How Long Is “Hud”?

Hud (Paul Newman) is an angry young man who has inherited none of the hard working, pioneer spirit of his father Homer (Melvyn Douglas). The Texas cattle rancher bemoans his son's pursuit of all things amoral and has written him off as a despicable human being who is unfortunately his son. Hud brings his young nephew Lon (Brandon de Wilde) out for a few beers and promptly gets into a barroom brawl. The boy worships his Uncle Hud at first, but soon becomes repulsed when he discovers the true nature of his character. The housekeeper Alma (Patricia Neal) is attacked by a drunken Hud as she sleeps in her cabin. When the cattle are doomed with hoof and mouth disease, Hud proposes to sell the herd before the sickness is detected, sickening his righteous father who orders the slaughter and burial of the cows. Hud is the farthest thing from an admirable Western hero ever to come across the screen. The film received seven Academy Award nominations took three Oscars for Best Supporting Actor (Douglas), Best Actress (Neal) and Best Cinematography for the lensing of cameraman James Wong Howe.