Will Penny
Seen it?1967 | 110 min | Western, Romance
Sunday Safe Betearly ratingWhy it’s a Sunday Safe Bet
Critics loved it (93% on Rotten Tomatoes), though it had soft box office. A safe bet when you want something reliable.
Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.Is it for you?
- Who'll love it
- Made for romantics. Critics rate it higher than audiences do, so it rewards patience more than it chases thrills.
- The mood
- Warm and romantic.
- The pace
- Moves along nicely, at 1 hr 50 min.
- What might put you off
- Made in 1967: an older pace and style.
- Audiences were cooler on it than critics.
Will Penny, an aging cowpoke, takes a job on a ranch which requires him to ride the line of the property looking for trespassers or, worse, squatters. He finds that his cabin in the high mountains has been appropriated by a woman whose guide to Oregon has deserted her and her son. Too ashamed to kick mother and child out just as the bitter winter of the mountains sets in, he agrees to share the cabin until the spring thaw. But it isn't just the snow that slowly thaws; the lonely man and woman soon forget their mutual hostility and start developing a deep love for one another.
How it earned its rating
- CriticsVery strong
93% on Rotten Tomatoes
- AudiencesSolid
6.7 out of 10
- AwardsNot counted
No major awards or nominations
- Box office & staying powerBelow par
$2 million worldwide on a $1 million budget; still draws a steady audience long after release
- Buzz & cultural impactSolid
About 43K people sought it out in the past year
Trailer
More like this
Jeremiah Johnson
Saturday SpecialAnother western.
Open Range Saturday SpecialAnother western, and a Saturday Special.
The Shootist Saturday SpecialAnother western, and a Saturday Special.
The War Wagon Sunday Safe BetAnother western, and a safe bet for a quiet night.
Australia Sunday Safe BetAnother romance, and a safe bet for a quiet night.
Want more like this, picked just for you? Get my picks
Cast & crew
Directed by Tom Gries
- Charlton HestonWill Penny
- Joan HackettCatherine Allen
- Donald PleasencePreacher Quint
- Lee MajorsBlue
- Bruce DernRafe Quint
- Ben JohnsonAlex
- Slim PickensIke Wallerstein
- Clifton JamesCatron
- Anthony ZerbeDutchy
- Roy JensonBoetius Sullivan