Author Topic: HUD (1963)  (Read 12497 times)

Offline Kd5000

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HUD (1963)
« on: March 21, 2007, 10:48:20 pm »
Has anyone ever seen this film?  It starred Paul Newman, came out in 1963, and the screenplay was by Larry McMurtry.  It's also set in the contemporary West (same time period as when BBM started, early 1960)  and deals with dysfunctionalism, other social angst.   It's not a regular western; 1870's, cattle drives, Indians etc.  I've been trying to get my hands on it, but it's always checked out at Blockbuster.  I know, I should get netflix. I've seen post on IMDB.com on the BBM msg board about HUD being a forerunner.  I've also seen posts on HUD about it's homoeroticism.

What do ppl think who have seen HUD? Does it share foreshadow BBM?  Of course, homoeroticism in the 1960's would have to be very subtle. 

Here's a review from Variety which summarizes the storyline. http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117791819.html?categoryid=31&cs=1&p=0

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Re: HUD (1963)
« Reply #1 on: May 03, 2007, 10:38:29 am »
I have only the vaguest recollection of seeing part of Hud on television, as a child, when my parents were watching it that way. I remember the scene where Paul Newman's character asks Patricia Neal's character if she still has that itch that needs scratching (as I recall). My interest in this film has been renewed in the wake of Brokeback Mountain.

A bit of trivia: At one stage, the film that Ennis and Alma were watching at the drive-in was going to be Hud (as a kind of in-joke), but this was later changed; apparently, the allusion was felt to be too heavy-handed.

Offline HerrKaiser

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Re: HUD (1963)
« Reply #2 on: May 16, 2007, 09:18:16 pm »
HUD is one of my all time favorites. Seen it several times; in fact I have posted several times here and on other forums the striking resemblance of Heath Ledger in the seen when he is cleaning pots and pans in the stream and looks up to see Jack on the mountain side to Brandon de Wilde from HUD. They have a stunning similarity...innocense, youth, longing, wondering, lonliness.

The homoeroticsm is minimal if you mean by that to be male to male erotiscm. You'd have to want to see it, if it exists at all, and probably struggle to determine if any such messaging is really being communicated. Newman is clearly sexy looking and erotic, but he is definitely a womanizer and all his energies are directed to women and boose. De Wilde is a young, non sexual character seeking understanding and maturity.

De Wilde tragically was killed before his very promising career was fully realized.

Patricia Neal won her only Oscar for her role; controversially in many ways. She had very very few lines, but she did an excellent job at her part in a fairly unremarkable year for film, imo. I actually thought Natalie Wood should have won for "Love with the proper stranger".

Offline southendmd

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Re: HUD (1963)
« Reply #3 on: July 01, 2010, 09:18:15 pm »
I just knew there had to be a thread on this film!  

I saw it last night thanks to a little curiosity about Larry M's early work ("Last Picture Show" was stunning) and Netflix.

Not really up on Paul Newman's career, but I wonder how often he played such an unsavory character.  Charming and gorgeous.  

Brandon deWilde, as his nephew, heartbrakingly goes from idolizing Hud to seeing his true self.  

Melvyn Douglas has such steadfast dignity in his role.

However, Patricia Neal is the shit!  OMG, she can deliver a line!  A well-deserved Oscar.  

Plus, her name is Alma!  Also the opening scene depicts a long shot of a truck travelling from right to left.  




Offline Mandy21

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Re: HUD (1963)
« Reply #4 on: July 01, 2010, 10:07:57 pm »
One of my all-time faves.  I've owned the DVD for years.  Paul and Patricia were both incredible.
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Offline Jeff Wrangler

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Re: HUD (1963)
« Reply #5 on: July 01, 2010, 10:50:57 pm »
One of my all-time faves.  I've owned the DVD for years.  Paul and Patricia were both incredible.

First saw it a couple of years ago, and now I own my own copy, too.

