Giant
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	George Stevens
Produced by	George Stevens
Written by	Edna Ferber Fred Guiol
Starring	Elizabeth Taylor Rock Hudson James Dean Carroll Baker
Music by	Dimitri Tiomkin
Cinematography	William C. Mellor
Editing by	William Hornbeck
Distributed by	Warner Bros.
Release date(s)	November 24, 1956 September 20, 1996 (re-release)
Running time	201 min.
Country
Language	English Spanish
Budget	$5.4 million
Gross revenue	$35 million
IMDb profile

Giant is a 1956 drama film and was directed by George Stevens. The movie was adapted by Fred Guiol and Ivan Moffat from the novel by Edna Ferber. It stars Elizabeth Taylor, Rock Hudson, James Dean, Carroll Baker, Jane Withers, Chill Wills, Mercedes McCambridge, Dennis Hopper, Sal Mineo, Rod Taylor and Earl Holliman. Giant was the last of James Dean's three films as a leading actor. The film earned James Dean his second and last Academy Award nomination, of three starring roles. He was killed in a car accident before Giant was released. Nick Adams was called in to do some voice-over dubbing for Dean's role. George Stevens examining film from A Place in the Sun. ... George Stevens examining film from A Place in the Sun. ... Edna Ferber (August 15, 1885 - April 16, 1968), was an American novelist, author and playwright. ... Fred Guiol (17 February 1898 - 23 May 1964) was an American film director and screenwriter. ... For other persons named Elizabeth Taylor, see Elizabeth Taylor (disambiguation). ... The tone or style of this article or section may not be appropriate for Wikipedia. ... For the film, see James Dean (film). ... For the Canadian country music performer, see Carroll Baker (singer). ... Dimitri Zinovievich Tiomkin (Russian: , Dmitrij Zinovevič Tëmkin, somtimes translated as Dmitri Tiomkin) (May 10, 1894 – November 11, 1979) was a film composer and conductor. ... The distinguished, versatile cinematographer William C. Mellor (1903 -1963) worked at Paramount, MGM and 20th Century Fox during a career that spanned three decades. ... “WB” redirects here. ... is the 328th day of the year (329th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The year 1956 in film involved some significant events. ... is the 263rd day of the year (264th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The year 1996 in film involved some significant events. ... In the music industry, a release is the event at which an album or single is first released for sale. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... The year 1956 in film involved some significant events. ... A drama film is a film that depends mostly on in-depth character development, interaction, and highly emotional themes. ... George Stevens examining film from A Place in the Sun. ... Fred Guiol (17 February 1898 - 23 May 1964) was an American film director and screenwriter. ... Edna Ferber (August 15, 1885 - April 16, 1968), was an American novelist, author and playwright. ... For other persons named Elizabeth Taylor, see Elizabeth Taylor (disambiguation). ... The tone or style of this article or section may not be appropriate for Wikipedia. ... For the film, see James Dean (film). ... For the Canadian country music performer, see Carroll Baker (singer). ... Jane Withers (born April 12, 1926) is an American actress. ... Chill Theodore Wills (July 18, 1903 in Seagoville, Texas – December 15, 1978) was a movie actor and singer in the Avalon Boys Quartet. ... Mercedes Agnes Carlotta McCambridge (March 16, 1916 – March 2, 2004), nicknamed Mercy, was an Academy Award-winning American film actress, also known for her acting in radio dramas. ... Dennis Lee Hopper (born May 17, 1936) is an Academy Award-nominated American actor and film-maker. ... Salvatore Sal Mineo, Jr. ... Rod Taylor (born Rodney Sturt Taylor on January 11, 1930) is an Australian-born film and television actor. ... Earl Holliman Earl Holliman (born Anthony Earl Numkena on September 11, 1928 in Delhi, Louisiana) is an American film and television actor. ... For the film, see James Dean (film). ...

In 2005, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant". The National Film Registry is the registry of films selected by the United States National Film Preservation Board for preservation in the Library of Congress. ... Construction of the Thomas Jefferson Building, from July 8, 1888 to May 15, 1894. ...

Taglines:
From the novel by EDNA FERBER
The legendary epic that's as big as Texas.
Sometimes any man can be a giant... A tagline is a variant of a branding slogan typically used in marketing materials and advertising. ... Edna Ferber (August 15, 1885 - April 16, 1968), was an American novelist, author and playwright. ...

