically leisurely direction.
OTHER VIEWS: It was nice to do a picture that children could go and see. I wish I could do more. My reputation may be as a director of violence, but that doesn't mean I can't, or don't want to, do comedy or love stories. My favorite picture is David Lean's "Brief Encounter". I might add that the film was based on a very good book, "Hound Dog Man", by Fred Gipson. Sam Peckinpah, who had been my dialogue director and assistant, wanted to do a picture based on the book. I'm sorry he didn't do it. He would have done it the way it should have been done: small! — Don Siegel.