Home from the Hill (1960) or, Family Scandal!

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A classy poster for Vincente Minnelli's Home from the Hill, which tries to paint it out to be the next big thing

The skies almost come down for a young man in the story here, when he learns that his and his family's good friend is really his father's bastard son. With enormous abhorrence he now distances himself from his old man.

 

Home from the Hill is written by Harriet Frank Jr. (Hombre (1967)) and Irving Ravetch (Hud (1963)), adapting the same-titled 1958 novel by William Humphrey (Proud Flesh (1973)), and directed by Vincente Minnelli (Cabin in the Sky (1943)).

It takes a good while before you reach the point in the story indicated above, because the film gets spiced with a lot of hunting symbolism, including a wild boar hunt. George Peppard (Damnation Alley (1977)), George Hamilton (Roots (1977, miniseries)) and Robert Mitchum (Maria's Lovers (1984)) are all terrific here, but their efforts don't make a great film, regrettably.

The focus is generally on the youngest son's hysterical wish to sentence his father's past behavior, - but ask yourself exactly how interesting or sympathetic this driving vehemence really is? Minnelli lets the melodrama go overboard at least once in Home from the Hill, and he seems most primed on surface in this dated, overlong, conservative film. Home from the Hill is an example of one of the Hollywood peacock movies that the youth at the time (and some adult moviegoers too) were getting fed up with.

 

 

Watch a trailer for the film here

 

Cost: 2.3 mil. $

Box office: 5 mil. $

= Flop (returned 2.17 times its cost)

[Home from the Hill premiered 3 March (New York) and runs 150 minutes. Shooting took place from April - July 1959 in Texas, Mississippi and in California. The film made 3.2 mil. $ (64 % of the total gross) in North America, and the Eddie Lannix ledger recorded a 122k $ loss from the film. It was shown in the main competition in Cannes, was nominated for a BAFTA and won 3 National Board of Review awards, among other honors. Minnelli returned with uncredited directing work on All the Fine Young Cannibals (1960) and as official director with Bells Are Ringing (1960). Mitchum returned in The Night Fighters (1960); Eleanor Parker (Escape From Fort Bravo (1953)) in The Gambler, the Nun and the Radio (1960, TV movie), Buick-Electra Playhouse (1960, TV-series) and theatrically in Madison Avenue (1961). Home from the Hill is fresh at 90 % with an 8.10/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

 

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