Plot

Bick Benedict (Rock Hudson), the head of the rich Benedict ranching family of Texas, goes to Maryland to buy a stud horse, War Winds. There he meets and courts Leslie (Elizabeth Taylor), the socialite girl who becomes his wife. They return to Texas to start their life together on the family ranch, Reata. Luz (Mercedes McCambridge), Bick's sister, and Leslie don't get along. Jett Rink (James Dean) the family handyman, is jealous of the Benedict wealth and flirts with Leslie. The tone or style of this article or section may not be appropriate for Wikipedia. ... Ranching is the raising of cattle or sheep on rangeland, although one might also speak of ranching with regard to less common livestock such as elk, bison or emu. ... For other uses, see Texas (disambiguation). ... Official language(s) None (English, de facto) Capital Annapolis Largest city Baltimore Largest metro area Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area Area  Ranked 42nd  - Total 12,407 sq mi (32,133 km²)  - Width 101 miles (145 km)  - Length 249 miles (400 km)  - % water 21  - Latitude 37° 53′ N to 39° 43′ N... For other persons named Elizabeth Taylor, see Elizabeth Taylor (disambiguation). ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Mercedes Agnes Carlotta McCambridge (March 16, 1916 – March 2, 2004), nicknamed Mercy, was an Academy Award-winning American film actress, also known for her acting in radio dramas. ... For the film, see James Dean (film). ... The terms handyperson, handywoman, or handyman, describe someone competent in a variety of small skills or inventive or ingenious in repair or maintenance work; somebody who earns money by the experience and skill to perform a variety of small jobs and/or odd jobs in and around your home. ...

Luz dies after War Winds bucks her off, and as part of her will, Jett is given a plot of land within the Benedict ranch. Bick tries to buy back the land, but Jett refuses. Jett keeps the fenced off waterhole as his home and names the property Little Reata. He discovers oil on his property, and when he gets his first gusher, he barges onto the Benedicts' property proclaiming in front of the entire family that he will be richer than the Benedicts. Bick and Jett have a fistfight and Jett runs off. Leslie eventually gives birth to twins, Jordan Benedict III (Dennis Hopper), or Jordy, and Judy Benedict (Fran Bennett), and a younger daughter named Luz Jr (Carroll Baker). In the common law, a will or testament is a document by which a person (the testator) regulates the rights of others over his property or family after death. ... The Lucas Gusher at Spindletop, Texas (1901). ... Dennis Lee Hopper (born May 17, 1936) is an Academy Award-nominated American actor and film-maker. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... For the Canadian country music performer, see Carroll Baker (singer). ...

In the years before World War II, Jett starts an oil drilling company that makes him wealthy. Bick resists the lure of oil wealth, preferring to remain a rancher. Jett visits the Benedicts to convince Bick to allow oil production to help the war effort. During this visit, Luz Jr, now a teen-aged girl, and Jett start flirting. Once oil production starts, the wealthy Benedict family becomes wealthier. Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000...

In the postwar years, tensions in the Benedict household revolve around how the parents want to bring up their children. Bick wants Jordy to run the ranch, but Jordy wants to become a doctor. Leslie wants her Judy to attend boarding school in Switzerland, but Judy wants to stay in Texas for her education.

The Benedict/Rink rivalry comes to a head when the Benedicts find Luz Jr. and Jett Rink have been dating. At a huge gala Jett organizes in his own honor, Jordy tries to fight him, after realizing he and his Mexican American wife, Juana (Elsa Cárdenas), were invited just so Jett's employees could turn Juana away. Bick then takes Jett to a kitchen room, about to fight him, but realizes that Jett is a shell of a man, who only has money. He tells him, "You're not even worth hitting...You're all through," and leaves. The party ends when Jett, completely drunk, slumps down in front of everyone before his big speech. Luz Jr. sees him afterwards, once everyone has left the ballroom, and discovers that he is a lonely wreck.

The movie portrays how the oil industry transformed the Texas ranchers into the super rich of their generation. The Oil industry brings to market what is currently considered the lifeblood of nearly all other industry, if not industrialized civilization itself. ...