Considering when the film was released, the scene where Brandon deWilde is supposed to be naked in bed under the sheets strikes me as rather daring. God, he was pretty. It's a shame he died young, yet he had an interesting career. If I remember correctly, he was the little boy in that other iconic Western Shane.
"It is required of every man that the spirit within him should walk abroad among his fellow-men, and travel far and wide."--Charles Dickens.

Offline Front-Ranger

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Re: HUD (1963)
« Reply #6 on: July 02, 2010, 07:56:50 am »
Plus, her name is Alma!  Also the opening scene depicts a long shot of a truck travelling from right to left.  


Well, I will just HAVE to locate this...for Paul, Patricia, and the truck! Thanks, Paul!
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Offline Aloysius J. Gleek

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Re: HUD (1963)
« Reply #7 on: July 04, 2010, 10:29:24 am »
         
Brandon Dewilde
Child actor Brandon DeWilde, wearing woman's hat in The Member of the Wedding.
"Tu doives entendre je t'aime."
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Cowboy Curtis (Laurence Fishburne)
and Pee-wee in the 1990 episode
"Camping Out"

Offline Aloysius J. Gleek

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Re: HUD (1963)
« Reply #8 on: July 04, 2010, 10:31:14 am »

 8)





"Tu doives entendre je t'aime."
(and you know who I am...)


Cowboy Curtis (Laurence Fishburne)
and Pee-wee in the 1990 episode
"Camping Out"

Offline Mandy21

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Re: HUD (1963)
« Reply #9 on: July 04, 2010, 11:09:08 am »
I would agree with you, Jeff -- that scene with Hud's nephew laying in bed all naked, and Alma coming in to get him up for breakfast, and the sheets kind of being pulled away...  Pretty risque stuff for the day.  Perhaps we were meant to realize that Alma preferred the nephews' innocent type over Huds' overtly-sexual type, as foreshadowing of who would eventually be the attacker and who would be the rescuer?  Dunno...

Spoilers ahead, and I swear I'm not trying to open up a debate about rape here, and I'll try to word this cautiously to prevent it...

Does anybody who's seen the film think that Hud actually raped Alma?  Obviously the scene was intense and fast and darkened, but I've always liked to think (probably just because I always love Paul Newman), that there was only groping going on there, without actual penetration.  So perhaps it was attempted rape, at worst.  I don't know.  Hud was way beyond drunk, and feeling violent, and wanting to take his anger out on just about anybody, and she seemed like the obvious target simply because she was female and within sight at that moment when he was most enraged.  She appeared frightened, but her character didn't really portray a feeling of absolute disgust or true fear for her life, or any such thing.  Unfortunately, we've seen scenes like this play out hundreds of times, especially in older films -- where the man attacks, and the woman resists at first, and then suddenly the director does a close-up on the woman's hands that were once beating her attacker off, changing into pulling him in and encouraging him, instead.  Scenes like that seem to degrade a woman's strength and power, in my mind.  Still and all, in this film I think it must have definitely FELT like a rape to Alma -- albeit, perhaps it was an emotional rape of her trust and loyalty and commitment to that little family, rather than a physical one --  or she wouldn't have so quickly left town.  I was always on the middle-of-the-fence about that scene.  I surely don't think that if he'd actually physically raped her, that she'd have been able to carry on a calm and rational and wise conversation with him at the bus stop soon after.    What does anybody else think?
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Offline Jeff Wrangler

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Re: HUD (1963)
« Reply #10 on: July 05, 2010, 01:19:09 pm »
Does anybody who's seen the film think that Hud actually raped Alma?

My gut reaction from memory is that it was attempted rape, but no penetration actually took place. But it's been quite some time since I last saw the film--sometime back in the winter, I think, so my memory may well be faulted.

The other thing I can't remember, which might have some bearing on Alma's leaving town, was whether she leaves before or after the Melvin Douglas character (Hud's father/Brandon deWilde's grandfather) dies?

Totally way OT here, but the bus station scene made me think of this: Ever notice how people in movies (except, maybe for comedies) always have such little suitcases?  ;D
"It is required of every man that the spirit within him should walk abroad among his fellow-men, and travel far and wide."--Charles Dickens.

