Wealthy Texas rancher Bick Benedict (Rock Hudson) shakes things up at home when he returns from a trip to the East Coast with the refined Leslie Lynnton (Elizabeth Taylor). Bick and Leslie get married, but she clashes with his sister, Luz (Mercedes McCambridge), and wins the admiration of the ambitious young Jett Rink (James Dean). Bick and Jett form a tense rivalry that continues to surface as the years pass and fortunes change in this sweeping drama.
George Stevens won an Academy Award for his direction of the 1956 film, which is also remembered for Dean’s final performance. He was killed in a car crash days after filming ended. He received a posthumous Oscar nomination for his performance as the brooding Jett.