A major sub-plot of the movie is the racism against Mexican Americans in Texas. When the movie starts, Bick and Luz are racist towards the Mexicans who work on their ranch, which shocks Leslie. By the end of the movie, though, Bick realizes the wrongs of racism and defends his daughter-in-law and grandson, Juana and Jordan Benedict IV, respectively and earns Leslie's respect. Manifestations Slavery Racial profiling Lynching Hate speech Hate crime Genocide (examples) Ethnocide Ethnic cleansing Pogrom Race war Religious persecution Blood libel Paternalism Police brutality Movements Policies Discriminatory Race / Religion / Sex segregation Apartheid Redlining Internment Ethnocracy Anti-discriminatory Emancipation Civil rights Desegregation Integration Equal opportunity Counter-discriminatory Affirmative action Racial quota... The ethnonym Mexican-American describes United States citizens of Mexican ancestry (14 million in 2003) and Mexican citizens who reside in the US (10 million in 2003). ...

Cast

• Elizabeth Taylor as Leslie Benedict
• Rock Hudson as Jordan "Bick" Benedict Jr.
• James Dean as Jett Rink
• Carroll Baker as Luz Benedict II
• Jane Withers as Vashti Snythe
• Chill Wills as Uncle Bawley
• Mercedes McCambridge as Luz Benedict
• Dennis Hopper as Jordan Benedict III
• Sal Mineo as Angel Obregon II
• Rod Taylor as Sir David Karfrey
• Earl Holliman as "Bob" Dace
• Paul Fix as Dr. Horace Lynnton
• Judith Evelyn as Mrs. Nancy Lynnton
• Fran Bennett as Judy Benedict
• Elsa Cárdenas as Juana Guerra Benedict
• Nick Adams as Jett Rink - Giving Banquet Speech (voice)
• Dan White (uncredited) as Truck Driver in Diner

For other persons named Elizabeth Taylor, see Elizabeth Taylor (disambiguation). ... The tone or style of this article or section may not be appropriate for Wikipedia. ... For the film, see James Dean (film). ... For the Canadian country music performer, see Carroll Baker (singer). ... Jane Withers (born April 12, 1926) is an American actress. ... Chill Theodore Wills (July 18, 1903 in Seagoville, Texas – December 15, 1978) was a movie actor and singer in the Avalon Boys Quartet. ... Mercedes Agnes Carlotta McCambridge (March 16, 1916 – March 2, 2004), nicknamed Mercy, was an Academy Award-winning American film actress, also known for her acting in radio dramas. ... Dennis Lee Hopper (born May 17, 1936) is an Academy Award-nominated American actor and film-maker. ... Salvatore Sal Mineo, Jr. ... Rod Taylor (born Rodney Sturt Taylor on January 11, 1930) is an Australian-born film and television actor. ... Earl Holliman Earl Holliman (born Anthony Earl Numkena on September 11, 1928 in Delhi, Louisiana) is an American film and television actor. ... Paul Fix (b. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Dan White (March 25, 1908 — July 7, 1980) was an American actor. ...

Production

The first part of the picture was shot in Albemarle County, Virginia, doubling for Maryland, and utilizing the Belmont estate near the Keswick railroad station, which depicted the "Ardmore, Maryland" railway depot. The film begins with Jordan "Bick" Benedict, played by Hudson, arriving at Ardmore to purchase a stallion from the Lynnton family. Albemarle County is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia. ... This article is about the U.S. state. ... Official language(s) None (English, de facto) Capital Annapolis Largest city Baltimore Largest metro area Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area Area  Ranked 42nd  - Total 12,407 sq mi (32,133 km²)  - Width 101 miles (145 km)  - Length 249 miles (400 km)  - % water 21  - Latitude 37° 53′ N to 39° 43′ N... Keswick Post Office. ...

Much of the subsequent film, depicting "Reata," the Benedict ranch, was shot in and around the town of Marfa, Texas, and the remote, dry plains found nearby, with interiors filmed at the Warner Brothers studios in Burbank, California. The "Jett Rink Day" parade and airport festivities were filmed at the nearby Burbank Airport. Hotel Paisano and the Presidio County courthouse View south from the county courthouse Marfa is a city located in the high desert of far West Texas. ... For the community in Santa Clara County, California, see Burbank, Santa Clara County, California. ... Bob Hope Airport (IATA: BUR, ICAO: KBUR, FAA LID: BUR) is a public airport located three miles (5 km) northwest of the central business district of Burbank, a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. ...

