But why would a prequel be made, sounds dull with little conflict since Clem controlled the Big Muddy and apparently was being fair to all in the area? All parties would be content at that stage, no? No, even a sequel wouldn't have the drama inherent in the film that WAS made.
shareWe might see the reason that Clem had to tell Julie to keep the peace.
shareBut had he told Julie to keep the peace before he died? From what I recall things had started to come apart between the two camps once he had passed away, which left Julie trying to keep the peace but obviously she could only do so much.
shareDidn't Julie mention that, before her died, Clem told her to allow both camps access to the water?
"Two more swords and I'll be Queen of the Monkey People." Roseanne
Dunno for sure, would have to watch it again or wait for someone else to chime in who knows. I thought she told McKay that her grandfather had allowed both camps the access and that she had been carrying on that policy.
Whether he told her or not before he died it seems like the ill-feelings between the two clans went much further back than just starting when McKay showed up and Buck was hazing him in front of his fiance. I mean look at that dressing down Rufus gave the Major at the party and the Major's opinion of the Hannassey clan. There obviously was a history between them. Whatever probably minor insult or action rose into a nasty feud goes along with what McKay said about what was really solved or proven by his fight with Leech, and later what he said about both the Major and Rufus being two old vindictive silly men or something to that effect!
To answer your question, I see Clem Maragon a bit older and peaceable man than the Charles Bickford and Burl Ive's characters. With or without cosmetic enhancing and to be part of a fantastic cast, I see the following people as Clem: Gary Cooper, James Cagney, John Carridine. Possibly a few others I can not think of now.
sharePaul Fix would have been great casting IMHO.
shareProbably even better than Fix, due to his clout and gravitas as a superb character actor: Raymond Massey.
shareRaymond Massey would have been perfect.
shareWith the last name of Maragon, I always pictured him as being Hispanic, or maybe Basque. So I'd vote for Anthony Quinn, who would have been 43 when this film was made.
shareOr Caesar Romero, perhaps.
Yes, The Maragon family was Spanish: when Julie shows the property to MacKay, she mentions that it was gift to her family from the King of Spain ("I hope you're suitably impressed," she quips. "Yes, ma'am," he drawls back at her - as I recall).
I've always pictured Paul Fix as the unseen Clem Maragon that everyone always talked about with reverential tones, even many years after he had died. Fix had a lot of the same "kindly and wise" traits that Peck displays in most of his pictures, so no wonder Julie is obviously in love with McKay, who reminds her of her own dear departed father!
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Oh, wow! I already mentioned Fix earlier and completely forgot about it!
But Raymond Massey is an excellent choice, too.
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Oh, damn! I feel like an idiot! I'm the one who suggested Massey in the first place and I forgot THAT, too! So it looke like I was bragging about Massey being "an excellent choice."
I blame my cell phone (different page format when at this site) and myself for not reviewing the thread before posting. I won't delete my mishaps, however, for the benefit of anybody who's having themselves a good laugh at my expense.
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...and in view of the Maragon family being Spanish, if a prequel were to be made, I would propose Ricardo Montalban for Clem Maragon.
shareMy choice for Clem Maragon is Melvyn Douglas. He could play the role perfectly, just being the same proud, honest character he portrayed in Hud.
shareMy choice for Clem Maragon is Melvyn Douglas. He could play the role perfectly, just being the same proud, honest character he portrayed in Hud.
If the film had done flashbacks I see either Gary Cooper or James Stewart as Clem.
shareDean Jagger.
shareold question, but....
dean jagger, henry hull, charley grapewin, should get you started...