Offline Mandy21

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Re: HUD (1963)
« Reply #11 on: July 06, 2010, 12:02:24 pm »
Southend Paul, thanks for reviving this thread after more than 3 years, BTW.  To answer your earlier question, Mr. Newman often played semi-unsavory characters, IMO, in his career -- Brick in "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof", Luke in "Cool Hand Luke", Butch in "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" (my fave movie ever), Gondorff in "The Sting", etc.  I think he enjoyed the contradiction between playing a bad guy on screen, and being such a good guy in real life.  He's one of the greatest actors of all time, and a legend as far as I'm concerned.

Heya Jeff, thanks for your input!  The father/grandfather is still alive when Alma decides she has to leave.  It's the fight between the drunken Hud and his father that causes all the ruckus that starts the incident.  Hud's father walks in on Hud, and he now knows of Huds' legal plans to take away his ownership of the ranch, and the father says something like "I can't believe a man like you could ever come from me", and Hud retorts with something like "for the same reason any man does -- it's because of what's going on under his belt", and then his father slams the door in his face.  That's part of the reason Hud goes out and bitterly grabs onto the first woman that comes into his drunken sight.

And yes, I *have* noticed small suitcases in many movies about travel.  Always makes me wonder, trying to figure out the least amount of objects that I could survive with if I was forced to fit it all into one suitcase.  Geez, I hope that never happens...
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Offline SFEnnisSF

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Re: HUD (1963)
« Reply #12 on: July 06, 2010, 11:47:52 pm »
I've been rentin' all these on Netflix too recently.  I saw both HUD and Last Picture Show a few weeks ago.  :D

Offline Mandy21

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Re: HUD (1963)
« Reply #13 on: July 07, 2010, 12:50:03 am »
Any thoughts you wanna share on either of the above?
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Offline SFEnnisSF

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Re: HUD (1963)
« Reply #14 on: July 08, 2010, 12:20:01 pm »
Any thoughts you wanna share on either of the above?

I liked both..  :D

Offline Shakesthecoffecan

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Re: HUD (1963)
« Reply #15 on: July 08, 2010, 01:47:36 pm »
I've been rentin' all these on Netflix too recently.  I saw both HUD and Last Picture Show a few weeks ago.  :D

I have never quite recovered from the image of Cloris Leachman having sex.  :o
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Offline Jeff Wrangler

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Re: HUD (1963)
« Reply #16 on: July 08, 2010, 01:52:35 pm »
I have never quite recovered from the image of Cloris Leachman having sex.  :o

Eeek!  :laugh:
"It is required of every man that the spirit within him should walk abroad among his fellow-men, and travel far and wide."--Charles Dickens.

Offline southendmd

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Re: HUD (1963)
« Reply #17 on: July 08, 2010, 02:00:06 pm »
I liked both..  :D

You're a man of few words!

I have never quite recovered from the image of Cloris Leachman having sex.  :o

She was only 45 at the time!  I thought she was brilliant.  She won an Oscar too.

Offline Jeff Wrangler

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Re: HUD (1963)
« Reply #18 on: July 08, 2010, 02:14:42 pm »
She was only 45 at the time!  I thought she was brilliant.  She won an Oscar too.

I think the point is that it was Cloris Leachman, not her age. But perhaps I'm wrong.
"It is required of every man that the spirit within him should walk abroad among his fellow-men, and travel far and wide."--Charles Dickens.

Offline Shakesthecoffecan

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Re: HUD (1963)
« Reply #19 on: July 08, 2010, 03:24:59 pm »
I recently saw CL as a judge on RuPaul's Drag Race, man she looks younger now than she did at 45!
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Offline Jeff Wrangler

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Re: HUD (1963)
« Reply #20 on: July 08, 2010, 06:48:18 pm »
I recently saw CL as a judge on RuPaul's Drag Race, man she looks younger now than she did at 45!

There are some people you just don't want to watch having sex. Cloris Leachman may well be one of them. ...
"It is required of every man that the spirit within him should walk abroad among his fellow-men, and travel far and wide."--Charles Dickens.