The fictional character Jett Rink was based in part of oil tycoon Glenn Herbert McCarthy (1907-1988). Author Edna Ferber met with McCarthy when she booked a room at the Shamrock Hotel to which the novel and film were based. In the film, the fictional Emperador Hotel was based on the former Shamrock Hotel (known as the Shamrock Hilton after 1955) in Houston, Texas. The Shamrock Hotel was a hotel located in Houston, Texas adjacent to the Texas Medical Center. ... Houston redirects here. ... For other uses, see Texas (disambiguation). ...

The film was premiered in New York City in November 1956 with the local DuMont station televising the arrival of cast and crew, as well as other celebrities and studio chief Jack Warner. Warner Brothers has included the vintage kinescope of the premiere festivities in New York, as well as interviews with cast members, in their special 50th anniversary DVD set. The DuMont Television Network was the worlds first commercial television network, beginning operation in the United States in 1946. ... This article is about Jack Warner, the head of Warner Brothers. ...

Capitol Records, which had issued some of Dimitri Tiomkin's music from the soundtrack (with the composer conducting the Warner Brothers studio orchestra) on an LP, later digitally remastered the tracks and issued them on CD, including two tracks conducted by Ray Heindorf. Capitol Records is a major United States-based record label owned by EMI and located in Hollywood, California. ... Ray Heindorf (b. ...

Director George Stevens wanted to cast fading star Alan Ladd as Jett Rink, but his wife advised against it. The role went to James Dean. Before Elizabeth Taylor accepted it, the role of Leslie was offered to Grace Kelly. William Holden was a leading candidate for the role of Bick Benedict before Rock Hudson was eventually signed. George Stevens examining film from A Place in the Sun. ... Alan Walbridge Ladd (September 3, 1913 – January 29, 1964) was an American film actor. ... For the film, see James Dean (film). ... For other persons named Elizabeth Taylor, see Elizabeth Taylor (disambiguation). ... For the Mika song, see Grace Kelly (song). ... William Holden (April 17, 1918 – ca. ...

Giant was Barbara Barrie's first film. Carroll Baker, who plays Elizabeth Taylor's daughter, was older in real life than her screen mother. Barbara Barrie (born Barbara Ann Berman on May 23, 1931 to a Jewish family in Chicago, but raised in Texas) is an American actress and author of childrens books. ... For the Canadian country music performer, see Carroll Baker (singer). ... For other persons named Elizabeth Taylor, see Elizabeth Taylor (disambiguation). ...

After James Dean's death late in production, Nick Adams provided Rink's voice for a few lines. The film spent an entire year in the editing room. For the film, see James Dean (film). ...

It was the highest grossing film in Warner Bros. history until the release of Superman. “WB” redirects here. ... For the series of films, see Superman (film series). ...

Academy Awards win and nominations

Giant won the Academy Award for Directing and was nominated nine other times, twice for Best Actor in a Leading Role (James Dean and Rock Hudson). The other nominations came in the categories of Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Mercedes McCambridge), Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, Color, Best Costume Design, Color, Best Film Editing, Best Music, Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture, Best Picture and Best Writing, Best Screenplay - Adapted. The Academy Award for Directing is one of the awards given to directors working in the motion picture industry by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. ... Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role is one of the Academy Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) to recognize an actor who has delivered an outstanding performance while working within the film industry. ... Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role is one of the Academy Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) to recognize an actress who has delivered an outstanding performance while working within the film industry. ... The Academy Awards are the oldest awards ceremony for achievements in motion pictures. ... This Academy Award was first given for movies made in 1948 when separate awards were given for black-and-white and color movies. ... The Academy Award for Film Editing was first given for films issued in 1934. ... The Academy Award for Original Music Score is presented to the best substantial body of music in the form of dramatic underscoring written specifically for the film by the submitting composer. ... ©A.M.P.A.S.® The Academy Award for Best Motion Picture is one of the Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) to artists working in the motion picture industry. ... The Academy Award for Writing Adapted Screenplay is one of the Academy Awards, the most prominent film awards in the United States. ...

External links

• Giant at the Internet Movie Database
• Giant at Box Office Mojo