The Wild and the Innocent

This article is about a Western film. For the television episode, see The Wild and the Innocent (Millennium).

The Wild and the Innocent is a 1959 American CinemaScope Western film directed by Jack Sher and starring Audie Murphy and Sandra Dee, two inexperienced young people who get into trouble when they visit a town for the very first time. The film was the final Universal-International film shot in CinemaScope.

The Wild and the Innocent
Film poster by Reynold Brown
Directed by	Jack Sher
Written by	Sy Gomberg Jack Sher
Based on	story by Sy Gomberg
Produced by	Sy Gomberg
Starring	Audie Murphy Joanne Dru Gilbert Roland Jim Backus Sandra Dee
Cinematography	Harold Lipstein
Edited by	George Gittens
Music by	Hans J. Salter
Color process	Eastmancolor
Production company	Universal-International
Distributed by	Universal Pictures
Release date	May 27, 1959 (1959-05-27)
Running time	85 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English

Plot

Shy and naive mountain trapper Yancy (Audie Murphy) travels through Wyoming with his uncle and his Indian wife. After Uncle Lije (George Mitchell) is injured by a bear, Yancy is sent to trade their beaver pelts for money and supplies. When he arrives at the trading post, he finds it has been burnt down by an Indian who was sold moonshine by a lazy sneak thief, Ben Stocker (Strother Martin). The trading post owner tells Yancy that he will have to ride two more days to Casper, Wyoming, the nearest town to trade his furs. Stocker tries to trade his oldest daughter Rosalie (Sandra Dee) to Yancy for some furs, but is rebuffed. The next day, Yancy finds that Rosalie has run away from her father and wants him to take her to town.

When they reach the town and he trades his furs, Yancy gets Rosalie some new clothes so she will be presentable to look for a job. Paul Bartell (Gilbert Roland), the town's corrupt sheriff, says he will find Rosalie a job at the dance hall, and Yancy believes that this will be alright. He later finds out what really goes on at the dance hall and goes to get Rosalie. Bartell, who intends to earn good money with Rosalie, refuses to let the girl go, and Yancy is forced to shoot him in self-defense.

The next day, Yancy is loading up to leave for the mountains, while he intends for Rosalie to stay at the general store and be cared for by Mr. Forbes (Jim Backus) and his wife (Betty Harford). However, Rosalie refuses to part with him, and in the end Uncle Lije and Yancy head into the mountains with Rosalie riding on the back of Yancy’s horse.

Cast

• Audie Murphy as Yancy Hawks
• Joanne Dru as Marcy Howard
• Gilbert Roland as Sheriff Paul Bartell
• Jim Backus as Cecil Forbes
• Sandra Dee as Rosalie Stocker
• George Mitchell as Uncle Lije Hawks
• Peter Breck as Chip
• Strother Martin as Ben Stocker
• Wesley Marie Tackitt as Ma Ransome
• Betty Harford as Mrs. Forbes
• Mel Leonard as Pitchman
• Lillian Adams as Kiri Hawks
• Val Benedict as Richie
• Jim Sheppard as Henchman
• Edson Stroll as Henchman (as Ed Stroll)
• John Qualls as Henchman
• Frank Wolff as Henchman
• Rosemary Eliot as Dancehall Girl
• Barboura Morris as Dancehall Girl
• Louise Glenn as Dancehall Girl
• Stephen Roberts as Bouncer
• Karyn Kupcinet as Townswoman (as Tammy Windsor)

Production

Filming took place in Big Bear Lake, California starting October 1958. The film was known as The Buckskin Lad and the Calico Girl.

See also

• List of American films of 1959

External links

• The Wild and the Innocent at IMDb
• The Wild and the Innocent at the TCM Movie Database
• The Wild and the Innocent at AllMovie
• Review of film at Variety